Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Ministry of Finance and National Economy & the United States Geological Survey: Geology of the Northern Tuwayq Quadrangle, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, lithographed map, 102 x 106mm, published Riyadh and Washington DC, 1377 A.H./1958 A.D.




This is one sheet of a series of twenty-one dual dated and bilingual maps which were issued as a joint venture between the government of Saudi Arabia and the United States Geological Survey. This venture was the first to produce a full series of geological and geographical maps of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and was instrumental in its establishment as a major global force in the production of natural resources.

The overseer of the project was a veteran geologist, Glen F. Brown, who had already been to the Kingdom in the mid-1940s and had formed a very good relationship with Saudi officials. They asked for his further co-operation in 1950 and the result was the formation of a team consisting of Brown, geologists appointed by the Saudi Ministry of Finance and National Economy as well as geologists from Saudi Aramco.

The survey used the latest techniques available including aerial photography and was conducted from 1950-58. The results were seminal for the mapping of the region and to this day, this survey forms the basis of any modern maps of the Kingdom.

This specific sheet covers the region of Riyadh. The cartographers responsible were Richard A. Bramkamp, and Leon Ramirez, the former of whom worked both as assistant to Brown and for Saudi Aramco. Ramirez was also an Aramco employee and highly respected geologist. As with all the sheets, the map is bilingual with detailed geological information both on the margins and the face of the map. There is also a geological cross section on the face lower border.

It is impossible to overemphasize the importance of this survey to the development of Saudi Arabia.