“Cartography is the science and art of designing constructing and producing map. It is constructing with measurement and representing of the shape, size and other broad details of the earth surface in the past.”
“Cartography refers to the whole series of processes of map making from an actual survey of the ground to the printing of the map.”
Map as a Pool in Geographic Studies
- A diagram, representing the world as a whole or part of it, drawn on a flat surface with the help of projection and conventional signs and symbols is called a map.
- A map may be defined as a conventional representation of the earth or part of it, on a flat piece of paper.
- A selective, symbolized, and generalized representation of the whole or part of the earth at a reduced scale.
Map representation is varied and essential for the understanding of geographers it is more concerned about the earth, its variation, and the inequalities surrounding it.
However the amount of information to be represented on map depends on:
- Scale
- Projection
- Conventional Signs
- Skill of the droughtsman
- Method of map making
The freamwork of the map is based on the way now the granticule i.e. the longitudnal and latitudnal network prepared.
Every symbol, sign represents a definite meaning earth can be mapped by a number of ways:
- By actual survey with the help of instruments like chain, prismatic compass, planetable etc.
- By photographs.
- By freehand sketches and diagram.
- By computer.
- by satellite and remote sensing method.
Importance
- Photographs are the representative of small portion of the earth.
- The remote sensing images give very detailed account of a region without much of distortion and are more accurate.
- Topographical survey map every point on the map bears a true relationship with the corresponding point of the ground.