What is cartography?

Cartography is the art and science of map creation, practiced by cartographers. People have drawn maps for thousands of years, as part of an effort to understand their environment. The search for accurate maps has forced explorers to adventure into distant areas well within the 17th century and cartographers on modern day often find frequent jobs, thanks to constant political and geological changes around the world. For training in cartography, the student should be prepared to take years of courses in multiple fields.

The term comes from two Greek words, chartis , which means a map and graphos , which means drawing or writing. In historical times, the individual cartographer stretched the map in its entirety, often with limited information. Modern cartography practicing has the advantage of computers and other equipment that help them, making their maps more accurate. Science about cartography has also evolved, because many maps have become multimedia data explosions, Chock full information for readers.

Basic cartographyIt covers two data components. The first is location data, showing where the area is located. In ancient maps, location data often showed where something in relation to something else, but modern maps usually use geographical coordinates, such as latitude and length to orient their properties. The second type of data is attribution data showing water formations, mountains, valleys, hills and other geographical features of interest and notes.

The world map reflects an immense mathematical and aesthetic challenge that translates a globe into a two -dimensional surface. Many cartographers have fought with this problem over the centuries and tried to show the features of the globe precisely and effectively. Many approaches have been adopted to solve this problem, including the Mercator projection, an amapa that disrupts the geological features north and south of the equator to fit into neat rectangles. Other maps show a globe insections, which reduces the amount of distortion.

The skills needed for cartography are huge. Cartography relies strongly on mathematics that represents the country, along with a science that helps describe and understand geological features. Specialized maps may include things like Ocean Soundrings that require knowledge of oceanography or unique rocks, which means geological study of the region. Knowledge of ongoing political events is also important because nations divide, change names or disappear more often than many people realize.

Cartography products can be divided into two rough types of map, although they can often overlap. The topographic map is one that is designed to be the faithful landscape it depicts. Topographic maps usually include heights, main geographical features, and other information that someone who uses for orientation. These maps can often be used for decades unless there is a large geological event such as volcanic eruption nEbo earthquake.

Topological map, on the other hand, is used to transmit information such as highway routes, hazardous regions of the country or population density. Topological maps can sometimes be quite complex and show some important features that emphasize and raise, and often change how people and places displayed change.