PUBLIC AVAILABILITY OF CIA-PRODUCED MAPS AND ATLASES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80M00165A001000190004-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 14
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 24, 2004
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: August 1, 1977
• Content Type: MF

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MEMORANDUM FOR: Director of Central Intelligence
VIA : Acting Deputy Director of Central Intelligence
FROM : Sayre Stevens
Deputy Director for Intelligence
SUBJECT . Public Availability of CIA-Produced Maps
and Atlases
1. Action Requested: None. This memorandum is for your
information only.
2. Background: In a recent meeting you had with a summer
intern group, the interns advocated wider distribution of Agency
products that include identification of the Agency and the
author. I of your staff asked that we provide you
with the background on CIA-produced maps available to the public,
the relationship of our map products to GPO and private map pub-
lishers (Rand McNally & Co.), and what would be involved in
increasing our efforts to expand the availability of CIA-produced
maps to the public.
3. DDI/OGCR produces numerous maps and atlases of all clas-
sifications that are used in a variety of ways throughout the
Intelligence Community and elsewhere in the U.S. Government. The
unclassified cartographic products have been distributed to the
public for a number of years through three channels:
a. U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO)
In 1972 DDI/OGCR offered GPO a popular series of
general reference maps covering most countries of the
world issued by the Agency as part of the National
Intelligence Survey (NIS) program. After maps of
some 65 countries had been placed on sale, production
of this series of maps was stopped when the NIS program
was discontinued. Several atlases produced by DDI/OGCR
have also been accepted by GPO for public sale (GPO
issues only those publications it believes will prove
profitable and is not obligated to sell an item simply
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because the originating agency wants it sold publicly).
See attached list of CIA-produced items currently sold
by GPO (Attachment 1).
The CIA seal appears on all maps and atlases sold
by GPO. After GPO accepts an item for public sale,
the Agency provides reproduction plates to GPO and
stock copies are usually printed by the lowest-bidding
commercial printer. This action places the maps and
atlases in the public domain and reproduction plates
can be sold to anyone by GPO. Rand McNally & Co. has
availed itself of this opportunity and is presently
selling two CIA-produced atlases (China and the Middle
East) under its Company name without reference to CIA.
All CIA-produced maps and atlases sold by GPO have
been sent to more than 600 libraries throughout the
United States as specified in the 1962 Library Deposi-
tory Act (Title 44, U.S. Code 19). The GPO depository
program is administered by the Library and Statutory
Distribution Service of the Library of Congress.
b. Library of Congress
Since the late 1950s, DDI/OGCR has been routinely
sending one copy each of almost every unclassified
CIA-produced map to the Geography and Map Division
of the Library of Congress in compliance with Title
44, U.S. Code, Sections 1718 and 1719 (over 1,300
maps have been forwarded in the last 18 months).
The maps are filed in the regular Library of
Congress map collection, CIA is identified as the
publisher, and no restrictions are placed on their
use. They are available for examination by the
public and may be reproduced by anyone as they are
not copyrighted.
Certain CIA publications have also been made
available to the public through the Document Expe-
diting Project (DOCEX) of the Library of Congress.
This is a system designed for distributing documents
produced by various Government agencies to libraries
subscribing to the DOCEX service.
c. Direct Inquiry
Occasional requests from the public for specific
CIA-produced maps and atlases are fulfilled at no charge
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if the item requested is in stock and is not sold
by GPO (35 such requests were received in the last
12 months). If the desired item is out of print,
the requester is either offered a black and white
reproduction copy for a fee or is referred to the
Geography and Map Division of the Library of Congress.
Requesters of large numbers of CIA-produced maps are
charged according to a fee schedule designed to
approximate the cost of producing the maps. A notable
example was the forwarding of 113 maps to the United
Aircraft Corporation for $28.
4. DDI/OGCR has long recognized that its maps and atlases are
of value to the academic community and the general public. In June
1976, an OGCR employee presented a paper on the subject at the annual
meeting of the Western Association of Map Librarians held in Denver,
Colorado (Attachment 2), thus providing another opportunity for
publicizing the availability of CIA's map production. Additionally,
the digital geographical data base (World Data Base I and II), which
was developed by DDI/OGCR and which is used to drive CIA's automated
map production program, has been made available to the public through
the National Technical Information Service of the Department of
Commerce. In mid-October 1977, a paper on World Data Base II will
be presented and discussed by an employee of DDI/OGCR at an MIT/
Harvard symposium (Attachment 3). I believe that you are aware that
one of the major exhibits in Project OUTREACH will display the tech-
niques and production of the CIA mapping program.
5. As you can see, public access to CIA-produced map products
can be through a number of mechanisms. Given our mission and the
fact that we do not budget for this purpose, I feel our current
public posture with respect to map availability is just about
right. To actively solicit additional public requests for maps
would no doubt require a significant increase in existing resources,
particularly in the DDA where printing and distribution facilities
would need to be established. Any consideration to significantly
expanding our current program would need to take into account the
potential for backlash from GPO and the private map publishing
Sayre Stevens
Attachments: 3
As stated above
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SUBJECT: Public Availability of CIA-Produced Maps and Atlases
Distribution:
Original - DCI
1 A/DDCI
ER With
i - DDI I Attachments
1 - DDI Chrono
1 - D/GCR ./
1 - Ch/MLD/GCR
1 - Ch/CD/GCR w/o
1 - Ch/GD/GCR Attachments
i - rh/TqqiarD (
D/GCR
29 Jul 77)
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 11TED STATES GOVERNME N-r PRINT( C. OF IF 1CE
ATTACHMENT T
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SB-102
>:t~tr r 9 1976
NOTICE
Pric>s shown were in effect on the above date. Government documents' prices are subject to change without prior notice.
Therefore, prices if-, effect when your order is filled may differ from prices on this list. Since it is not feasible to change
prices shown in Government documents in print, the price printed in a document may differ from the price in effect when
your order is processed.
General Reference Maps of Foreign Countries. These multicolored Central In-
telligence Agency maps identify major roads, population density, major indus-
tries, the location of natural resources, and other specific features of the
given country. Each map is wrapped in a sturdy envelope for protection. Al?
missing countries are OUT OF PRINT.
Bulgaria. 1972. 23 x 20 in. PrEx 3.10/4:B 87
Cambodia. 1972. 18 x 24 in. PrEx 3.10/4:C 14
Cyprus. 1972. 17 x 25 in. PrEx 3.10/4:C 99
Czechoslovakia. 1974. 20 1/2 x 22 1/2 in.
PrEx 3.10/4:C 99/2
Den rk. 1974. 24 1/2 x 17 5/8
Ec:dor. 1973.
Egypt. 1971.
Ethiopia. 1972. 18 x
East Germany. 1973.
Greece. Reprinted 1976.
24 1/2 x 18 in.
PrEx 3.10/4:G 31
28 3/4 in.
PrEx 3.10/4:G 81
in.
PrEx 3.10/4:D 41
PrEx 3.10/4:Ec 9
PrEx 3.10/4:Eg 9
PrEx 3.10/4:Et 3
PrEx 3.10/4:G 93
PrEx 3.10/4:G 94
in.
PrEx 3.1.0/4:G 99
Guinea. 1973. 21 x 26 in.
Guyana. Reprinted 1975.
Honduras. 197 3 . 21 1/2 x 19
Hungary. 1973. 19 x 18 in.
Iceland. 1973. 17 x 18 in.
India with Sikkim and Bhutan.
in. PrEx 3.1.0/4:1I 75
PrEx 3.10/4:IH 89
PrEx 3.10/4:Ic 2
1975. 24 x 30 in.
PrEx 3.10/4:In 2
041.015--00006-3 .70
041-015-00004-7 $. .70
041-015-00025-0 .70
041-015-00064-1 .70
041-015-00045-4 1.00
041-015-00024-1 1.00
041-01.5-00022-5 .65
041--015-00062-4 1.00
041-015-00029-2 .65
0411-015-00042-0 .65
041-01.5-00044-6 .65
041-015-00048-9 .65
041-015-00031-4 .65
041-015-00040-3 .60
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 Indo.nes prov for Repe)q^2Q04J0 /71? 1rIA-RDP80M001654401000190004-0
PrEx 3.10/4:In 2/2 041-015-00027-6 1.00
Iran. 1973. 17 x 19 in. PrEx 3.10/4:Ir 1
Italy. 1973. 26 x 20 in. PrEx 3.10/4:It 1
Ivory Coast. 1972. 18 x 28 in. PrEx 3.10/4:Iv 7
Kenya. 1974. .20 1/2 x 18 in. PrEx 3.10/4:K 42
North Korea. 1972. 26 7/8 x 23 1/8 in.
Pr,!K 3.10/4:K 84
1973 20 x 25 3/4 in.
Panama. 1974. 19 1/2 x 22 in. PrEx 3.10/4:P 19
Philippines. 1974. 21 x 25 in. PrEx 3.10/4:P 53
Poland. Reprinted 1975. 25 x 16 in.
PrEx 3.10/4:P 75
Portugal. 1972. 22 x 22 in. PrEx 3.10/4:P 83
South Korea.
PrEx 3.10/4:K 84/2 041-015-00053-5 .70
Liberia.. 1973. .16.5 x 23 in. PrEx 3.10/4:L 61 041-015-00057-8 .65
Libya. 1974. 23 x 19 3/4 in. PrEx 3.10/4:L 61/2 041-015-00063-2 .70
.Madagascar. 1973. 20 1/4 x 23 in.
PrEx 3.10/4:M 26
Martinique, Guadeloupe and French Guiana. 1972. 15 x 23
PrEx 3.10/4:M 36
Mauritius. 1972. -11 x 15 in. PrEx 3.10/4:M 44
lted 1975 22 x 31 in.
ru
R
`
Russia. (2 sheets). 1971. 19 x 30 in. 24 x 31 in.
PrEx 3.10/4:R 92
.
e
exico. p
N
PrEx 3.10/4:M 57 041-015-00019-5 .90
Morocco. 1973. 18 x 28 in. PrEx 3.10,4:M 82
Mozambique. 1973. 20 1/2 x 24 1/4 in
Nigeria. 1973. 23 x 27 in. PrEx 3.10/4:N 56
Pakistan. 1973. 18 3/4 x 29 in. PrEx 3.10/4:P 17
Senegal and Gambia. 1972. 20 x 24 in.
PrEx 3.10/4:Se 5
041-015-00039-0 .70
041-015-00056-0 .70
041-015-00011-0 .70
041-015-00065-9 .65
041-015-00030-6 $ .75
041-015-00047-1 . .65
in.
041-015-00014-4 .65
041-015-00005-5 .60
041-015-00036-5 .70
041-015-00049-7. .65
041-015-00034-9 .70
041-015-00054-3 .70
041-015-00061-6 .70
041-015-00060-8 .70
041-015-00058-6 .90
041-015-00018-7 .70
041-015-00012-8 1.10
041-015-00023-3 .7C
Seychelles. 1971. 11 x 19 in. PrEx 3.10/4:Se 9 041-015-00008-0
Ste; ovediP RelegsW be4/1f3/1- & dpjM&46kA001000190004ll-00038-1
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Spain. 1974. 27 x 20 1/2 in.. PrEx 3.10/4:Sp 1 041-015-000069-1 $ .70
Sweden. ' 1973. 20 x 18 in. PrEx 3.10/4:Sw 3 041-015-00037-3 .65
Thailand. 1974. 21 x 22 in. PrEx 3.10/4:T 32 041-015-00068-3 .70
Tunisia. 1972. .22 x 21 in. PrEx 3.10/4:T 83 041-015-00015-2 .70
Turkey. 1974. 20 1/4 x 24 1/4 in.
PrEx 3.10/4:T 84 041-015-00067-5 .70
U.S.S.R. 1974. . 18 x 23 in. PrEx 3.10/4:Un 3 041-015-00066-7 1.05
Uruguay. 1974. 18 x 23 in. PrEx 3.10/4:Ur 8 041-015-00059-4 .70
South Vietnam. 1972. 24 x 29 in. PrEx 3.10/4:V 67 041-015-00021-7 ..75
Yemen (Aden). 1973. 20 x 28 in. PrEx 3.10/4:Y 3 041-015-00043-8 .65
Yemen (Sara). 1973. 20 x 21 in. PrEx 3.10/4:Y 3/2 041-015-00033-1 .70
Yugoslavia. 1973. 17 x 27 in. PrEx 3.10/4:Y 9 041-015-00035-7 .70
UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
CIA PRODUCED. ATLASES
1. Peoples Republic of China: Atlas 1971 82 pages
Catalog No. PrEx 3.10/4: C44/3' Price: $6.50
2. Atlas: Issues in the Middle East 1973 40 pages
Catalog No. PrEx 3.10/4: M58 Price: .$2.00
3. USSR Agriculture: Atlas 1974 60 pages
Catalog No. PrEx 3-10/4: UN3/4 Price: $4.20
4. Peoples Republic of China Administrative: Atlas
1975 68 pages Stock No. 041-015-00076-4 Price: $3.45
5. Maps of the World's Nations Volume I Western Hemisphere 1976
46 pages Stock No. 041-015-00078-1 Price: $2.00
6. Indian Ocean Atlas 1976 80 pages Price: $5.75
Catalog No, PrEx 3.10/4: 12/3 Stock No. 041-015-00080-2
7. Maps of the World's Nations Volume II Africa 1977
53 pages Stock No. 0 1-015-0083-7 Price: $3.20
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 ATTACHMENT 2
June 1976
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The Public Availability of the
Central -Intelligence Agency's Cartographic Products
In recent years, CIA has become fairly well known as a publisher of
maps and-atlases of foreign areas. I Will discuss how CIA became a producer
of maps and atlases for public consumption, and describe the CIA produced -
material currently available.
The CIA has had a map-making capability since it was established in
1947. It drew on the resources of its predecessor organization, the wartime
Office of Strategic Services. Thousands of maps produced by OSS during
World War II were recently deposited i n the Cartographic Branch of the J.S.
National Archives and Records Service in 1ashington, D.C. These maps have
been declassified and are available for examination by the public. Repro-
duction copies of any of the maps can be obtained from the national Archives
at reasonable cost. Many of the OSS maps are also held in the Geography
and Map Division of the Library of Congress, but their collection of
these maps is far less complete than that of the National Archives.
During the late 1940's and most of the decade of the fifties, CIA
map production was primarily limited to classified items in support of
national intelligence, but in 1959 the Agency produced an unclassified
provisional atlas-of administrative units in China.- Most of the maps
in the atlas were reproduced from a 1956 atlas published in Peking, but a
great deal of later date administrative information was incorporated into
the CIA publication. It was immediately. realized the atlas would make'a
significant contribution to the cartographic materials then available on
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China and the atlas was offered for sale by the Department of Comm rce
for five dollars. This represented the first CIA product sold to the public.
A similar atlas on administrative units of the USSR, consisting largely of-
color reproductions of Russian produced maps, was published in 1960. Again,
it was obvious that this atlas would also make a significant contribution
to the cartographic materials then available on the USSR. A limited number
of copies were made available to non-government academic institutions.
Alsb?in the late 1950's,CIA began sending copies of its unclassified
country base maps to the Geography and Map Division of the Library of
Congress for inclusion in their files. This practice is still followed on
a regular basis, in compliance with Title 44, U.S. Code, Sections 1718 and
1719.. Hundreds of unclassified CIA maps have been placed in the Library of
Congress. The maps are filed in the main Library of' Congress map collection
according to an area/subject cataloging system. They are available for
examination by the public and may be reproduced since they are not copy-
righted.
By the early 1960's, CIA had become well known within the professional
field of geography as an employer of cartographers and geographers. As
part of our recruitment of qualified job candidates in these fields, examples
of CIA produced maps were occasionally left with the Departments of
Geography at major universities, and this practice provided a great deal
of academic exposure to the CIA produced maps.
CIA cartographic products received the first widespread distribution
outside the Government when the China Map Folio was published in 1968.
Although produced for the use of U.S. Government officials interested in
China, it was recognized that this atlas would contribute significantly
to the cartographic materials available on China in the academic world.
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Accordingly, a limited gratis dessemination of this atlas was made to
university geography departments, libraries and research institutions
deemed particularly stong in China studies. The atlas was well received,
and for the first time, CIA had become publicly identified as a major
publisher of maps on foreign areas. Knowledge of the Agency's cartographic
capabilities continued to spread in ensuing years as similar selective
.distributions were made for other atlases. They included the China Admin-
istrative Atlas in 1969, the Indochina Atlas in 1970, and a revision of the
earlier administrative atlas of China in 1975.
At the end of 1971, we initiated a new series of atlases that involved
more than a grouping of maps. To date, three have been published:
Peoples Republic of China: Atlas, 1971
Atlas: Issues in the Middle East, 1973
USSR Agriculture: Atlas, November 1974
These publications combine thematic maps, graphics, photography, and text
to provide basic information essential to understanding selected areas,
problems, or issues. Within the government, these publications are intended
primarily to provide policymakers and generalists a ready means of acquiring
background information on subjects of continuing importance. We attempt
to achieve high levels of expertise and professionalism in these publications,
but they are not designed with substantive expert in mind. As time and
resources permit, other atlases in this series may be published. -
The large demand for additional copies of these publications, particu-
larly from the academic community, prompted CIA to offer several of them
to the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO) for consideration as public
sale items.. It must be emphasized that GPO issues only those. publications
it believes will prove profitable. It is not obligated to print and sell
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a document simply because the originating agency wants it sold to the
public. The selling price is also determined by GPO. To date, four CIA
atlases have been printed by GPO and are now on public sale (See attached
GPO listing with prices). They are the Peoples Republic of China: Atlas,
Atlas: Issues in the Middle East, USSR Agriculture: Atlas, and Peoples
Republic of China: Administrative Atlas. Sales of these atlases at GPO
are reported to be brisk, and at least one of the atlases has been reprinted
to meet the demand. One indication of the popularity of the Peoples Republic
of China: Atlas is that Rand McNally and Company is selling this atlas
under their company name, having printed it from reproduction materials
purchased from GPO. Rand McNally has also prepared its own version of the
CIA's Middle East Atlas.
In addition to CIA atlases, GPO has issued a series of CIA-prepared
general reference maps of many countries of the world. They were first
accepted and placed on sale in 1972. A year later, after -naps of some 65
countries had been placed on sale, production of this series of maps at
CIA was terminated by budget constraints. A modest revision prograr: for
the existing maps in the series is now underway, however, and some of the
maps are expected to be revised within a year, including the one on the
Peoples Republic of China. This series of maps has sold well at GPO.
CIA does not have a map and atlas depository program. Hovever, all
CIA produced maps and atlases sold by the GPO have been sent to over 600
libraries throughout the U.S. as specified in the 1962 Depository Library
Act (Title 44, U.S. Code 19). CIA has no responsibility for the administra-
tion of this GPO depository program. If anyone present has questions on
this matter, contact the Library and Statutory Distribution Service, Library
of Congress, which administers this depository program for GPO.
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In addition to the CIA maps and atlases sold by GPO, there are a number
of CIA publications available to libraries Via the Document Expediting Project
of the Library of Congress. DOCEX, as it is commonly kno',;n,' is a system
for distributing documents produced by various U.S. Government agencies to
libraries subscribing to the DOCEX service. Four CIA publications distributed
through DOCEX contain maps and may be of interest to this group. They are
the Moscow Street Guide, a pocket-size atlas of the city of Moscow published
in 1975; the National Basic Intelligence Factbook, a compilation of basic
geographic, political, and economic data on political entities worldwide
that is published semi-annually; the 1975 Peoples Republic of China Admin-
istrative Atlas; and fourth, a compendium of briefs on selected cities of
the Peoples Republic of China produced for the use of U.S. Government
officials visiting China. Inquiries regarding the DOCEX program subscription
service should be sent to the DOCEX Project, Exchange and Gifts Division,
Library of Congress, Washington, Q.C.
In summation, the Central Intelligence Agency has long recognized
that many of its maps and related publications are of potential value to the
academic community and the general public. Although not budgeted for this
purpose, CIA has tried to make these items accessible to any serious user.
They have been placed in academic institutions, libraries, and research
organizations; offered for public sale by the Government Printing Office;
deposited in the files of the Geography and Map Division of the Library
of Congress; and distributed through the DOCEX Project subscription service
of the Library of Congress.
Attachment:
List of products available.
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