Introduction

The Atlas is being published in several different forms, the printed hard-cover version and loose sheets, and in electronic form (CD-ROM and DVD). CD-ROM as the electronic book is the exact copy of the printed version in the PDF format. DVD consists from the DVD-Video, which contains the popularised film (∼ 1 hour; Audio languages: Slovak, English, German, Russian, and subtitles: English, Spanish, French) and it supplements the printed cartographic work. The DVD-ROM form with dynamic database application (GIS) facilitates the random combination and interpretation of the information contained in the printed version of the Atlas. The data processed in the form of hybrid DVD (Digital Versatile Disk) medium represent qualitatively new possibilities of presentation of this work. The bilingual version (Slovak and English) makes the Atlas accessible to the majority of the national and foreign users. Landscape Atlas of the Slovak Republic brings comprehensive information applicable in the state administration, scientific institutions, educational sphere, research centres, as well as the designing and planning organisations. Landscape Atlas of the Slovak Republic is a new cartographic feat, which aspires to offer the comprehensive picture of Slovak's territory as the culmination of the scientific efforts concentrated on compilation of all accessible information on the landscape at the beginning of the 3rd millennium. Landscape Atlas of the Slovak Republic consists of ten chapters: Chapter I: Landscape and its representation; Chapter II: Development of settlement and map representation; Chapter III: Situation; Chapter IV: Primary landscape structure; Chapter V: Secondary landscape structure; Chapter VI: Population and its activities in landscape; Chapter VII: Natural-settlement regions; Chapter VIII: Protected areas and natural resources; Chapter IX: Stress phenomena in landscape; Chapter X: Landscape as the human environment. The beginning of the 3rd millennium is, beside other, perhaps the best moment for reflections over our conduct and its consequences. The correct understanding and interpretation of the landscape means to learn about the effects of the natural factors and the human impact on the landscape. Are we able to assess the reality and to comprehend it in its broader context in order to interpret the landscape as the optimal environment for future generations? One of the most suitable forms of representation of the dynamic and the less variable phenomena in space is map. The map can document the past and the present events, and even the expected developments. The basic principle of such broadly conceived work as the Landscape Atlas of the Slovak Republic is to reflect the changes of the landscape since the oldest time until the present, and to anticipate the future. Few countries boast such rich map production as the Slovak Republic. The Atlas offers information on landscape, which was not yet published and mapped to such an extent before. It leans on the tradition of map production and its approach to the new situation is modern and uncompromising. The Slovak Republic is undergoing the process of integration into the European structures and this is the principal reason why we want to present our country in the light of the most recent scientific knowledge. The work on this encyclopaedic piece started already in 1996. The preparations were made under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture of the SR and since 1999 the Ministry of Environment of the SR co-ordinated them. The work was managed by the 18-member Editorial Board and the 9-member Executive Board was responsible for the expert aspects of the content of the Atlas. In total 367 national and foreign experts from 85 scientific, university, research and specialised institutions participated in compilation of the Atlas. The Landscape Atlas of the Slovak Republic is divided from the point of view of the themes into ten chapters with subchapters. (author)