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History of Cartography

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Abstract

The history of cartography includes the study of the basic concepts of maps, mapping techniques, and the long-term impact of maps on human society and cultural development. From the human perspective, the history of cartography is also a medium with which to study how maps create interrelationships between the inner world of the human brain and the external world. A map is a basic tool that helps people perceive the universe in which they live at different scales. Undoubtedly, maps are among the oldest and most basic tools for spatial information transmission. Maps have been used for centuries as an instrument in analogical thinking.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Information Engineering University, Zhengzhou, China

    Min An

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  1. Min An
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Spatio-Temporal Big Data, Henan University, Kaifeng, China

    Jiayao Wang

  2. School of Surveying and Mapping, Information Engineering University, Zhengzhou, China

    Fang Wu

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An, M. (2021). History of Cartography. In: Wang, J., Wu, F. (eds) Advances in Cartography and Geographic Information Engineering. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-0614-4_17

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