8/10/2019 Cartography Intro (1)

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Cartography

Cartography is about maps. This includes the art, science and technology of map making, the useof maps as research tools and as sources of information, and the study of maps as historical

documents and works of art.

Maps have been produced and used for several thousand years. The earliest surviving examplesfrom western civilization come from ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. Egyptian geometers madecadastral maps showing property boundaries so that these could be reestablished after the annual

flooding of the !ile "iver. #n Mesopotamia, maps were $drawn$ on clay tablets and depicted the

Mesopotamian world at a variety of scales ranging from maps of individual settlements to mapsof the known world which was represented as a land mass surrounded by a circumfluent ocean.

Eastern cartographic traditions also have ancient roots with Chinese maps dating from %&&&

years ago.

Cartography has evolved in response to theoretical developments, technological changes, andchanges in society's information needs. Theories about the shape of the Earth and the

development of coordinate systems by ancient (reek philosophers paved the way for systematicmapping of the Earth's surface using map pro)ections to transform positions on theapproximately spherical surface of the Earth into locations on a flat map. #nvention of the

printing press made it possible to produce multiple copies of maps and stimulated production of

maps and atlases. This occurred at a time when European knowledge of the world was expandingrapidly. European exploration was aided by the invention of the compass and the pendulum clock

and observation of the position and movement of the stars, all of which allowed for more precise

measurement of location. This new spatial knowledge was incorporated into maps of the

*mericas, *frica and *sia. #nvention of the theodolite which made possible accuratemeasurement of elevation as well as horizontal position led to development of survey control

networks and provided the basis for topographic mapping. Modern topographic maps are

produced using aerial photographs and photogrammetry but still rely on precise survey of groundcontrol points to ensure positional accuracy. +owever, not all maps are concerned with locations

of physical features. Thematic mapping expanded rapidly following the introduction of decennial

censuses and other surveys which made available extensive demographic and socioeconomicdata.

The past two decades have seen dramatic changes in Cartography as a result of developments in

computer and communication technologies. Earth observation satellites now provide regular

coverage of the Earth's surface at a variety of spatial resolutions ranging from a few meters toseveral kilometers. atellite based geographic positioning systems -(/ allow precise

determination of horizontal and vertical position to within 01.2cm using the best -and most

expensive/ e3uipment currently available. Computer mapping systems have evolved intogeographic information systems which are widely used in planning, resource management, and

facilities management applications. #n the past five years, development of desktop mapping

technologies and internet access to electronic datasets have made powerful map making

technology available to anyone with a personal computer. ome maps are still produced usingmanual drafting techni3ues but this is fast becoming a thing of the past.

-4rom5Introduction to Cartography and Remote Sensing, Dr. Douglas J. Dudycha, 6epartment

of (eography, 4aculty of Environmental tudies, 7niversity of 8aterloo/