----------------------------Original message---------------------------- Cheryl, The cartographic dictionary of the Dutch Cartographic Society (1991) defines atlas as: "A systematic, coherent collection of maps, usually in the form of a book, which represent a certain area or which treats one or more geographic phenomenons" (it can alos be a loose-leaved book). In the past certain atlases were also referred to as 'kaartboek' (which doesn't have a translation, but means 'mapbook') The dictonary defines further 25 kinds of atlases. However it doesn't say anything about the relation maps vs text. In the introduction to the 'Atlantes Neerlandici' Volume I, C. Koeman writes about one page (XI) about the problem of how to define a map (see also 'La cartografia dels Paisos Baixos', p. 184) and the relation maps vs text becomes not more transparent. Keeping in mind that Mercator wanted to create a geographical encyclopedia which later resolved into an altas because of his untimely death, we do not know what his real intention was. However we'll define it, the definition will be arbitrary as to the amount of maps a book must carry to be counted an atlas. When using the word atlas in our sense it is well to define it as a geographical atlas, as in general the word is used for books which map certain visualized topics (:->), as we have atlases of skeletons, plants, etc. And then to know that last year there was a large unresolved discussion on MAPHIST about the topic "What is a map?" Jan Smits Map Curator Koninklijke Bibliotheek, National Library of The Netherlands [log in to unmask] tel: + 31 70 3140241 fax: + 31 70 3140450