What is cartography?
The discipline that creates maps using graphic and semiological techniques and a geographic research tool.
What does graphic semiology refer to?
The set of rules for translating information into graphic form.
What does a topographic map represent?
Relief and main human activities as an inventory.
What does a thematic map represent?
A particular qualitative or quantitative phenomenon.
What is the main difference between topographic and thematic maps?
Topographic maps inventory relief and activities; thematic maps show specific phenomena.
What is the modern aim of maps?
To understand and explain complex phenomena by emphasizing relationships.
What is latitude in geographic coordinates?
Latitude is the angular position relative to the equator.
What latitude does the equator have?
The equator has latitude 0°.
What hemispheres does the equator separate?
It separates the northern and southern hemispheres.
At what latitude are the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn located?
They lie at latitude 23° 26′.
Where are the Arctic and Antarctic Circles located in latitude?
They lie at latitude 66° 33′.
What is longitude in geographic coordinates?
Longitude is the angle between the reference meridian and a point's vertical plane.
Which meridian became the definitive reference for longitude in 1884?
The Greenwich meridian became the definitive reference.
What universal time was established in 1884?
Greenwich Mean Time became universal time.
Why can't flat projections preserve distances, areas, and angles simultaneously?
Because Earth is spherical, flat projections cannot preserve all three simultaneously.
What does the Mercator projection preserve and distort?
It preserves angles but distorts surfaces at high latitudes.
What does the Peters projection preserve and distort?
It preserves surfaces but distorts distances.
How do Bertin projections affect angle distortion?
They distort angles relatively little.
What happens to distortion in polar projections away from the map centre?
Distortions become increasingly large farther from the map centre.
What is a contour line or isohypse?
A line joining all points at the same altitude relative to a reference level.
What does a small cartographic scale like 1/1,000,000 require?
Greater selection of information.
What does a large cartographic scale like 1/25,000 approach?
Exhaustiveness of information.
When did Greek thinkers develop a spherical Earth concept and geographic coordinates?
Between the 6th and 3rd centuries BC.
What practical documents did Roman cartography develop?
Cadastres, itineraries, and elongated tabulae like the Peutinger Table.
What did Ptolemy's Geography synthesize and how was it rediscovered?
It synthesized ancient cartographic knowledge and was rediscovered via Byzantine and Arab copies.
What elements did Western medieval mappae mundi combine until the 12th century?
Theological works, geographic knowledge, religious beliefs, and mythical monsters.
What did 13th-century Italian sailors develop for navigation?
Precise nautical charts and portulans using coastal data and compass directions.
In which year did Mercator begin creating the first true coherent atlas?
In 1569.
What projection did Mercator empirically develop inspired by portulans?
The cylindrical projection that bears his name.
Which work and author are associated with the first true coherent atlas and cylindrical projection?
Mercator's Atlas, 1569.
Who supported detailed mapping and precise Earth measurement under Louis XIV?
The French Academy of Sciences supported it.
When was the French Academy of Sciences founded?
It was founded in 1699.
What method was used for more precise measurement of Earth and longitude?
Triangulation was used for precise measurement.
Which five continents form the traditional division of inhabited emerged land?
Africa, America, Asia, Europe, and Oceania form the traditional five continents.
Which continent may also be considered besides the traditional five?
Antarctica may also be considered a continent.
What are the two main steps in modern map production?
Collecting information and representing selected data.
Name three methods used to collect cartographic data.
Field surveys, aerial photography, and photogrammetry.
What is a geographic information system (GIS)?
A computerized system organizing geographically referenced data.
What does GNSS stand for and what is its function?
Satellite positioning system determining exact Earth positions.
In which year did the EU decide to launch Galileo?
2002.
Why was the Galileo satellite system launched by the EU?
To create European independence from the US and improve precision.
Why is a map considered a simplification of reality?
Because its scale requires selecting information and it cannot reconstruct reality identically.
What does discretization mean in statistics?
Grouping statistical data into classes like quintiles or standardized classes.
How can different cartographic choices affect map representations?
They can produce different visual representations of the same phenomenon while staying accurate.
Test your knowledge with 23 questions on History and Practice of Cartography.
1. What does cartography encompass beyond the technical production of maps?
2. What is the primary function of graphic semiology in cartography?
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