Throughout the history of mankind, maps and cartography have provided valuable geographical information for explorers as well as natives of specific regions around the world. Without maps, national boundaries and trade routes would not have been established, and most people would not have traveled beyond their native lands, with or without travel insurance.
The history of maps dates back to about 2300 BC, when the Babylonians created representations of their lands on clay tablets. Later on, the Greeks made advancements in the study of cartography. Around 350 BC, they had established the fact that the world is spherical in shape. Ptolemy created the first map of the Old World in the 2nd century, which provided information on the geographical setting of land areas between the latitudes of 30°S and 60°N.
European maps that were made during the Middle Ages were mostly religious maps that followed the T-O map format. In such maps, Jerusalem was set at the center, and the top part of the maps represented the east. The Vikings and the Arabians also made contributions to the development of cartography around this time, and maps became more realistic and accurate.
With the advent of printing in the 15th century, maps were widely produced and distributed. In 1540, a well-known German cartographer called Sebastian Münster translated Ptolemy’s Geographia into Latin, and it became the standard for world maps in the future years. By the 16th century, cartographers were using navigation charts to outline various geographical forms, such as coastlines, rivers, islands, and harbors. Maps began to feature compass lines, as well as new projections and navigation features, and globes were also introduced. One of the most important map projections was developed by Flemish map maker Gerardus Mercator in the middle of the 16th century. He applied a cylindrical projection to his version of the world map, which was published in 1569. The earliest world maps were actually created after Columbus’ voyage to the New World in the 16th century, and the first world map was made by German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller in 1507.
In the following centuries, maps became more and more accurate as new mapmaking methods were developed. After World War I, aerial photography enabled cartographers to make depictions of geographical settings with absolute precision. In the 1970s, cartography technology was transformed with the advent of computerization. The Geographic Information Systems, or GIS, was developed to enable the viewing and analyzing of data in relation to specific geographical locations. The system uses computer software and various other applications to collect, store, manage, and present information for geographic referencing.
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