Chapter 1:

Introduction to
Cartography
By
Sharifah Norashikin Bohari
Centre of Study Surveying Science & Geomatic
Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Perlis
LECTURE OUTLINE
At The End Of This Lecture, student Will Able To:
▪ Understand the concept and
definition of cartography
▪ Define basic geometric aspect in
cartography
▪ Discuss cartographic data sources
 DEFINITION:
What Is Cartography?
Cartography
- Cartography (in Greek) chartis = map and graphein =
write is the study and practice of making maps or
globes
- can be defined as an “Art, science and technology of
making maps together with their study as scientific
documents and works of art”. (International Cartographic Association,1973).

Cartography is
- “the part of conveying of geospatial information by
means of maps”.

Cartography is
- “the making and study of maps in all their aspects”.
 4

CONT..
• The organization and communication of
geographically related information in either graphic
or digital form. It can include all stages from data
acquisition to presentation and use.
• Cartography is not only profession dealing with the
technical aspects of mapmaking
• CORE of cartography: contents, purpose and use of
the final product
• Cartography engaged in manipulation and
graphic visualization of data
 5

CONT..
• With the advent of digital technology and
GIS, the scope of cartography includes
production, usage of maps, organization,
management, analysis and exploitation of
cartographic digital files.

• Cartography is an efficient way of

manipulating, analysing and expressing
ideas, forms and relationships that occur in
two- and three-dimensional space.

Nature of Cartography
 Who Is Cartographer?

✓Person who making maps and applying

cartographic principles in their artwork.

✓responsible for map designing and produce

map for map users.

✓must have a strong cartographic skills,

adequate data, sufficient instruments and
suitable map selection.
 MAPS VERSUS GLOBES
• Map: a representation of the world or part
of it, in two dimensions

• Globe: a 3-D representation of the entire

earth surface.

What are some advantages and

disadvantages of each?
 8

FORMS OF REPRESENTATION
• Literacy - the use of written language
• Articulacy - the use of spoken language
• Numeracy - mathematics: a way of symbolisation
• Graphicacy - the use of graphics
• "A picture is worth of thousands of words"

Nature of Cartography
 9

NEED FOR MAPS

• Reducing the spatial characteristics of a
large area and putting it in map form to
make it observable.
• A map is carefully designed instrument for
recording, calculating, displaying, analysing
and understanding the interrelation of
things.
• Communicate spatial information - more
efficient than linear communication
• Its most fundamental function is to bring the
things into view.

Nature of Cartography
 10

PURPOSES MAPS SERVE

• Store geographical • to give directions
information. • to search for minerals
• Serve mobility and • to navigate
navigation needs. • to plan travel
• Analytical purposes, arrangements
e.g. Measuring and • to plan communication
computing. routes
• to distribute products
• Summarise statistical efficiently
data to assist • to gain an
forecasting and
spotting trends. understanding of the
world and one's place in
• Visualise invisible. it
• Stimulate spatial • to analyze complex
thinking. collection of data -
topography, soil, land
Nature of Cartography use, direction
• A powerful tool for spatial
 11

MAPS – WHAT FOR?

• For what tasks do we use maps?

• What is the role of maps in these
tasks?
• What is necessary to answer a
question?

Nature of Cartography
 12

MAPS AS INFORMATION
PRODUCTS
• Three fundamental economic questions:
1.What is produced?
2.How is it produced?
3.For whom is it produced?

• Adapted to cartography:
How do I say what to whom and is it
effective?

Nature of Cartography
 13

THE MARKET FOR MAPS

• About 80% of all decisions are linked to
space and time:
• How do I get from here to the train
station?
• How much paint do I need to buy?
• Where should a new airport be built?
• Where does SARS originate?
• Which city has the lowest crime rate?
• ...
Nature of Cartography
 14

MAPPING WITH GIS

Statistical
Tools

Editing
Data Data Data
Structuring Manipulation Map
collection Base
Updating

Graphical
Tools
 CONT..
• With the advent of digital technology and
GIS, the scope of cartography includes
production, usage of maps, organization,
management, analysis and exploitation of
cartographic digital files.

• Cartography is an efficient way of

manipulating, analysing and expressing
ideas, forms and relationships that occur in
two- and three-dimensional space.
 BASIC CHARACTERISTICS OF MAP
• Locations in two-dimensional space
• Attributes - qualities or magnitudes
• All geographical maps are reductions.
• Scale.
• All maps involve geometrical transformations.
• Map projection.
• All maps are abstractions of reality.
• Generalization.
• All maps use signs to stand for elements of reality.
• Symbolism.
BASIC CHARACTERISTICS OF MAP
Locatio
n – 2D

Attribut
e Scale
Map
characte
ristics
Projecti Generalizati
on
on
Symbolism
 MAP PROJECTIONS
◼ Transform spherical surface to a flat map
◼ Affects how map is used
◼ Three traditional types:
- Cylindrical
- Conical
- Planar (azimuthal-zenithal)

Sinusoidal Miller Cylindrical

 MAP PROJECTIONS (CONT.)
• All maps introduce distortion:
shape (conformance)
size (equivalence)
direction
distance
• Maps can be either equivalent or conformal but cannot emphasize
both characteristics.
MAP SCALE
RELATES DISTANCE ON MAP TO DISTANCE ON EARTH, THUS SMALLER SCALE
REPRESENTS LARGER AREA .
• Small Scale • Large Scale
• shows large area • shows small area
• 1:10,000,000 would • 1:63,360 would
represent about 1/2 of represent a small town
U.S. on single page of on a single page of
paper. paper.

What is the largest scale map possible?

Cont..Map Scale - 3 Types
CATEGORIES OF MAPS
 CONT..
• Classed by scale
• Small-scale map
• Large-scale map

• Classed by function
• General reference maps
• Thematic maps
• Charts

• Classed by subject matter

• Classed by medium
 Cont… Classed by scale
 Small scale -“bird’s eye
view”of a large area
 Large scale – “close-up
view” of a small area
 1:1000 - 1:5000 very
large
 1:5000 - 1:25000 large
 1:25000 - 1:100000 medium
 1:100000 -1: 1 mil small
 1: 1mil - < 1:1 mil very small
 CONT..(CLASSED BY FUNCTION)
General Purpose/reference maps
❑Archive of spatial information
answers 'where', 'when', 'what‘
❑Shows many different things,
where specific objects are
relative to one another, user is
generally looking location of
specific feature relative to
others
 CONT..
Topographic maps

❑ Maps whose principal purpose is to portray and

identify the features of the earth’s surface as
faithfully as possible within the limitations imposed
by scale
❑ Usually made by public agencies using
photogrametric methods
❑ Issued in series of individual sheets eg. L7030 map
series
❑ Varying from large to small scale
❑ 1:25000,1:50000,1:100000,1:200000,1:250000,
1:500000, 1:1000000
❑ Multi-purpose maps : maps that can be used for
different purposes by different types of users
❑ Used as base map for preparing thematic maps
 CONT..
Thematic maps
❑ Analysis of spatial pattern ,answers 'why'
❑ Special purpose maps
❑ Maps designed to demonstrate
particular features or concepts
❑ Concentrate on spatial distribution of
a single attribute or relationships among several
attributes.
❑ Distinction based on themes represented
❑ Appear both at large and small scales
❑ Data represented either qualitatively or quantitatively
❑ eg. Major soil groups, Annual rainfall, Ave. annual income ,
Population density, Land use changes, Soil suitability,
Distribution of industries.
CONT..
 CONT..
Charts
 Designed to serve the needs of navigators
whether on the sea, the land, or in the air
 Charts are to be “worked on”
 Nautical charts: sailing charts for navigation in
open waters, coastal charts for near-shore
navigation
 Aeronatical charts: for visual flying
 Chart scales depend on detail necessary
 Chart series are not made at
uniform scales
 CONT..(CLASSED BY SUBJECT
MATTER)
 Cadastral Maps- land parcels, property
boundaries, large scale
 Plan – shows buildings, roadways, boundary lines,
very large scale
 No limit of classes – Soil maps, Geological maps,
Climatic maps, Population maps, Transportation
maps, Economic maps, Statistical maps

Cadastral map
 HOW TO LIE WITH MAPS
• Misrepresentation - Propaganda Maps
• Selection of Map Features
• Orientation
• The Authoritative Power of Maps
 INTRODUCTION
Why we need data in cartography?
To collect attribute information as well as location
data of any geographical features.

To combine any related data in order to boost the

analysis of geospatial data.

Major need in map making → Data input costs often

consume (60-90% of project costs yet important)

Locational data → Cartesian coordinate system

source maps may have different projections and
scale.

Digital data sharing

 INTRODUCTION
PRIMARY SOURCES SECONDARY
SOURCES
Remote sensing Scanned map &
photograph
Aerial photograph Well established data

Global Positioning System Attributes data

(GPS)
Ground surveying Census & sampling

Light Detection and

Ranging (LiDAR)
 PRIMARY SOURCE:
REMOTE SENSING
• Technique used to derive information
about the physical, chemical, and
biological properties of objects without
direct physical contact

• Widely used over mapping larger areas

 PRIMARY SOURCE:
REMOTE SENSING
• Spatial resolution
Size of object that can be resolved and the most
usual measure is the pixel size.
• Spectral resolution
Parts of the electromagnetic spectrum that are
measured.
• Temporal resolution
Repeat cycle describe frequency with which images
are collected for the same area.
QUICKBIRD IKONOS

SPOT 5 LANDSAT TM
 PRIMARY SOURCE:
AERIAL PHOTOGRAPH
• Aerial photography is equally important in medium-
to large-scale projects
• Photographs are normally collected by analog
optical cameras and later scanned
• Can provide stereo imagery for the extraction of
digital elevation models (DEM)
• Aerial photographs are very suitable for detailed
surveying and mapping projects.
 PRIMARY SOURCE:
GROUND SURVEYING
• Ground surveying is based on the principle that the
3-D location of any point can be determined by
measuring angles and distances from other known
points.

• Traditional equipment like theodolites have been

replaced by total stations that can measure both
angles and distances to an accuracy of 1 mm

• Ground survey is a very time-consuming and

expensive activity, but it is still the best way to obtain
highly accurate point locations.
 PRIMARY SOURCE:
GPS
• GPS have revolutionized the measurement of position, making it
possible for people to know almost exactly where they are
anywhere on the surface of the earth.

• The GPS consists of a system of 24 satellites , each orbiting the

Earth every 12 hours at a height of 20,200km and transmitting radio
pulses at precisely timed intervals.

• Positioning in 3 dimensions (latitude, longitude and elevation)

requires that at least four satellites are above the horizon and
accuracy depends on the number of such satellites.

• GPS is very useful for recording ground control points e.g. when
locating objects that move (ship’s navigation, cars, and etc)

• Also can direct capture of the locations of many types of fixed

objects such as utility assets, buildings, etc.
 PRIMARY SOURCE:
LIDAR
• LiDAR ( Light Detection and Ranging) is a recent
technology that employs a scanning laser rangefinder
to produce accurate topographic surveys of great
detail.

• A LiDAR scanner is an active remote sensing

instrument; it transmits EMR and measures the radiation
that is scattered back to a receiver after interacting
with the Earth’s atmosphere or objects on the surface.

• The scanner is typically carried on a low altitude

aircraft that also has an inertial navigation system and
differential GPS to provide location.
 SECONDARY SOURCE:
SCANNED MAPS & PHOTOGRAPHS
• It refers to the data obtained from maps,
hardcopy documents etc. Some of the methods
to capture secondary data are as follows:

a) Scanned data:
- A scanner is used to convert analog source
map or document into digital images by
scanning successive lines across a map or
document and recording the amount of light
reflected from the data source.
- E.g. building plans, CAD drawings, images and
maps are scanned
- Helps in reducing wear and tear; improves
access and provides integrated storage.
 SECONDARY SOURCE:
SCANNED MAPS & PHOTOGRAPHS
b) Digitization:

- Digitizing is the process of interpreting

and converting paper map or image
data to vector digital data.