Since the 1960s the global cartographic community has seen the growth of our professional literature. In addition to the many teaching and research books published, a series of nationally based cartographic journals have been established. These include
Cartography and Geographic Information Science (United States), The Cartographic Journal (United Kingdom), Cartographica (Canada), Kartographische Nachrichten (Germany), Chizu (Japan), Bulletin/Revue du Comité Français de Cartographie(France) and The Journal of Spatial Science (Australia). Initially, three of these journals expressed an interest in affiliating with the ICA and have become ‘official journals of the ICA’.

The Cartographic Journal is sponsored by the British Cartographic Society and published by Maney Publishing, Hudson Road, Leeds, UK. As described on its website (www.cartography.org.uk), the British Cartographic Society (BCS) is a dynamic association of individuals and organisations dedicated to exploring and developing the world of maps.

The Cartographic Journal, published three times each year, is free to its members and delivered on subscription to others in more than fifty countries. The journal contains authoritative articles and international papers on all aspects of cartography. It includes coverage of related technologies where appropriate, for example, remote sensing, Geographical Information Systems (GIS), the internet and global positioning systems.
Cartographica is sponsored by the Canadian Cartographic Association (www.cca-acc.org/about.asp). Founded in 1975, the Association has the goals of promoting interest in maps and related cartographic materials and furthering the understanding and knowledge of maps by encouraging research in the field of cartography, both historical and current.

Cartographica (www.utpjournals.com/carto/carto.html) is dedicated to publishing articles on all aspects of cartographic and geo-visualisation research, whilst at the same time maintaining its tradition of publishing material on cartographic thought, the history of cartography and cartography and society. Increasingly, Cartographica also plans to consolidate its trend towards publishing research contributions focusing primarily on geographic information. Cartographica is published quarterly, with two or three regular issues and one or two single-topic monographs.

The journal Cartography and Geographic Information Science (CaGIS) is affiliated to the Cartography and Geographic Information Society, a Member Organisation of the American Congress on Surveying and Mapping. This society (www.cartogis.org/) supports research, education and practices that improve the understanding, creation, analysis and use of maps and geographic information. Its journal, CaGIS, formerly The American Cartographer, is quarterly and publishes papers on basic cartography, analytical cartography, and geographic information systems/science (www.cartogis.org/publications). Every four years the United States ICA national Report is published as a special issue.

Each of these three journals will work with the ICA to publish their best work and to offer the possibilities of special issues when appropriate. It is anticipated that other journals will become official ICA journals in the near future.