Scribd
Upload
27 views25 pages

LECTURES 01-03 Introduction To Cartography

The document provides an introduction to cartography, defining it as the art and science of map-making, and discusses various types of maps including tangible, virtual, mental, cadastral, general reference, and thematic maps. It highlights the significance of maps in recording and communicating information about environments, as well as their specific uses in various fields. Additionally, it categorizes thematic maps into qualitative and quantitative types, detailing specific examples such as choropleth, dot density, proportional symbol, cartogram, and flow maps.

Uploaded by

fakazinokwanda79
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
27 views25 pages

LECTURES 01-03 Introduction To Cartography

The document provides an introduction to cartography, defining it as the art and science of map-making, and discusses various types of maps including tangible, virtual, mental, cadastral, general reference, and thematic maps. It highlights the significance of maps in recording and communicating information about environments, as well as their specific uses in various fields. Additionally, it categorizes thematic maps into qualitative and quantitative types, detailing specific examples such as choropleth, dot density, proportional symbol, cartogram, and flow maps.

Uploaded by

fakazinokwanda79
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 25

1

INTRODUCTION TO CARTOGRAPHY
Lectures 1-3
2

CARTOGRAPHY
• Cartography - art and science of making maps.

• A cartographer designs and prepares a map for distribution.

• Cartographers also study the philosophical and theoretical basis of the rules
for making maps.

• Cartography is seldom a stand-alone profession - skill set possessed by


anyone else who wishes to create a map.
3

DEFINING A MAP
• A graphic representation of the cultural and physical environment.

• It is a reduced, selective, and symbolized graphical representation of an


environment.
• Reduced - physically smaller than the size of the actual area represented.
• Selective - only include items that are directly related to the message of the
map.
• Symbolized - through the use of visual variables such as color, texture, size,
and shape.
4

DEFINING A MAP CONT.…


• Example: this map is a
reduced, selective, and
symbolized graphic
representation of South
Africa.

• Cultural features: roads,


country and state
outlines, river and ocean
names, country names,
and provincial names.

• Physical features:
topography, land, and
water masses.
5

CLASSIFYING MAPS
6

TANGIBLE MAP
• A map that you can hold in your
hands such as a paper map.

• It can be shared among


different users and requires no
specific software or hardware to
use it.

• Such maps are portable,


requiring no maintenance and
can be stored for a very long
time.
7

VIRTUAL MAP
• Any map displayed on a computing/digital device.

• Dynamic and easily updatable, and can be shared easily.

• May require hardware and software to view.

• Some users may find it difficult to understand or use without additional training.

• E.g. Google maps enable navigation to points of interest and zooming in and out.

• Clicking on a point of interest can reveal additional information.


8

VIRTUAL MAP CONT.…


Google Earth Google map
9

MENTAL MAP
• A map that is stored in someone’s
mind and is their conceptualization
of space.

• Not transferable - unless converted


to a tangible or virtual map
10

CADASTRAL MAP

• Shows land parcel boundaries and


ownership.

• Shows district and street names,


certificate/title numbers, and
section/lot numbers.
11

GENERAL REFERENCE MAPS


• Can be tangible or virtual -
emphasizes location and shows a
variety of features.

• Not limited to any one particular


use - meant to be used for a wide
variety of activities.

• Examples include: topographic


and orthophoto maps.
12

GENERAL REFERENCE MAPS CONT.…


Topographic map
• Provide a detailed and accurate
depiction of cultural/man-made
and natural features.

• Typically depict relief through the


use of ...?

• Provide a comprehensive view of


the area covered by the map
(usually 1:50 000).
13

GENERAL REFERENCE MAPS CONT.…


Orthophoto map
• Geometrically corrected aerial photos are
commonly used in GIS and remote sensing.

• They are useful for visualizing land use, terrain,


changes over time, and buildings.

• They often include contour lines with a scale of


1:10 000.
14

THEMATIC MAPS
• Can be tangible or virtual – these maps emphasize attributes related to a
single subject or theme (attribute).

Two types of thematic maps: qualitative and quantitative.


• Qualitative – does not contain any numerical information nor does it
represent a magnitude e.g. different geological types.
• Quantitative - shows numerical data and its spatial variation.
15

TYPES OF THEMATIC MAPS

Qualitative Quantitative
16

CATEGORIES OF THEMATIC MAPS


Thematic maps can be broken down even further into specific categories,
including:
1. Choropleth
2. Dot density
3. Proportional symbol
4. Cartogram and,
5. Flow map
17

1. CHOROPLETH MAP
• Each enumeration unit (e.g. country) is
assigned a color that represents either a
single value, or range of values that exist
in that enumeration unit.
18

2. DOT DENSITY MAP


• Shows total values of quantitative
information represented by dots
that are randomly placed within an
enumeration unit.

• On this map, one dot represents


100,000 people.
19

3. PROPORTIONAL SYMBOL MAP


• In a proportional symbol map,
symbols, such as circles, are sized in
proportion to the value of an
attribute.

• Thus, allow for comparison of values


between enumeration units.
20

4. CARTOGRAM MAP
• A cartogram map resizes geographic
regions based on an attribute’s value.

• This allows for easy visual comparison


of values across different areas on the
map.
21

5. FLOW MAP

• Depicts movement of items


between one location and another.

• This map shows the Atlantic Slave


Trade flow by using arrows of
different size and color to represent
different facets of the flow.
22

SIGNIFICANCE AND VALUE OF MAPS


23

SIGNIFICANCE AND VALUE OF MAPS CONT.…

• Maps are important tools for recording and communicating information


about the natural and human environments.

• They are used by government and non-government agencies to store


information about resources, assets, and people.

• Different types of maps serve specific purposes, such as cadastral maps for
property records, infrastructure maps for utilities and transportation, and
census maps for population data.

• Digital maps allow for easy updating of information over time.


24

SIGNIFICANCE AND VALUE OF MAPS CONT.…

• Maps help us understand spatial distributions and visualize patterns and


processes that operate through space.

• Maps allow users to recognize spatial associations between variables and


potentially estimate causal linkages.

• An example of this is recognizing deforestation caused by human-induced


development through mapping.
25

FURTHER READINGS
• Dent B.D. (1999): Cartography: Thematic Map Design. Boston: WCB McGraw-Hill (available in
the UZ Book Shop).

• Introduction to Cartography (available online at: https://alg.manifoldapp.org/projects/intro-


cartography-ksu)

You might also like