National Geospatial Program. National Atlas home page. The National Map is now offering a collection of small-scale datasets that can be downloaded for free.
Although the 1997-2014 Edition of the National Atlas of the United States was retired in September 2014, The National Map recognizes the importance of continuing to make a collection of the small-scale datasets, originally developed for the National Atlas, available to users. Small-scale maps have an advantage over large-scale maps when there is a need to show a large area in a single view. This makes small-scale maps an ideal solution for scientists, decision-makers, and planners needing to provide a geographical context for the research projects. Generally, certain geographical and feature details found in large-scale maps are limited or omitted in small-scale maps. The National Map.