2007-10-15 06:20:41 · 6 answers · asked by stein_carrie 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Geography
Cartography or mapmaking (in Greek chartis = map and graphein = write) is the study and practice of making representations of the Earth on a flat surface. The discipline of cartography combines science, aesthetics, and technical ability to create a balanced and readable representation that is capable of communicating information effectively and quickly.
One problem in creating maps is the simple reality that the surface of the Earth, a curved surface in three-dimensional space, must be represented in two dimensions as a flat surface. This necessarily entails some degree of distortion, which can be dealt with by utilizing projections that minimize distortion in certain areas. Furthermore, the Earth is not a regular sphere, but its shape is instead known as a geoid, which is a highly irregular but exactly knowable and calculable shape.
Maps of all scales have traditionally been drawn and made by hand, but the recent advent and spread of computers has revolutionized cartography. Most commercial-quality maps are now made with software that falls into one of three main types: CAD, GIS, and specialized illustration software.
Functioning as tools, maps communicate spatial information by making it visible. Spatial information is acquired from measurement of space and can be stored in a database, from which it can be extracted for a variety of purposes. Current trends in this field are moving away from analog methods of mapmaking and toward the creation of increasingly dynamic, interactive maps that can be manipulated digitally.
Cartographic representation involves the use of symbols and lines to illustrate geographic phenomena. This can aid in visualizing space in an abstract and portable format. The cartographic process rests on the premise that the world is measurable and that we can make reliable representations or models of that reality.
2007-10-15 06:47:25 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Cartography is the study of map making.
2007-10-15 07:15:59 · answer #2 · answered by irssvt 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's the study of shopping carts and where to place the eggs. Norton Rabinowitz began the study after repeatedly putting his eggs at the bottom of the shopping cart and placing the rest of the groceries on top. After 17 years of frustration, he developed a science to study it, which is why eggs are now in aisle 4, next to the yogurt.
2007-10-15 06:53:40 · answer #3 · answered by Big Momma Carnivore 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Carto = Paper, Graphy, writing. Outline of lands.
2007-10-15 08:13:25 · answer #4 · answered by giulio 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
map making
2007-10-15 06:24:04 · answer #5 · answered by Ginger1 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
the art or science of map making.
2007-10-15 06:33:29 · answer #6 · answered by Loren S 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋