CZECH REPUBLIC

Military mapping is the responsibility of the Military Topographic Service of the Army (Vojenská topografická sluzba Armády CR). A military land information system has been developed to service the requirements of the army, and it incorporates topographic maps in both analogue and digital form at a range of scales from 1:25,000 to 1:1,000,000. A digital terrain model (DTM) has been constructed from contours on 1:25,000 scale maps. Military mapping has been based on the Soviet 1942-system, but preparations are being made to produce new and up-to-date mapping adapted to NATO standards.

The Land Survey Office has produced a digital raster version of the 1:50,000 scale map by scanning the printing separates, and is also developing digital databases of administrative boundaries.

Earth science mapping and research is the responsibility of the Czech Geological Survey (Césky geologicky ύstav (CGÚ)), Prague. This organization was established in 1919 and now operates under the Ministry of the Environment. There has been a prolific output of maps covering a variety of earth science themes and at scales ranging from 1:25,000 to 1:1,500,000. Many of these cover the former Czechoslovia, although some maps covered only the Czech Socialist Republic even before the split from Slovakia. A complete geological cover of the former Czechoslovakia at 1:200,000 scale was achieved in 1964, but a new edition of 21 sheets covering the Czech Republic was issued in 1990 and a third edition is now in progress. The 1:50,000 scale drift geology cover of the Czech Republic was completed in 1995. In some areas companion sheets have been published on other earth science themes, such as mineral deposits, hydrogeology and geochemistry of surface waters. A new 1:25,000 scale solid and drift mapping program began in 1998, Základní geologická mapa, but sheets will only cover selected areas. Recent maps include a synoptic geological map of the Prague area at 1:100,000 scale and tri-lingual geological map sheets for tourists and amateur geologists. In 1998, a digital atlas of 1:500,000 scale maps on earth science themes was issued on CD-ROM.

Detailed soil mapping and derived soil capability maps at 1:50,000 scale have been undertaken since 1987 by CGÚ, and about 35 sheets of each have so far been published. There are also numerous maps at this scale covering other earth science themes, including mineral deposits, hydrogeology and engineering geology.

The Institute for Forest Management (Ústav pro hospodárskou ύpravu lesu) has a series of stand maps and tree species maps for forest management purposes at the scale of 1:10,000, 1:25,000 or 1:50,000. From 1995, these maps were being produced by digital methods in cooperation with the private Help Service-Mapping company, which developed the TopoL GIS system. The aim is to develop an integrated GIS-based forest management information system. Help Service-Mapping is also involved in the production of cadastral maps and a range of thematic mapping, using satellite imagery and orthophotographs.

A 1:50,000 scale water resource management map series, Základní vodohospodárska mapa, uses a four-color reprint of the topographic map to which is added a wide range of hydrological and water supply management information.

The Institute of Geography of the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences at Brno (AVCR) was formerly an important publisher of maps, and was responsible for the national atlas, Atlas Ceskoslovenske Socialisticke Republiky published in 1966. More recent atlases include the Population atlas of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, 1987. This Institute was abolished with the reorganization of the two Republics, but this atlas is still available, and also the Atlas of the environment and health of the population of the CSFR, published in 1992 by the Federal Committee for the Environment. A new 1:500,000 scale map of potential vegetation of the Czech Republic, classified into 51 phytosociological units, was published in 1997 by the Institute of Botany of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic.

The former Czech Office for Geodesy and Cartography is now the Czech Office for Surveying, Mapping and Cadastre (Césky ύrad zememericky a katastrální (CÚZK)), Prague, and is the principal civilian national mapping agency. It has overall responsibility for cadastral mapping, which is currently being renovated, updated and digitized, and a range of topographic map series and small-scale general and administrative maps. Cadastral cartography is also carried out in seven principal regional cadastral offices, while responsibility for maintaining and updating state maps in the middle and smaller scales falls to the Land Survey Office (Zememericky ύrad (ZÚ)) at Kostelní 42, and overseas map orders should be directed to this office. There is also a Research Institute of Geodesy, Topography and Cartography which carries out research on behalf of CÚZK and has developed a computerized information system for the Republic.

There is a program to convert an assortment of more than 61,000 large scale analogue cadastral maps to digital format. Additionally, a Fundamental Base of Geographic Data (ZABAGED) is being created by scanning and vectorizing the 1:10,000 scale basic map. The whole territory is already available in raster format at this scale as well as in 4,573 analogue map sheets printed in five colors.

A state map series also exists at 1:5,000 scale, using a local conic projection and coordinate system known as S-JTSK, and with 2 m interval contours. This is a two-color map, offset printed, but with new editions being issued as diazo copies.

A 1:200,000 scale regional series covers the country in seven sheets, printed in seven colors and with companion four-color series showing respectively road information (classification, numbers and distances) and administrative divisions. Numerous general and thematic maps are published of the whole republic at 1:500,000 scale or smaller.

The principal commercial map publisher in the Czech Republic is Kartografie Praha (KP). The company produces educational maps and atlases, road maps and atlases, a number of city maps and a range of tourist maps including some at scales of 1:50,000 and a complete 1:100,000 scale cover. Regional tourist guides incorporating 1:200,000 scale road mapping are also published. Co-editions are produced with several other European publishers. Manual production methods have been mainly used, but new mapping, especially city mapping, is being prepared digitally using the Intergraph system, and digital mapping of Prague at 1:5,000 scale has been completed. A Multimedia atlas of the Czech Republic was published in 1998.

Geodézie CS, founded in 1991, is another major map publisher. It specializes in electronic maps distributed on CD-ROM and the internet, and on route navigation software, but also publishes numerous printed road and city maps and atlases. Hiking maps in separate summer and winter editions, and city mapping of Prague and Brno on CD-ROM are available from this publisher.

Another significant and successful publisher is the Czech Tourist Club (Klub cescých turistu (KCT)), whose detailed series of 1:50,000 scale hiking maps now cover the whole country in 97 sheets. These harmonize with the corresponding series for the Slovak Republic published by VKÚ, Harmanec, and are based on the VKÚ mapping. The maps have contours at 10 m intervals and show the 37,000 km network of marked walking routes. Legends are in Czech, German and English. The maps are distributed by M/S Trasa.

Map Service Jicín is a small company specializing in orienteering mapping. SHOCart, established in 1991, similarly originated as an orienteering mapping company, and produces maps using the O-CAD software developed in Switzerland for orienteering maps. However, the company has rapidly expanded and has considerably extended its range which now includes recreational maps and guides for cyclists, hikers, canoeists and skiers, and city and road atlases and maps, all of a high quality. Other publishers include Klaudian Praha, Topograf, Prague and Metric, Brno.

Tourist and general maps of the country are produced by a number of foreign publishers including Cartographia, Hungary (but also badged by HarperCollins), GeoCenter and Freytag-Berndt (FB) and there are also numerous maps of Prague from Hallwag, Berndtson and Berndtson (B&B), Kϋmmerly and Frey (K+F) and many others.

The Czech Statistical Office (Césky statisticky ύrad (CzSO)) publishes a wide range of demographic, social and economic statistics, but boundary mapping of administrative and electoral districts is provided by ZÚ or other organizations. Some thematic maps are included in CzSO reports, for example, in publications of electoral results.