VICISSITUDES OF THE TOPOGRAPHIC AND THEMATIC SERIES: A PICTURE OF THE CONTEMPORARY PORTUGUESE CARTOGRAPHY - This paper is concerned with the present state of the map series and with the production rhythm of the most relevent topographic and thematic map series in Portugal, at the scale 1:25,000and 1:50,000. The obsolescence of most of the topographic sheets, the non-existence of any complete thematic series, and the irregular always decreasing production rhythm of the six series mentioned herein do show the extremely difficult situation of the Portuguese Cartography at the end of this century.