Abstract
OFFICIAL large-scale maps are available for comparatively few parts of the world outside western and central Europe, including the British Isles, the eastern United States, India, much of Burma, several of the Netherlands East Indies and Japan. South America, Africa and Australia each have few areas of such detailed survey. In the April number of the Geographical Review, a coloured world map on a scale of 1 to 50,000,000 compiled by R. R. Platt shows the distribution of official topographic maps as available at the outbreak of war in 1939. It covers scales up to and including 1: 253,440 (4 miles to 1 in.). Three categories are recognized, scales of 1 mile to 1 in. or larger, those of 1–2 miles to 1 in. and those of less than 2 miles down to 4 miles. Under each category an attempt has been made to distinguish between maps based on topographic survey on which relief is shown by contours or hachures, and maps of less complete detail with relief shown by form lines or hill shading. As a general rule, only maps produced by States for their own territory are shown, but there are some few exceptions. Compilations produced by an official agency of one country in the territory of another are not shown.
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Official Topographic Maps. Nature 155, 784 (1945). https://doi.org/10.1038/155784c0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/155784c0