A historical atlas is an atlas that includes historical maps and charts depicting the evolving
geopolitical
Geopolitics (from Greek γῆ ''gê'' "earth, land" and πολιτική ''politikḗ'' "politics") is the study of the effects of Earth's geography (human and physical) on politics and international relations. While geopolitics usually refers to ...
landscape. They are helpful in understanding historical context, the scope and scale of historical events and historical subjects (such as the expansion of the
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post- Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediter ...
), and
macro-history. Some historical atlases try to present the entire history of the world, such as the ''
Historical Atlas of the World'', while others are more specialised, for only one time period or location, such as the ''Historical Atlas of the American West'' or ''The Historical Atlas of China''. They may also include historical photographs and explanatory text or essays.
The first known historical atlas may have been the ''Parergon'' by Abraham Ortelius in 1579, which was a supplement to the Theatrum Orbis Terrarum. William R. Shepherd produced a well-known historical atlas in 1911.
See also
* :Historic maps
* Historical geography
* Timeline
References
External links
Individual digitised historical atlases
F. W. Putzgers Historischer Schul-Atlas, Ausgabe von 1905F. W. Putzgers Historischer Schul-Atlas, Ausgabe von 1914Richard Andree: ''Professor G. Droysens Allgemeiner Historischer Handatlas'', 1886R. Lane Poole: ''Historical Atlas of Modern Europe'', 1900Geschichtlicher Atlas von HessenHistorischer Atlas von Sachsen (1815)(ein Angebot der 'Digital South Asia Library')
Joseph E. Schwartzberg, A Historical Atlas of South Asia, second impression.Digitalisierungsprojekt Wilhelmshöher Kriegskarten
Digital only projects
Omniatlas - Interactive Atlas of World HistoryRunning Reality - any day in historyCentennia Historical AtlasSome animated mapsDigital historical maps from the Institut für Europäische Geschichte, Mainz, Germany
Other
Maps and History. Constructing Images of the Past
{{Authority control
Historical atlases, *