Atlas map
Topic: Maps and Map Scale · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 1 "Introduction to Maps"
Meaning
An atlas map is a very small-scale map. A small scale means a large area, such as the world, a continent or a country, fits on one page. So the detail has to be highly generalised (simplified), and only the main features are shown. An atlas is a book of such maps. NCERT calls it a "graphic encyclopaedia" because it covers location, relief, drainage, climate, vegetation, towns, population, industry, transport and heritage sites.
Example
A one-page map of India in a school atlas shows the Himalaya, the Indo-Gangetic plains and the Deccan Plateau. At this scale, a whole city like Delhi becomes a single dot, and rivers like the Ganga are drawn as smooth lines.
Don't confuse with
- Wall map: also small-scale, but larger in scale than an atlas map. It is printed on big paper for a classroom and shows more detail.
- Topographical map: a fairly large-scale map (1:25,000 to 1:250,000) that shows a small area in much more detail.