w
Some aspects of and trends in modern cartography'
7e jaargang no. 8, oktober 1977
77
F. J. Ormeling
1 Introduction
The audience will understand that the present speaker, a
cartographer of profession, feels highly privileged to address
the FIG community. Fie considers himself as a kind of
Prodigal Son, as a representative of a branch of science that
not so long ago, was considered as part of the inner circle of
geodesy and surveying, but subsequently took its own course
to freedom and independence. The paper offers the opportuni
ty to report on some aspects of the turbulent development of
cartography and it may contribute at the same time, to
remove some misunderstanding that might occur on its
present identity.
2 What is Cartography?
Prior to discussing the subject matter of this paper, it seems
desirable to make an attempt at demarcating the realm of
cartography. According to current views, cartography is a
body of theory and method on dealing with problems of
recording and communicating topographical and geo
graphical information graphically. It includes a series of
processes, which are peculiarly cartographic and common in
the broad sense to all maps. The International Cartographic
Association (ICA) has formulated the aims and objectives in
the following simplified definition.
Cartography is the totality of scientific, technical, and artistic
activities, aiming at the production of maps and related
presentations on the basis of direct measurements in the field,
or on aerial photographs, or of source material of a different
origin.
This realistic definition reflects the generally accepted view
point that cartography is concerned with the design and
presentation of data, and not with its collection, and therefore
clearly distinguished cartography from surveying and photo-
grammetry. Over the last decades, particularly since World
War II, cartography has advanced more theoretically and
technically than during any other period of comparable
length. Today cartography is borne by a growing number of
professional people, with a growing awareness of their own
identity, increasingly engaged in education, research, and
expanding map production, for their share in which they
Voordracht gehouden op 9 juni 1977 in Commissie 3 van
het 15e Congres van de FIG (6-14 juni 1977, te Stock
holm).
Dat deze voordracht in de kleine lettertjes is terecht ge
komen is te wijten aan een slippertje van de redactie [Red.].
claim an explicit own responsibility. In many countries
cartographers have established flourishing professional
associations, organizing annual conferences and meetings,
study days and plublishing their own journals. The pro
fessional literature reflecting cartographic research has
grown phenomenally. A bibliography of cartographic
literature (maps and atlases not included) over the period
1956/76 contains about 30,000 entries, taken from 60 journals
dealing in part or entirely with cartography. At the same time,
in various countries advanced post-graduate cartographic
education is introduced in universities. Courses in carto
graphy for students in geodesy, geography and other geo-
sciences are being started or revived. New training centres for
cartographic technicians at various levels are being estab
lished. Even correspondence courses in cartography have
been set up.
Present-day cartography is still populated for the greater
part bij „renegate" geodesists and surveyors and geo
graphers who, coming from different backgrounds as W2*
immigrants - using professional cartographic terminology -
hold the fortress. However, a new generation of all-round
cartographers - the so-called Wl* experts (products of
universities) - versed in the various fields of cartography
ranging from topographic to thematic mapping and with a
working knowledge of map reproduction and automated
cartography with its attendant devices and accessories, are
reporting to take over. At the same time in the drawing room,
the traditional cartographic draughtsman is making way for
a new type of qualified cartographic technician with new skills
and an increased versatility for different types of work.
The above-mentioned development of cartography was
instigated by an ever-increasing, almost explosive demand for
maps - topographic maps, hydrographic and aeronautical
charts, and thematic maps - from various government levels
and from scientific, planning, engineering, educational, and
commercial communities. Various factors combined to
promote this development. Among them were undoubtedly:
1. The global theatre of two world wars, requiring huge
numbers of maps and contributing to the growth of great
mapping agencies.
2. The opening up and the economic development of the
Third World countries after World War II.
3. The growing interest in problems related to the environ
ment.
W1-W5 zijn in de Kartografie gebruikelijke codes (Wl het
hoogste, W5 het laagste) ter aanduiding van de verschillen
de opleidingsniveaus.
ngt 77
145
