Cartography
The study and practice of making and using maps.
Cartography is the study and practice of making and using maps, combining science, aesthetics, and technique to model reality or imagined reality for effective spatial communication. Its fundamental objectives include setting the map's agenda, selecting traits—whether physical features like roads or abstract ones like political boundaries—representing terrain on flat media through projections, generalizing irrelevant details, and designing maps to convey messages. Modern cartography underpins geographic information systems (GIS) and geographic information science (GISc). The earliest known maps are debated, with a wall painting from Çatalhöyük dated to the late 7th millennium BCE and prehistoric alpine rock carvings from the 4th millennium BCE depicting cultivated plots. Ancient examples include a Minoan wall painting showing a seaside community and an engraved map of Nippur from the Kassite period. The oldest surviving world maps are from 9th-century BCE Babylonia, showing Babylon on the Euphrates surrounded by a "bitter river." Ancient Greeks and Romans created maps from the 6th century BCE, and Ptolemy wrote his treatise *Geographia* in the 2nd century CE, containing a world map of the known Ecumene. Arab scholars translated Greek works by the 8th century, and Roman itinerarium maps portrayed the world via roads. In ancient China, geographical literature dates to the 5th century BCE, with the oldest extant maps from the 4th-century BCE State of Qin. A star map on an equidistant cylindrical projection appeared in a 1092 Chinese book, representing the oldest printed star maps. Medieval European *mappae mundi* survive in about 1,100 examples. The Arab geographer al-Idrisi produced the *Tabula Rogeriana* in 1154, combining classical and contemporary knowledge, remaining the most accurate world map for three centuries. During the Age of Discovery, European cartographers used explorers' observations and new tools like the magnetic compass, telescope, and sextant; Martin Behaim made the oldest extant globe in 1492, and Martin Waldseemüller produced a globular world map in 1507.
- field
- Cartography
- known_for
- Creating and using maps to communicate spatial information
Lore & Background
The earliest known map is debated, with a wall painting possibly depicting Çatalhöyük from the late 7th millennium BCE. Prehistoric rock carvings in Mount Bego and Valcamonica from the 4th millennium BCE show geometric patterns interpreted as cultivated plots. Other ancient maps include the Minoan 'House of the Admiral' wall painting from c. The oldest surviving world maps are from 9th century BCE Babylonia, showing Babylon on the Euphrates surrounded by a 'bitter river.' Ancient Greeks and Romans created maps from Anaximander in the 6th century BCE, and Ptolemy wrote Geographia in the 2nd century CE. In ancient China, geographical literature dates to the 5th century BCE, with the oldest extant maps from the State of Qin in the 4th century BCE.
Reader's Guide
Cartography is the study and practice of making and using maps, blending science, aesthetics, and technique to model reality or imagined realities for effective spatial communication. Its traditional objectives include setting a map’s agenda and selecting traits to be mapped—whether physical features like roads or abstract ones like political boundaries—representing terrain on flat media through map projections, and eliminating irrelevant characteristics via generalization to reduce complexity. Map design orchestrates these elements to convey a message to an audience. Historically, cartography dates to prehistoric rock carvings depicting cultivated plots, ancient wall paintings of settlements, and engraved maps of Babylonian cities. The Greeks and Romans produced maps from the 6th century BCE, with Ptolemy’s 2nd-century CE treatise *Geographia* containing a world map of the known Ecumene. Arab scholars later translated Greek works, while Roman itineraria mapped the empire’s roads. In China, geographical literature emerged by the 5th century BCE, with extant maps from the 4th century BCE and printed star maps by the 11th century. Medieval European *mappae mundi* survived in manuscripts, while Arab geographer al-Idrisi created a detailed world atlas in the 12th century, accurate for centuries. The Age of Discovery saw European cartographers copy earlier maps and produce new ones using explorers’ observations and instruments like the compass, telescope, and sextant. The oldest extant globe dates to 1492. Modern cartography provides the theoretical and practical foundations for geographic information systems (GIS) and geographic information science (GISc), underscoring its enduring role in modeling and communicating spatial information.
Did You Know?
- The oldest surviving world maps are from 9th century BCE Babylonia.
- Gerardus Mercator first used the word 'atlas' to describe a collection of maps.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Cartography?
Cartography is the discipline that designs and interprets maps, fusing scientific rigor with aesthetic judgment to translate three-dimensional space onto flat surfaces so that spatial information can be clearly communicated.
What are Cartography's powers/role?
Cartography handles the full pipeline of map-making: choosing which features to emphasize, projecting curved terrain onto a two-dimensional plane, trimming irrelevant detail, and shaping the final layout so the map's intended message lands with its audience.
How does Cartography's story end?
In its latest arc, Cartography has grown into the foundational layer beneath geographic information systems and geographic information science, extending its reach well beyond traditional paper-based mapping into digital spatial analysis.
Why is Cartography important?
Without Cartography's methods for selecting, generalizing, and representing spatial data, effective navigation and the broader field of geographic analysis simply would not function.
What are Cartography's fundamental objectives?
Its core tasks include defining the map's purpose, deciding which traits to showcase, flattening terrain through projections, stripping away unnecessary detail, and crafting a final design that conveys its message clearly.
More in Maps & Their Symbols 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record