Atlantic the name of the ocean comes (in late Middle English) via Latin from Greek, from Atlas, Atlant-. It originally referred to Mount Atlas in Libya, hence to the sea near the west African coast, later extended to the whole ocean.

The Atlantic Charter a declaration of eight common principles in international relations drawn up by Churchill and Roosevelt in August 1941. The charter, which stipulated freely chosen governments, free trade, freedom of the seas, and disarmament of current aggressor states, and condemned territorial changes made against the wishes of local populations, provided the ideological basis for the United Nations organization.

Battle of the Atlantic a succession of sea operations during the Second World War in which Axis naval and air forces attempted to destroy ships carrying supplies from North America to the UK.

Atlantic Period in post-glacial times (i.e. post-Devensian or Flandrian) from about 7500 to 5000 BP which, according to pollen evidence, was warmer than the present, and moist; with oceanic climatic conditions prevailing throughout north-western Europe. It corresponds to Pollen Zone VIIa, which throughout north-western Europe is characterized by the most thermophilous (warmth-loving) species found in postglacial pollen records. The climatic optimum of the post-glacial, or current Flandrian Interglacial, is dated to the early Atlantic period. Compare BOREAL. See POLLEN ANALYSIS.

Atlantic XV. — L. Atlanticus — Gr. Atlantikós, f. Átlās, Atlant- name of (i) the Titan who was supposed to hold up the pillars of the universe, and (ii) the mountain in Libya which was held to support the heavens, whence the application of the adj. to the ocean west of Africa.

atlantes stone carvings of male figures, used as columns to support the entablature of a Greek or Greek-style building; the word is the plural form of Greek atlas (see Atlas).

atlantes. See atlas.