Cartography (; from Ancient Greek: χάρτης chartēs , "papyrus, sheet of
paper, map"; and γράφειν graphein , "write") is the study and practice of
making and using maps. Combining science, aesthetics and technique,
cartography builds on the premise that reality (or an imagined reality) can be
modeled in ways that communicate spatial information effectively.
The fundamental objectives of traditional cartography are to:
- Set the map's agenda and select traits of the object to be mapped. This is the concern of map editing. Traits may be physical, such as roads or land masses, or may be abstract, such as toponyms or political boundaries.
- Represent the terrain of the mapped object on flat media.