Nature of Cartography

1
Nature of Cartography

• Michael A. McAdamsGeography Dept.Fatih
  UniversityIstanbul, Turkey

2
What are we trying to do when we study
Cartography?

• Discover spatial reality?
• Meaning of spatial relationships?
• Where things are absolutely located, measured and
  how find directions?
• Make pretty maps?
• I really do not know?

3
Maps Represent the World

• Contested meanings maps are texts to be
  decoded

Not only is it easy to lie with maps, its
essential. To portray meaningful relationships
for a complex, three-dimensional world on a flat
sheet of paper or a video screen, a map must
distort reality. Mark Monmonier How to Lie with
Maps (1996) All maps, in one sense are lies since
they involve a massive partial (mis)representation
of the solid world on a smaller object.Maps do
show us the lie of the land, in the multiple
sense of the word lie. John Rennie Short The
World through Maps A History of Cartography
(2003)http//www.accd.edu/sac/lrc/librns/celita/
keller.ppt
4
Decoding Maps

• Key terms
• Projection the formal representation of the
  round world on a flat surface

• Scale maps compress, scale is the measure of
  compression
• Orientation the directionality of a map
• Symbols make visible the features, places, and
  other locational information represented on the
  map.
• http//www.accd.edu/sac/lrc/librns/celita/keller.p
  pt

5
Projection
http//www.accd.edu/sac/lrc/librns/celita/keller.p
pt
6
Maps as Spatial Imagery

• Map - the graphic representation of the
  geographical setting.
• Cartography is the making and study of maps in
  all their aspects.
• Cartography is an efficient way of manipulating,
  analysing and expressing ideas, forms and
  relationships that occur in two- and
  three-dimensional space.
• http//geog.hkbu.edu.hk/geog1150/Lect-01_files/fra
  me.htm

7
Characteristics of Maps

• Locations in two-dimensional space
• Attributes - qualities or magnitudes
• Examples
• Relationships among locations, e.g. Distance
• Relationships among various attributes at one
  location, e.g. Temperature, rainfall and soil
• Relationships among the locations of the
  attributes of a given distribution, e.g. Rainfall
  
• Relationships among the locations of derived or
  combined attributes of given distributions, e.g.
  Relation of GDP and populationhttp//geog.hkbu.e
  du.hk/geog1150/Lect-01_files/frame.htm

8
More Characteristics of Maps

• All geographical maps are reductions.
• Scale.
• All maps involve geometrical transformations.
• Map projection.
• All maps are abstractions of reality.
• All maps use signs to stand for elements of
  reality.
• Symbolism.
• http//geog.hkbu.edu.hk/geog1150/Lect-01_files/fra
  me.htm

9
Catagories of Maps

• Classed by scale
• Small-scale mapLarge-scale map
• Classed by functionGeneral reference
  mapsThematic mapsCharts
• Classed by subject matter

10
Processes in Cartography

• Collecting and selecting the data for mapping
• Manipulating and generalising the data, designing
  and constructing the map
• Reading or view the map
• Responding to or interpreting the information

11
Map Effectiveness
Symbolisation
Simplification
Analysis
MapEffectiveness
MapMaking
MapUse
Interpretation
Selection
Classification
Exaggeration
Reading
http//geog.hkbu.edu.hk/geog1150/Lect-01_files/fra
me.htm
12
Geographic Information Transformation
CensusGround surveyRemote sensingCompilation
SelectionClassificationSimplificationExaggerati
onSymbolisation
ReadingAnalysisInterpretation
GeographicalEnvironment
RecognisedGeographicalInformation
MAP
MapImage
Transform 1
Transform 2
Transform 3
http//geog.hkbu.edu.hk/geog1150/Lect-01_files/fra
me.htm
13
The Scope of Cartography
Map Maker
Data
Map
Map User
14
Emphasis on Cartographic Representation

• The principal task of cartography is to
  communicate environmental information.
• The emphasis on cartographic representation is
  map effectiveness in thought and communication.
• This is best achieved by treating the making and
  using of maps equally.

15
Spatial and Non-Spatial Disciplines Intergration
Cartography
16
Conclusion

• Cartography is a complex discipline that has a
  rich and varied history
• It is intergrated part of geography
• The root and the guidance for all spatial
  technologies
• Is and art involving design and also a science
  due to representation of the earth (or another
  planet) visual and non-visual attributes