Cartography is defined by the International Cartographic
Association as a discipline concerned with the creation, production,
dissemination, and study of maps. The map is also a representation in
cartography. This indicates that cartography encompasses the entire mapping
process.
The map-making process lies at the heart of cartography,
which is a complicated and ever-changing profession.
This process, in its broadest meaning, encompasses
everything from the collection, appraisal, and processing of source material to
the conceptual and graphical design of the map, as well as the drawing and
reproduction of the final document.
As a result, it's a one-of-a-kind combination of science,
art, and technology that necessitates a wide range of in-depth knowledge and
abilities on the part of the cartographer.
This complete series of cartographic tasks is sometimes
directed by a single person, but this only happens in very basic instances. It
is considerably more normal for the many jobs in the construction of a map to
be broken up and completed by several people.
Cartography is More Than Maps:
Cartography encompasses a lot more than simply map-making.
It is also a distinct academic subject in and of itself. It has its own
professional associations (regional, national, and worldwide), journals,
conferences, and educational programmes, as well as a distinct identity.
It includes not just cartographers who create maps, but also
cartographers who teach about maps and cartographers who do research on maps as
a subject.
Maps, which were once thought to be the result of a rather
simple practical activity, are today considered as sophisticated intellectual
pictures with a wealth of scientific study potential.
Cartographers are fully utilising this potential, whether
the focus of their study is cognitive, mathematical, historical, perceptual, or
technical. Today's cartography has two distinct qualities.
First and foremost, it is critical. As one of the
foundations of civilisation, maps play a critical and necessary function.
Few operations involving the earth's surface would be
possible without maps, including land use planning, property ownership, weather
forecasting, road building, locational analysis, emergency response, forest
management, mineral exploration, navigation, and so on. And this position has
never been more important than it is now.
Humanity is confronted with serious challenges, many of
which are environmental in origin, and effective mapping is essential for
finding answers.
Cartography, in many cases, provides the key to discovering
answers, in conjunction with the enormous data collection capabilities and
analytical capacity of remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS).
The dynamic nature of today's cartography is a second,
overarching feature. The cartography field is undergoing a revolution, fuelled
in large part by technological advancements and, in particular, the effect of
the computer.
Technological development has always had an impact on
map-making, but the current evolution of cartography has been unmatched in
breadth when compared to past evolutionary shifts.
Technology has always had an impact on map-making:
While some cartographers still use pen and ink to create
maps, today's cartographer is more likely to be sat at a computer terminal,
utilising the most up-to-date computer hardware and graphic software.
In most circumstances, without sacrificing picture quality,
maps may be created faster and for less money than before, not to mention with
more fun for the mapmaker! In other words, the computer gives the cartographer
unrivalled control over the mapping process.
The majority of cartographers are employed in
map-making. Individual cartographers conduct a wide range of tasks, but we
can identify several common duties done by cartographers in general.
Liaison, editing, drafting, reprographics, administration,
research, teaching, and custodianship are the most significant.
The cartographer may fulfil one or more of these duties,
depending on the type and scale of the organisation for which he or she works.
They are discussed individually below, however, there is a lot of overlap
between them in practice.
Written By- Tanya C
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