Cartography is about describing the world in the form of maps and diagrams. Classic cartography produces paper maps but nowadays this field also encompasses Geographical Information Systems and the products produced by these systems. Cartography is heavily dependent on data from Remote sensing and Land surveying and topography for the dry part of our world and marine surveying and bathymetry for the wet parts of our world.  

Cartography / GIS can be found in almost any industry vertical where it transforms the various data sources into products readily useable in for example land and water management, climate and farming and conservation.

Digital twins: a comprehensive solution or hopeful vision?

Digital twins: a comprehensive solution or hopeful vision?

The concept of the digital twin has been gaining significant momentum in the geospatial domain since 2016. Although there is some consensus on the basic features of a digital twin, some critical refle...

Uncovering the challenges of urban digital twins

Uncovering the challenges of urban digital twins

To encourage discussion of the challenges hindering the design and implementation of digital twins, the authors have ranked them based on a systematic literature review combined with an expert survey....

Choosing the Best Digital Elevation Model

The process of achieving environmental stewardship is bound to available Digital Elevation Model (DEM) accuracy. A good DEM helps directly locate and monitor streams, sensible slopes and watersheds. I...

Digital Transformation in New Zealand

Digital Transformation in New Zealand

In January 2016, staff from New Zealand’s Department of Conservation (DOC) were supplied with tablets and smartphones equipped with Survey123 for ArcGIS, a form-centric mobile data collection applic...

Pioneers in Capturing Public Space

Pioneers in Capturing Public Space

CycloMedia is a renowned mapping company specialised in large-scale and systematic visualisations of environments. Its headquarters are situated in The Netherlands, a country that is an excellent test...

The Language of Cartography

Despite the homogenising effect of the adoption of English as a common language by international scientific and technical communities, there are probably more scientific practitioners now working sol...

History of Cartography

The ICA Commission for the History of Cartography forms a scientific community dealing with the development of cartographic ideas, theory, methods, design, and technology of map reproduction, as well ...

Significance of Collaborative Cartography

Significance of Collaborative Cartography

  It is well recognised that mapping has perhaps changed more profoundly in recent years than in any previous era. In the past map production was reserved for professional cartographers and dissem...

The Military Cartography of the Habsburgs

The Military Cartography of the Habsburgs

Ever since its foundation over 50 years ago, ICA has been concerned with celebrating, documenting and learning from the history of cartography. The flowering of scientific cartography in the 18th cent...

Maximising the Benefit of Geospatial Information

Maximising the Benefit of Geospatial Information

The Global Spatial Data Infrastructure (GSDI) Association was formed in 2004 as an inclusive networking organisation of academic and research institutions, government agencies, commercial geomatics fi...

Atlas: a Window on the World

This is an exciting time for cartography. The volume of available geographic information continues to increase, from diverse sources and providers each with their own characteristics and quirks. One o...

Let’s Make the World a Better Place with Maps

Let’s Make the World a Better Place with Maps

Menno-Jan Kraak is the newly elected president of the International Cartographic Association (ICA). Cartographer Kraak is a professor in Geovisual Analytics and Cartography at the University of Twente...

Mapping the World of Standards

The ICA Spatial Data Standards Commission, active since 1991, is one of ICA’s most productive commissions. It has addressed a number of specific issues since its formation, including transfer format...

Building a 3D world: common sources of elevation data

Building a 3D world: common sources of elevation data

As the demand for elevation data continues to rise, it is important that users match the level of reliability, accuracy and resolution of the data to their specific application to arrive at an appropr...