Introduction to Cartography

Cartography is the study and practice of creating maps, which are visual representations of geographic data
Cartography has a long history, dating back to ancient civilizations such as the Babylonians, Greeks, and Romans
The word "cartography" comes from the Greek words "chartis" (map) and "graphia" (writing)

Topographic Maps: show relief, elevation, and other physical features of an area
Thematic Maps: display specific data or information, such as climate, population, or economic activity
Reference Maps: show the location of features, such as cities, roads, and boundaries
Navigational Maps: designed for navigation, such as aeronautical or nautical charts
Cognitive Maps: mental maps that people use to understand and navigate their surroundings

A map projection is a way of representing the curved surface of the Earth on a flat surface
Mercator Projection: a cylindrical projection that preserves angles and shapes well, but distorts size and distance near the poles
Gall-Peters Projection: a cylindrical projection that preserves area and shape, but distorts angles and distance
Azimuthal Projection: a projection that preserves angles and shapes well, but distorts size and distance

Large Scale: a scale that shows a small area in great detail (e.g. 1:10,000)
Small Scale: a scale that shows a large area in less detail (e.g. 1:1,000,000)
Scale Types: there are three types of scales:
1. Representative Fraction (RF): a ratio of the distance on the map to the corresponding distance in reality
2. Verbal Scale: a written description of the scale (e.g. "one inch equals one mile")
3. Graphic Scale: a diagram that shows the relationship between the map distance and the real-world distance

GIS (Geographic Information System): a computer-based system for capturing, storing, analyzing, and displaying geographically referenced data
Remote Sensing: the acquisition of data about the Earth's surface through the use of sensors that are not in direct physical contact with the object or area being observed
Cartographic Software: software used to create, edit, and analyze maps, such as ArcGIS, QGIS, and Google Earth

Cartography is the study and practice of creating maps, which are visual representations of geographic data
Cartography has a rich history dating back to ancient civilizations such as the Babylonians, Greeks, and Romans
The term "cartography" originates from the Greek words "chartis" (map) and "graphia" (writing)

Topographic Maps: Display relief, elevation, and other physical features of an area
Thematic Maps: Show specific data or information, such as climate, population, or economic activity
Reference Maps: Display the location of features, such as cities, roads, and boundaries
Navigational Maps: Designed for navigation, such as aeronautical or nautical charts
Cognitive Maps: Mental maps that people use to understand and navigate their surroundings

A map projection is a way of representing the curved surface of the Earth on a flat surface
Mercator Projection: A cylindrical projection that preserves angles and shapes well, but distorts size and distance near the poles
Gall-Peters Projection: A cylindrical projection that preserves area and shape, but distorts angles and distance
Azimuthal Projection: A projection that preserves angles and shapes well, but distorts size and distance

Large Scale: A scale that shows a small area in great detail (e.g., 1:10,000)
Small Scale: A scale that shows a large area in less detail (e.g., 1:1,000,000)
Scale Types: Three types of scales exist: • Representative Fraction (RF): A ratio of the distance on the map to the corresponding distance in reality • Verbal Scale: A written description of the scale (e.g., "one inch equals one mile") • Graphic Scale: A diagram that shows the relationship between the map distance and the real-world distance

GIS (Geographic Information System): A computer-based system for capturing, storing, analyzing, and displaying geographically referenced data
Remote Sensing: The acquisition of data about the Earth's surface through the use of sensors that are not in direct physical contact with the object or area being observed
Cartographic Software: Software used to create, edit, and analyze maps, such as ArcGIS, QGIS, and Google Earth