What is cartography?
Cartography is the science and art of map-making. This field of study
deals with the conception, production, and study of maps and charts.
Cartography and Geography are two closely related fields of study, each
dependent on the other for correctly describing a place on our planet.
Both the disciplines together make it easy for us to understand the world
in which we live, our positions on the Earth, and the way life functions
here.
Cartography or mapmaking is the study and practice of making maps.
Map making involves the application of both scientific and artistic
elements, combining graphic talents and specialized knowledge of
compilation and design principles with available techniques for product
generation. Maps function as visualization tools for spatial data. Spatial
data is stored in a database and extracted for a variety of purposes. The
traditional analog methods of map making have been replaced by digital
systems capable of producing dynamic interactive maps that can be
manipulated digitally.
Modern Cartography like many other fields of "information technology"
has undergone rapid changes in the last decade. Rather than merely
drawing maps the cartographic process is concerned with data
manipulation, data capture, image processing and visual display.
Cartographic representations may appear in printed form or as dynamic
images generated on a computer display screen. Computer assisted
mapping systems have added a new and exciting dimension to
cartographic techniques and traditional methodologies have to be
augmented with new skills. The fundamental nature of cartography has
changed with the evolving technologies, providing cartographers with
new methods for visualization and communication of spatial
information.
, Overview of the career
The History of Cartography Project is a research, editorial, and
publishing venture drawing international attention to the history of maps
and mapping. The Project’s major work is the multi-volume History of
Cartography series. The History is the flagship publication of an
expanding, interdisciplinary field that brings together scholars in the
arts, sciences, and humanities. Prepared for both scholarly and lay
audiences, the series provides the interpretive structure necessary to
assess, appreciate, and analyze maps from all periods and cultures.
Designed specifically to facilitate the understanding and use of maps as
human documents, the History is the only comprehensive and reliable
work that studies the people, cultures, and societies that have produced
and consumed maps from prehistoric times to the present. The History is
the reference work of first resort for those interested in topics as diverse
as geography, art history, or the history of science and for scholars,
teachers, students, librarians, and the general public. As such, it stands
as “one of the most sweeping academic undertakings of a generation”
(NEH 2015).
As a reference resource it pays special attention to the accuracy and
completeness of its information, synthesizing narratives, and
methodological insights. The volumes integrate existing scholarship
with new research, examining an unprecedented range of artifacts from
local maps to those of the cosmos.
Cartography is the science and art of map-making. This field of study
deals with the conception, production, and study of maps and charts.
Cartography and Geography are two closely related fields of study, each
dependent on the other for correctly describing a place on our planet.
Both the disciplines together make it easy for us to understand the world
in which we live, our positions on the Earth, and the way life functions
here.
Cartography or mapmaking is the study and practice of making maps.
Map making involves the application of both scientific and artistic
elements, combining graphic talents and specialized knowledge of
compilation and design principles with available techniques for product
generation. Maps function as visualization tools for spatial data. Spatial
data is stored in a database and extracted for a variety of purposes. The
traditional analog methods of map making have been replaced by digital
systems capable of producing dynamic interactive maps that can be
manipulated digitally.
Modern Cartography like many other fields of "information technology"
has undergone rapid changes in the last decade. Rather than merely
drawing maps the cartographic process is concerned with data
manipulation, data capture, image processing and visual display.
Cartographic representations may appear in printed form or as dynamic
images generated on a computer display screen. Computer assisted
mapping systems have added a new and exciting dimension to
cartographic techniques and traditional methodologies have to be
augmented with new skills. The fundamental nature of cartography has
changed with the evolving technologies, providing cartographers with
new methods for visualization and communication of spatial
information.
, Overview of the career
The History of Cartography Project is a research, editorial, and
publishing venture drawing international attention to the history of maps
and mapping. The Project’s major work is the multi-volume History of
Cartography series. The History is the flagship publication of an
expanding, interdisciplinary field that brings together scholars in the
arts, sciences, and humanities. Prepared for both scholarly and lay
audiences, the series provides the interpretive structure necessary to
assess, appreciate, and analyze maps from all periods and cultures.
Designed specifically to facilitate the understanding and use of maps as
human documents, the History is the only comprehensive and reliable
work that studies the people, cultures, and societies that have produced
and consumed maps from prehistoric times to the present. The History is
the reference work of first resort for those interested in topics as diverse
as geography, art history, or the history of science and for scholars,
teachers, students, librarians, and the general public. As such, it stands
as “one of the most sweeping academic undertakings of a generation”
(NEH 2015).
As a reference resource it pays special attention to the accuracy and
completeness of its information, synthesizing narratives, and
methodological insights. The volumes integrate existing scholarship
with new research, examining an unprecedented range of artifacts from
local maps to those of the cosmos.
