essay on importance of maps

• DATA POINTS

How Maps Are Saving the World

Maps. They’ve been around longer than photographs. They’ve defined empires,guided explorers, told stories, and captured the imagination of many a hopeful traveler for years. While most appreciate the beauty and power of a good map, few recognize the dynamic and vital applications they have today.

Kaitlin Yarnall is the Executive Editor for Cartography, Art, and Graphics at   National Geographic   magazine.   Data Points   is a new series where we explore the world of data visualization, information graphics, and cartography.

Maps are embedded in the smart phones we carry, they’re installed on the dashboards of our cars and we never seem to be lost. Maps, and the powerful geospatial technologies that populate them with data are also playing a bigger role in our lives. Here’s a look at an example from a few fields ways where maps and associated technologies are driving positive change in the world.

Conservation

To fully understand an ecosystem, habitat, or protected area, it’s crucial to understand its geography. In the case of marine protected areas , the geographies and boundaries are clearly defined. Fishing is illegal in these spaces. So how does geospatial technology help? A small team composed of SkyTruth with support from Google and Oceana is constantly monitoring fishing activity. Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) on fishing vessels send their geographic locations almost constantly to satellites. These locations are then mapped and compared to boundaries of known protected ocean areas. This data is being used to develop enforcement strategies and will help guide where resources are deployed geographically.

Food Security

Access to healthy food is key to food security in rural and urban areas in the United States. Geographic areas with inadequate access to affordable fresh food are known as food deserts.   How can food deserts be identified and where are they most concentrated? A pattern becomes apparent when you map the location of grocery stores and overlay that with data showing low-income population and vehicle access.  

The USDA created the Food Access Research Atlas for this very purpose. As spatial patterns reveal themselves in rural, urban, and suburban settings, the pattern of food deserts becomes clear. This clear and powerful visualization of food deserts gives decision a clear picture of where additional grocery stores and farmers’ markets are needed.

Disaster Relief

On April 25th of this year, a 7.8 point earthquake hit Nepal . Within 48 hours, a global group of volunteer “crisis mappers” had filled in major holes in the known maps of the stricken areas. Using high-resolution satellite imagery, roads and buildings were added to open source maps that were then used to guide relief workers on the ground. This type of crisis mapping has been used for hurricanes, typhoons, cyclones, and earthquakes. It has become a powerful tool for rapid responders and is a celebrated example of global crowdsourcing.

Public Health

In the case of a disease like polio, near eradication is not a solution—the virus must be completely eliminated. The disease has been nearly eliminated in most of the world but the battle continues in Nigeria, Afghanistan, and Pakistan where it is endemic.   The WHO , with support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has set a goal of complete global eradication by 2018.  

Geospatial technology and maps are making this rapidly approaching goal seem attainable. Vaccination efforts used to be coordinated and documented through paper maps, which were annotated by hand. Using GIS technology and satellite imagery, digital maps of remote polio-infected areas are constantly updated and improved by teams on the ground and elsewhere. These increasingly accurate maps allow teams in the field to navigate and ensure complete vaccination of remote villages.  

Some vaccination teams are also now carrying GPS trackers that monitor the movement of health workers on the ground.   Their visitations are mapped and used by program managers to spatially confirm that each household in every village is visited and vaccinated.

Follow Kaitlin Yarnall on   Twitter .

For Hungry Minds

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Interpreting Maps

Maps don’t just help us get from place to place. They help us understand Earth and how its physical processes and features can shape human activity and vice versa. When data is organized by its locations, we can see geographic patterns that allow us to develop a better understanding of how systems work and interact with one another. Use this collection to provide learners with a deeper understanding of the nature and importance of maps, which have been illustrating places and people for thousands of years.

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1.3: Maps- Place, Power, and Representation

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Learning Objectives

• Describe cartography, map types, and how geospatial technologies aid contemporary map-making.
• Critique the appropriateness of map scales, projections, and orientations for various purposes.
• Explain and exemplify maps as tools and representations of power.
• Describe countermapping and participatory making and their various applications.
• Imagine cartography from non-conventional and Indigenous perspectives.

Cartography

The use of maps to illustrate, explain, and analyze spatial phenomena is a distinguishing characteristic of the discipline of geography. Maps as we know them are a result of thousands of years of humans seeking to understand the Earth. Early geographical endeavors were often centered around cartography , the art and science of mapmaking. Many early geographers practiced a form of Earth writing through maps. A map attempts to represent human knowledge of the Earth's lands and peoples, and mapping continues to be a central element of the geography discipline.

Given the importance of spatial awareness in human history, it is difficult to attribute the beginning of geography or cartography to one founding figure or document. Geographical knowledge has been an essential part of the story of humans, a species that over thousands of years migrated out of Africa to occupy most corners of the world. Humans have always had the need and desire to explore and understand their surroundings, expand their influence over new lands (in ways ranging from life-affirming to destructive), and then to communicate and represent knowledge, whether in maps or stories (or both). Humanity’s geographical knowledge is both ancient and diverse, and certainly not entirely understood or represented in academic geography today. With that in mind, the historical maps and documents that survive provide us with a sense of early geographical explorations that can help us appreciate the beginnings of geography as an academic discipline.

The earliest known world map was inscribed in clay tablets by the Babylonians more than two thousand years ago. It centers Babylon (in modern-day Iraq) bisected by the Euphrates River and includes descriptive text in cuneiform, the earliest known writing system. The Babylonians were also the first to divide a map into quadrants, indicating a coordinate system (East/West/North/South). Many academic geographers, especially in the West, attribute the beginnings of the discipline of geography to the Greeks. In their maps we find detailed geographical knowledge and important improvements in the accuracy of geographical depictions of the Earth. Crates created the first globe (200 BCE), still the most accurate way to represent the Earth. It was Eratosthenes (ca. 285-205 BC), however, who likely coined the term “geographia” to describe the field of study. Eratosthenes was the first to calculate the Earth's circumference (with remarkable accuracy) and his publication Geographika maps over four hundred places in the world, connecting them through a system of parallels and meridians and scaled distances [1] [2] . Other important achievements include that of Arab-Islamic geographers, notably Muhammad al-Idrisi (circa 1100–66) who was commissioned by King Roger II of Sicily to produce a highly regarded historical map, Tabula Rogeriana. This map stood as a valuable reference of geographical knowledge for hundreds of years. Its inclusion of detailed geographical knowledge was crowdsourced, meaning that al-Idrisi interviewed merchants and travelers to compile detailed information from the major population centers of the known world. [3]

Reference maps: where we are

A reference map helps us learn where we are . Reference maps are used as navigational tools, as a reference for the absolute and relative locations of human and physical features. Developing an understanding of the Earth sufficient enough to create an accurate representation of it challenged cartographers for centuries. The early years of the discipline of geography were dedicated to understanding the shape, size, and distances of continents, a strenuous task before the development of geo-spatial tools such as GPS, remote sensing, and GIS. Today, technological innovations enable us to access zoomable and detailed reference maps on our smartphones that allow us to locate places and navigate the world. When you open your map app for navigation, you are accessing (and contributing data to) a reference map.

Thematic maps: who we are

A political map of the world emphasizes political borders that divide territories. They tell us very little about the world, except for the territorial delineations of countries, a reference map of where countries are in relation to other places. Political maps do not tell you where people live, the characteristics of places, or how people and places are connected. We need thematic maps for that. Thematic maps communicate information that help us learn who we are . These are maps that help us understand what places might be like. For example, a map of global transportation and communications shifts the emphasis from how we divide the world to how we use the world, showing us functional lines (like cables and rails) that dissolve political borders and connect us daily. A global map of biomes and topography gives us a greater sense of the natural world. A population density map conveys the number of people per area (often in square kilometers or square miles) and gives us a sense of patterns of human settlement. There is limitless information that thematic maps can communicate. Using maps as communication devices is a key element of contemporary geography, as thematic maps serve as visualizations and analytical tools for presenting and understanding geographical patterns.

Geospatial Technologies

The ability to connect maps to data has revolutionized many facets of decision-making in our society. Spatial data , also called geospatial data , are data directly related to a specific location on Earth. Non-spatial data are data that cannot be traced to a specific location, like the number of people enrolled in an online course. Non-spatial data can easily become spatial data if they can be linked in some way to a location, like the address of each student enrolled in that course. Geospatial technology specialists have a method called geocoding they use to place non-spatial data at a particular geographic location (latitude and longitude). Once data become associated with a location, we can ask more complex questions. For example, at Fullerton College, geographers mapped the student population to better understand the geographical contexts of students amidst the covid-19 pandemic. The study showed that most students enrolled in online classes still lived within the vicinity of the college, and that despite distance education, students were choosing their colleges based on geographical proximity. More significantly, the study revealed that thousands of students lived in neighborhoods with poor access to green spaces and fresh foods, a specially challenging geographical context given the loss of access to campus resources due to the covid-19 state of emergency closures. This enhanced geographical understanding broadened the support for students’ basic needs in various areas of institutional planning.

Imagine, for example, levels of air pollution being collected at multiple stations - these data can then be mapped, and therefore help decision-makers understand disproportionate concentrations of pollution. When combining various data in layers of information about places, cartographers can identify populations most vulnerable to high levels of toxicity and what factors they have in common. The California Environmental Protection Agency has created a tool called EnviroScreen which does just that: it compiles a multilayer map that helps decision-makers correlate pollution to other demographic information such as income and race and ethnicity. Most commonly, we find that in California (and elsewhere in the US) low income and ethnic/racial minorities are disproportionately exposed to high levels of pollution. California knows this only because of the geospatial data it collects at various points throughout the state.

The efforts by the California Environmental Protection Agency to identify these areas of disproportionate impact rely on important technological innovations in cartography. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is a combination of computer hardware and software that captures, stores, queries, and displays geospatial data. GIS has revolutionized mapmaking for its ability to produce maps that layer various data sets, thus revealing important correlations (such as the correlation between pollution, race, and income). Nearly all cartography today is done using GIS and its uses are limitless: Firefighters use GIS to monitor wildfires and to establish and communicate evacuation zones, conservation biologists to establish high priority areas for conservation, public health professionals to determine areas of high risk for infectious diseases, and insurance companies to identify proximities to geographical risks such as flooding and earthquakes. Given the heavy lifting potential of GIS to store, display, and analyze big spatial data for various purposes, the job prospects for GIS analysts continue to grow.

Geographers have developed a variety of ways to gather images and other data related to the Earth. One prominent technique is remote sensing, the collection of data about an object from a distance, usually done with the help of mechanical devices known as remote sensors which may be placed in planes or satellites. These sensors receive and record information about places/objects by measuring the transmission of electromagnetic energy from reflecting and radiating surfaces. These devices allow tropical ecologists to investigate the rainforest floor from half a world away, oceanographers to research the depths of the ocean, and students to count the trees in their backyards, all without leaving their desks. Remotely sensed images allow geographers to identify, understand, or explain a particular landscape, determine land use, and otherwise research places across the Earth. Remotely sensed images often serve as important components in the cartographic (map-making) process and can provide the means to examine and analyze changes on the earth’s surface caused by natural or human forces. Google Earth is an excellent example of a freely available online tool that collects and organizes remotely sensed images of the Earth. It now covers images for over 97 percent of the world’s surface, effectively compressing an interactive world map that fits in our phones.

Maps Are Not Mirrors

Maps are depictions of the Earth’s surface or a portion of it. They are not a reflection of the world but representations of it. All maps are imperfect representations, and the map is not the territory. What makes a "good map” varies depending upon its ability to fulfill an intended purpose. As noted above, a map designed for navigation might not tell us anything about the characteristics of places. Similarly, a map designed to communicate the population density of East Asia may also be useless for finding specific locations in Asia. Cartographers, or mapmakers, first and foremost consider what the map will be used for prior to designing it, then make important decisions to produce maps to fulfill that purpose. After determining the purpose of a map, cartographers face important decisions to convey geospatial data as objectively, accurately, and clearly as possible. Let’s explore some of these decisions.

Zoom In or Zoom Out?

Scale is the relationship of distance in the map versus the distance in the real world. A 1:1000 scale map, for example, would mean that 1 meter on the map equals 1000 meters, or 1 kilometer, on Earth’s surface. Scale can sometimes be a confusing concept, so it’s important to remember that it refers to a ratio. “Large” scale and “small” scale refer to the ratio, not to the size of the landmass on the map. 1 divided by 5,000 is 0.0002, which is a larger number than 1 divided by 50,000,000 (which is 0.00000002). Thus, a 1:5,000 scale map is considered “large” scale while 1:50,000,000 is considered “small” scale. In other words, small scale maps depict larger areas (ex: a world map) and large-scale maps smaller areas (ex: a map of your neighborhood).

Decisions pertaining to scale are important because geographic patterns vary depending on the scale of the map. Typically, as scale decreases (or as you zoom out), so too does the number of different features and the detail with which they are represented. Not only printed maps, but also digital geographic data sets that cover extensive areas, tend to be more generalized than datasets that cover limited areas. The scale of a map can be used to omit or reveal detail, depending on the message it intends to convey. Scale choices can significantly alter what the maps communicate.

A Distorted View

Maps turn a three-dimensional spherical Earth into a flat representation of it. This makes it inevitable that all maps are inaccurate in one way or another as ‘flattening the Earth’ always involves some form(s) of distortion. A map projection , how the spherical Earth is laid out on a flat plane, always distorts at least one these four properties: area, shape, distance, and direction. Some projections preserve as many as three of these properties while significantly distorting another. Other projections might distort all properties but to a smaller degree. In other words, cartographers make difficult compromises in mapmaking, giving up accuracy of some properties over others. See the video below:

Some familiar maps are distorted in ways that help perpetuate erroneous conceptions about the world. As the video discussed above, the wide adoption of the Mercator projection, which is used in Google maps and most other websites and online mapping platforms, materialized a common mental map that exaggerates the size of Europe in relation to Africa and other tropical and sub-tropical territories. Since humans often associate larger landmasses with prominence, such distortions may contribute to a mental map of the world that diminishes many of the territories formerly colonized by Europeans. Given the extensive ways in which European colonialism carved up and remade the world, it is essential to deconstruct maps and expose their biased geographic conceptions if we are to seek a greater understanding of the world.

Flipping the Map

Throughout history, cartographers have made maps with varying orientation , meaning the map’s directionality or relationship to the four directions of the compass. Historically, the North of the map was rarely oriented to the top of the page. Recall the Tabula Rogeriana by Muslim cartographer Muhammad Al-Idrisi (Figure 1.3.1). The orientation of the total map places Mecca, the center of the Musim world in modern Saudi Arabia, at the center of the map, and with the South at the top of the page. Why did Al-Idrisi orient a map that remained the world’s most accurate map for three hundred years with South facing up? Well, why not? Most Westerners are conditioned by the last 500 years of cartography when most of the maps, produced mainly in North America and Europe, have been oriented with the North at the top. The perspective of North American and European cartographers emphasized the geography of the Northern Hemisphere while placing other continents “at the bottom” of the page, an arbitrary political decision that has casually become the norm.

The orientation of a map does not affect its accuracy (Arabic, Farsi, Hebrew, and Urdu are read from right to left). There is no scientific reason for a magnetic north to be perceived as the top of the world. Keep in mind that the Earth is an oblate spheroid spinning through space; there is no accurate “up” or “down.” Where the magnetic north should be represented depends on the cartographer’s relative position—from where they draw the map and to where they imagine distant places. What is North to the Inuit people of the Arctic looking out to the world, when everywhere is South in relation to their communities? What is a map of the world's continents for Polynesian cultures rooted in Pacific Islands? By diversifying map orientations to center the Southern Hemisphere, the Polar worlds, or the Pacific Ocean, for example, cartographers challenge (often Eurocentric) conventions and help better represent the kaleidoscopic geographical perspectives of the world – flipping the script by flipping the map. Take for example América Invertida (1929) by Uruguayan cartographer Joaquín Torres, illustrated below. The map is a cartographic manifesto: “Our North is the South.” Like all maps, this depiction carries and conveys political and social messages.

Maps and Power

“Cartography has a troubled history as a technology of power. The production and distribution of maps, often understood to be ideological representations that support the interests of their developers, have served as tools of colonization, imperialism, and global development, advancing Western notions of space and place at the expense of Indigenous peoples and other marginalized communities.” – Bjørn Sletoo [4]

“As a political technology, mapping has long played a key role in the world-making practices of colonialism through the appropriation, demarcation, naming, and partitioning of territory as part of the process of colonization and assertion of imperial rule over peoples and places.” - Rose-Rosewood et al [5]

Maps and colonization

How do you think about maps? Even though many of us think of maps as impartial documents that reflect the objective reality of the world, maps are instead subjective political projects that actively reimagine and remake the world. As introduced in the section above, political maps of the world hanging in most geography classrooms (in North America and elsewhere) are filled with an array of arbitrary decisions based on Western biases: they display an orientation that centers Europe, a projection (Mercator) that distorts the relative size of dispossessed territories, and political borders and place names superimposed by colonizers. These not-so-subtle cues make a familiar world map Eurocentric .

Our most familiar maps have evolved as tools and representations of power. [6] Throughout the rise and fall of so many empires, elites have cultivated the art and science of cartography – like the religious rulers of dynastic Egypt and Christian medieval Europe, the Greek and Roman philosophers, the Sultans of the Ottoman Empire, and India’s Mogul emperors. From the 16 th Century on, cartography as we know it had become closely intertwined with European imperialism, insomuch that the processes of colonialism and mapmaking each reinforced the other. [7] Take for example Gerardus Mercator (1512–94) whose widely influential projection we discussed earlier. Mercator also produced earlier remarkable works in cartography, including one of the first European maps of the Americas and the first to name it as such. His early map depicts the earth in two heart-shaped spheres as seen from the North and South poles. This spherical representation was an attempt to mediate distortions and provide a picture-like representation of the Earth. However, this type of map was impractical for navigational purposes and eventually led Mercator to create a different projection. The 1569 Mercator map of the world provided a squared grid that could be used for navigation, maintaining accuracy in distance and direction around the equator, regions Europeans were actively colonizing. Mercator thus adapted his cartography to facilitate European (con)quests. Despite its distortions of the size of landmasses moving away from the Equator, his 1569 map, actually a navigational chart, remains one of the most influential.

But maps were not only mere navigational tools for exploration. Like arms, germs, and ships, maps were a weapon of colonization as they allowed invaders to expropriate territories and displace Indigenous communities with arbitrary lines drawn on paper. [8] Take for example the 1494 Tordesillas Treaty, an agreement between the monarchs of Spain and Portugal that aimed to settle their squabbles over claims to foreign lands. By placing a line on a map through what was thought to be the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, but what was actually eastern South America, the treaty declared territories to its West for the Spanish and territories to its East for the Portuguese (see Figure 1.3.6). Imposed by distant monarchs, this line fundamentally shaped European colonialism in the Americas and remade the world. Even though European navigators had no means to accurately calculate longitude and thus locate the treaty's line. Still, maps based on the Line of Tordesillas documented European claims to lands across the Earth and set in motion processes of expropriation and colonization that unfolded over the next several centuries. The accidental placement of the Line of Tordesillas led the Portuguese to colonize the lands that became Brazil, Goa in India, and Macau in East Asia. Meanwhile, the Spanish received authority to colonize the Americas and the Caribbean west of Portuguese America. As such, these maps became weapons of power and plunder that divided and reproduced the world into territories of European expansion. [9]

From the 16 th to 20 th centuries, the materialization of colonial political borders from paper to reality continued to carve the world into European spheres of influence. Created by colonizers in support of their own interests, these colonial borders continue to shape contemporary geographies. The so-called “Scramble for Africa” is probably the most well-known example of how cartographic strokes have fragmented Indigenous homelands and their political organizations and environments. This legacy of colonial cartography and its arbitrary lines continues to sever African peoples and lands in problematic ways (discussed in Chapter 3). The 1947 British partitioning of India serves as another example of colonial impositions, leading to one of the greatest forced migrations and displacements in history and determining life and death for millions of people in the Indian subcontinent (discussed in Chapter 7). To this day, the border between India and Pakistan is marked by violence and military tension, creating one of the most dangerous political borders in the world. Similarly, the colonial legacy of the partition is the root cause for tensions and violence along the eastern Indian border with neighboring Bangladesh.

The United States is no exception as we can point to many historical (and ongoing) examples of the many ways that maps wield power, helping to perpetuate systemic racism and the disenfranchisement of Black, Indigenous, and other communities of color. For example, “redlining” maps funded by the US government prevented African Americans and immigrants from getting mortgages to buy homes and helped to solidify the racially segregated and inequitable cities that continue to plague the country (explained in Chapter 10). Similarly, electoral maps and voting district boundaries have been drawn and redrawn with the intent to diminish electoral power and representation of Black and Latinx voters – a type of cartographic manipulation known as gerrymandering. Even in the creation of US national parks, famously referred to as “America’s Best Idea,” territorial delineation for conservation dispossessed and displaced Indigenous peoples from their ancestral lands, imposing exclusionary ecological museums and institutionalizing Western conceptions of wilderness , an inaccurate way of seeing the natural world as disconnected from Indigenous communities and histories. All over the world, the making and remaking of territories begins on, and takes shape through, maps and cartography.

Guerilla Cartography

Powerful organizations and companies are far from the only groups that wield power with maps and cartography. Maps are also used as tools to convey and carve our world from the ground up, by people from all backgrounds and social classes. They can be venues for performance, expression, memory, and art. They can be imaginary and visionary. And, most importantly, mapping need not to be exclusionary. As mentioned in the opening of this chapter, every single one of us is enveloped in geographic experience. Representing, imagining, and envisioning our worlds in cartographic forms is something we all do; it could never be restricted to academics or elites. Maps today are more accessible than ever before. Even without formal training, producing and publishing paper or digital maps is easier today than ever before. Individuals and communities can engage in mapmaking for a cause, for art, for fun, for recollection, for navigation, for representation, and so much more.

Cartography is one way to critique, disrupt, and reclaim power. We can use maps as important visual communicators to confront injustice, demarcate and protect Indigenous territories, share placed-based community experience, and rename places, to name just a few examples. Many contemporary cartographers, artists, and activists use maps to challenge power and promote “bottom-up” approaches to mapmaking, in their own terms. This is because maps can be powerful tools for marginalized peoples to reimagine and reconstruct their worlds in avoidance of, or resistance to, the structures of authority. This is called countermapping , or a political practice of mapping back. It is mapping against tradition or prevailing power or knowledge systems, guerilla style. Much of countermapping is done via participatory mapmaking , a practice of co-creating maps with or by the communities most closely associated with the places or territories being mapped. In other words, participatory map-making is a method for collective cartography that allows community members to become mappers rather than passive subjects of maps.

Countermapping is rooted in self-determination and resistance. It can be traced back to the struggles of First Nations political organizations in Canada and Alaska in the 1970s and has played a crucial part in the First Nations campaigns for autonomy in North America. The maps created from these foundational struggles eventually led to the establishment of Nunavut, a self-governed Inuit territory of two million square kilometers in northern Canada. This success initiated the spread of Indigenous countermapping all over the world. Countermapping has also been an important part of the African American struggle for freedom. Civil rights leader W.E.B Du Bois, for example, prepared a variety of maps to deconstruct racist stereotypes and highlight Black cultural and economic achievements. Civil rights activists also utilized maps to record, tabulate, and map lynchings throughout the United States as a form of gathering and displaying scientific information to promote anti-lynching legislation. Activists of the women’s suffrage movement of the 20 th Century, too, used suffrage maps in flyers and pamphlets as a persuasive tool on the struggle for the right to vote.

These few examples illustrate how cartography can be a practice for equality, liberation, and world-making. Today people everywhere participate in countermapping. This Is Not an Atlas compiles many powerful examples of counter-cartographies from all over the world illustrating the deep connections between maps and political struggle. In a related venture, mapmakers with Guerilla Cartography promote “decentralized mapping” that combine diverse methodologies, perspectives, and expressive forms to create innovative thematic maps on topics such as water, shelter, food, and migration. Decolonial Atlas publishes maps that challenge our conceptions of mapmaking and our relationships to lands, people, and the state. Each of these cartographic repositories help us expand our perspectives through the power of maps.

Towards A Safer City: Participatory Mapping of Sexual Harassment in Cairo, Egypt

Sexual harassment is misunderstood and underreported all over the world. Stigma and shame prevent many women from talking about it or reporting it, and data on the problem is scarce. New web and mobile technologies have, however, opened new possibilities to overcome some of the barriers to documentation and data collection. HarassMap.com offers an innovative tool for reporting and generating data on sexual harassment, and has enhanced debates and discussions around the issue in Egypt and worldwide.

HarassMap uses web and mobile technologies to crowdsource and map incidents of sexual harassment from all over Egypt. Anyone who experiences or witnesses sexual harassment can anonymously submit a report through the web interface (or through Facebook and Twitter). Reports that include basic geographical information (location and date/time of the incident) are automatically mapped using Google Maps and made publicly available on the HarassMap website. Each report appears as a red dot on the map that, when clicked, displays the full information of the report in its original language (Arabic or English). Besides the location and the date/time, each report also includes a narrative description of the incident, the type(s) of sexual harassment (for example comments, stalking, or following). Each report receives a response with information on how to access free legal services and psychological counseling.

HarassMap has gathered information that can be used to tailor advocacy campaigns and educational programs and serves as an important tool for motivating the public to report and stand up against sexual harassment. Immediately after launching the map in 2010, HarassMap received a large number of reports of sexual harassment, and over the years the crowdsourced data has helped to reformulate the discussion on sexual harassment in Egypt. It has also helped to challenge stereotypes and misinformation about the issue.

“Writing versus Righting”

“In essence, maps are images designed to represent spatial relationships, connecting land to other beings in one way or another... Maps are storytelling devices" – Annita Lucchesi

Cartography is an ancestral practice, well-rooted in Indigenous traditions all over the world. Consider the rich Mayan libraries containing many complex astronomical charts and maps, many of which were burned down by Spanish intruders. Or consider the Polynesian wayfinders who navigated one quarter of the Earth’s surface without instruments or Western-style maps, well before Europeans managed to cross the Atlantic. Over several centuries in Kaallit Nunaat (an Indigenous name for Greenland), Inuit peoples carved portable maps into driftwood to aid in navigating the rugged Arctic coastlines. These and countless other cases of Indigenous cartographic wisdom challenge the Western canon of geographical knowledge and its relatively narrow perceptions of maps. [11] They help us understand cartography as ancestral, dynamic, communal, and multi-dimensional.

These examples also help us reflect on the notion of a map as more than writing, or even the physical inscription of symbols. Most of the world’s languages are unwritten. Yet, everywhere in the world humans convey and build on geographic knowledge. History, traditions, and wisdom have been transmitted orally for thousands of years. Similarly, the practices of and possibilities for “writing the Earth” extend far beyond the illustrated map. Communities represent their relationships to land and navigation in an astounding variety of ways, each of them valid and valuable in their own ways. Indigenous languages, both with and without writing systems, often convey land and its uses orally, describing territory as a living fabric that weaves communities to their environments, free of definite borders. Indigenous scholar and organizer Maquiades Cruz describes Zapotec traditions of sharing of spatial knowledge in oral maps in Mexico’s Ricon de la Sierra Norte region:

“The story that the elders tell is a history they know from memory. It is not an object that can be tucked away in a museum like any old artifact. It is an oral map that circulates by word of mouth, contrasting with textual maps that circulate from hand to hand, eye to eye… Language allows us to relate people and things, weaving a fabric from their relations… The semiotic relationship between textile, fabric, and text (textile, tejido y texto) helps us reflect on the webs of knowledge and exchange that we try to make when we weave things together through contact, collaboration, knowledge, experience, sources, production, and circulation, creating the fabric of community.” [12]

These community-land weavings embody Indigenous traditions and ancestral wisdom through toponyms, or place names. Toponyms vary depending on perspective. An endonym is the name ascribed to a place by the people who live there. Endonyms reflect the language and cultural traditions of places. In contrast, exonyms are place names superimposed by outsiders. For example, “America” is an exonym placed on a landmass by a German cartographer, Martin Waldseemüller, who had never been there, and who named it for another European cartographer, Amerigo Vespucci. There are, however, many endonyms for “America,” including Turtle Island (See Figure 1.3.11).

Many efforts have been made to restore and reclaim Indigenous place names as a way of combating the invisibility of Indigenous communities and their knowledge, an endeavor some researchers refer to as “decolonizing the map.” As part of this effort, Native-Land.ca , an Indigenous-led non-profit organization, offers an interactive participatory map displaying various Indigenous claims to North American lands, as defined by the Indigenous groups themselves. The depth of oral traditions, however, means that the mere attribution of Indigenous place names remains insufficient because it lacks the interpretive storytelling content and practices necessary to convey the meaning and the history attached to places. To address this shortcoming of two-dimensional maps, some groups are creating multimedia “Indigital story maps” to accompany the conventional graphic map with narratives and other forms of storytelling, allowing Indigenous communities to incorporate their own voices, languages, toponyms, and stories. [13]

Open maps: A note from the authors

Perhaps in a geography course you could expect a long-winded lesson about maps. In this book, we accept maps to be neither impartial nor standard. They are valuable visuals that can be construed from diverse perspectives and for diverse purposes. We encourage you to apply critical scrutiny when examining maps, evaluating not only their technical features and functions but also their perspectives and contributions that might deepen our understanding of the world. Throughout the book, we have curated maps from the creative commons and public domain, meaning those we are permitted to publish in an open textbook. For example, you might notice that many of our images come from Wikimedia Commons or from Flickr. These are common publication venues not only for cartographers wishing to share their work freely but also national and international governmental agencies that share professional cartography with the public. We made an effort to source reliable and effective maps, examining their sources, perspectives, and their ability to communicate valid and valuable geographic information. In curating images, we embraced the power of maps as visual supplements to the topics discussed throughout the book. Still, all maps are limited and exclusive, some more than others, and even in ways that the authors may have missed. Read the maps in this book, and everywhere else, with care and critical appraisal.

References:

[1] ROLLER, D. W. (2010). Eratosthenes’ “Geography.” Princeton University Press.

[2] White, J. (2017). Geography and Empire .

[3] Pastuch, L. 2022. Al-Idrisi’s Masterpiece of Medieval Geography. Library of Congress.

[4] Sletto, B., Bryan, J., Wagner, A., and Hale, C., (eds). 2020. Radical Cartographies: Participatory Mapmaking from Latin America. Austin: University of Texas Press.

[6] White, J. (2017). Geography and Empire .

[7] Harley, B. 1988. Maps, Knowledge, and Power . In: D. Cosgrove and S. Daniels (Eds), The Iconography of Landscape . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1988, pp. 277–312

[8] Harley, B. 1988. Maps, Knowledge, and Power . In: D. Cosgrove and S. Daniels (Eds), The Iconography of Landscape . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1988, pp. 277–312

[9] Based on ideas of Pickles about maps preceding and forming territories, not just being representations of territory. As discussed on the literature review presented by Kitchin, R. and Dodge, R. 2007. Rethinking Maps . Progress in Human Geography 31(3), pp. 331-344.

[10] Alderman, D., Inwood, J. and Bottone, E. 2021. The mapping behind the movement: On recovering the critical cartographies of the African American Freedom Struggle. Geoforum, volume 120, pp. 67-78.

[11] Lucchesi, A. 2018. “Indians Don’t Make Maps”: Indigenous Cartographic Traditions and Innovations. American Indian Culture and Research Journal. 2018. Also recommended: Simpson, L. 2014. Land As Pedagogy: Nishnaabeg intelligence and rebellious transformation. Decolonization: Indigeneity, Education & Society 3 (3), pp 1-25.

[12] Maquiades (Kiado), C. 2020. Oral Narratives in the Ricon Zapoteco (pp. 22 & 26). In: Sletto, B., Bryan, J., Wagner, A., and Hale, C., (eds). 2020. Radical Cartographies: Participatory Mapmaking from Latin America. Austin: University of Texas Press.

Attributions:

“The Spatial Perspective” by Caitlin Finlayson, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 .

“Map and Scale Accuracy” by David DiBiase & John A Dutton, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 .

“Sub-fields of geography” and "Geospatial Technologies" is adapted from “Introduction to Geographic Science” by Darstrup via, Open Geography Education , CC-BY-4.0 .

This is Not An Atlas , editorial by Severin Halder and Boris Michael and " Mapping Sexual Harassment in Egypt " by HarassMap, CC-BY-4.0 .

Examine Important Maps in History

Take time to examine the earliest cartographic records of columbus’s voyages, visual equivalents to accounts of battle, and the most beautiful atlas (book of maps) ever composed..

By UNESCO Memory of the World

India and the Middle East (1596) by Jan Huyghen Van Linschoten Kalakriti Archives

Importance of Historical Maps

Maps are one of the most important human inventions as they allow people in different countries to be able to explore and explain the world. Historical maps depict past interpretations of reality and events, reflect cultural and social trends of the time, offer artistic value, and track the evolution of cartography.

The Piri Reis World Map (16th century) UNESCO Memory of the World

Piri Reis World Map of 1513

The Piri Reis World Map of 1513   is a portolan-style world map that was created during a time when positioning of recently discovered places on maps was almost technically impossible. It produced a detailed, largely accurate depiction of coastlines and islands of newly discovered regions of the world and contains a rich variety of illustrations.

Columbus’s Oceanic Voyages and Terra Australis

The Piri Reis represents the earliest cartographic record of Columbus’s oceanic voyages (New World discoveries), is among the earliest work showing  Terra Australis  (first map to depict its unique fauna), and stands out with distinction among the maps of the Age of Discoveries. 

Four-map collage of the Great Siege of Malta of 1565 (1565) by Giovanni Francesco Camocio UNESCO Memory of the World

The G. F. Camocio Maps of the Great Siege of Malta of 1565

Printed from the same copper plate, these four maps collectively make up a series. Each map or state represents an updated account of military action recording siege developments. Together these maps collate a sequence of those significant events that marked the final stages of the Great Siege of Malta.

State 3 (16th century) UNESCO Memory of the World

Visual Equivalent to Written Accounts of Battle

The G. F. Camocio Great Siege of Malta map series is a precious primary source that acts as the visual equivalent to written accounts of this highly important military event which determined the course of history of the Mediterranean and Europe in the 16th century.  

Atlas Blaeu (17th century) by Laurens Van der Hem UNESCO Memory of the World

Atlas Blaeu-Van Der Hem

Representing the entire surface of the Earth, the 50-volume Atlas Blaeu-Van der Hem atlas contains more than 2,400 maps, prints, and drawings and offers a pictorial encyclopedia of 17th century knowledge ranging from geography and topography to warfare and politics.

Escorial (1662) by Laurens Van der Hem UNESCO Memory of the World

Inspiration for the Great Atlas

Dutch lawyer Laurens Van der Hem used the largest and most expensive book published in the 17th century, Joan Blaeu’s  Atlas Maior , as the base for an even more ambitious collection of luxuriously painted maps, charts, townscapes, architectural prints, portraits, etc.

Topkapi Palace Museum, İstanbul     Topkapi Palace Museum Manuscript Library, Istanbul General Directorate of Museums, Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Republic of Turkey Heritage Malta Charles University Great Siege of Malta maps recognized by UNESCO

Aftermath of the Accident at Chernobyl

Unesco memory of the world, qutb shahi heritage, kalakriti archives, understand the significance of the apocalypse in the new testament, cosmology to cartography - sacred maps from the indian subcontinent, records to remember, his highness the nizam's army, contemplate pivotal moments in human rights and civil rights, space-time and place: the culture of indian maps, experience progressive czech composer leoš janáček, cosmology to cartography - maps of the southern india region.

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Significance Of Maps In Geography (Essay Sample)

Table of Contents

Introduction

A map is an important symbolic presentation of places being represented by a feature or an element. The symbols represent the area where space, regions, and themes are presented in the map. This is important for the field of geography because it can specifically address the location of the areas that will be indicating the current position of a person who wants to navigate a certain location. Maps are usually generated to establish a position where shapes, objects, locations, and places are presented in the illustration, paper, or graphical analysis. In this position, this paper aims to discuss the importance of maps in geography. It seeks to find out the relevance of maps being used in a geographical analysis of each presented area or object in an area.

The significance of map is to currently locate the position of a certain object, material, person, place, or equipment. Using map is one of the most significant ways to decrease the time finding lost object, person, or equipment over a certain time. A map indicates objects that are lost, which could have the chance to be found, using sensors, radar, and other mapping tools to locate an object. For travelers, using a map is important because they are able to locate the preferred destination where they will be traveling for their next trip. Another is to lessen the effort of finding something that is significant for every person or groups who are having an ongoing rescue mission over a certain issue. In this way, engagement of maps creates an update regarding the current location of an object that is in the center of gravity for the search by individuals or groups.

There are specific types of maps used by individuals depending on their activities, roles, and situations. Political maps are used by each country to define their territorial jurisdiction so that residents from other countries will learn and appreciate the borders that divide nations. Topographical maps are used by geologists to focus on the landscape of a certain area that seeks to identify areas that have different land or sea features such as mountains, plains, lakes, rivers, and oceans. A weather map indicates the weather pattern, which is focused on any presence of any natural-related phenomenon affecting a certain country. Geo-satellite map is a tool that locates the current position of a person using online resource tools such as software and internet connection to provide relevant information about the current place where the person is located.

The challenges associated with the map are the consistency of its physical presentation. This is because there are areas around the world that is yet to be discovered by scientists and explorers to help indicate the exact location of the object, place, or person. Others have conflicting reports regarding the current location of the object due to a conflict of interest. There are other parts of the world whose land borders are currently in dispute, which shows an unconfirmed land border between the affected countries because there was no international arbitration that were applied. But overall, maps strengthened every person’s sense of identity because it shows how a person would let themselves associate with a certain nation, given that they belong to a country as shown by their location. In this case, maps in geography are an important measurement of one’s identity and location (Cappell, 2014).

• Chappell, Bill (2014). “Google Maps Displays Crimean Border Differently In Russia, U.S.”. NPR.org.

Maps, Methods, and Motifs

Cartographic Resources for Teaching History

Gerald A. Danzer | Dec 1, 1995

A few years ago several scholars were observed hunched over an interesting old map, attempting to identify it and place it in a context. After a while one stood up, stretched, and repeated a refrain he had often made to his students, "No map can answer all the questions it raises.” That imitation, of course, is also an advantage. History, in its essence, is more inquiry than resolution. Maps can suggest fresh questions that deepen our insight. They can be bold and stark as images, and yet often appear as quite ordinary artifacts. Their simplicity, however, may be only a surface appearance, simplifying a complex environment while covering many layers of meaning.

Historians use maps as both primary and secondary sources. When a class is shown a 12th-century mappae mundi to illustrate the medieval view of the world, the teacher is treating the map as a text, a voice from the past that students are encouraged to engage in discourse. In this sense, the map functions as a primary source. In the same classroom a student report might refer to a map to show the location of certain cathedrals, a route of pilgrimage in northern Italy, or the pattern of forests and cleared land in the Rhine Valley. These maps are used as secondary sources. Students can be encouraged to suggest situations in which the same map is used as both a primary and a secondary source. Even a modem map showing Europe during the High Middle Ages is a primary source if it is used to document the history of teaching or textbooks. When students learn to look at every map as a text drawn to transmit information, ideas, and values to a particular audience, they have unlocked a great door to cartographic understanding. To help students find this key it is useful to look, in general terms, at how maps might serve the teaching of history.

Common sense and conventional wisdom suggest that maps might be gainfully employed in many history courses. I have found that they are most effective when they appear regularly in a course, in a variety of types. They can be used for a number of instructional purposes but should always be accompanied by appropriate commentaries by students or instructors. In terms of regular appearance, cartographic materials can be found in textbooks and incorporated into lectures, discussions, and student papers or projects. They can also be pinned on bulletin boards. Instructors should look for maps that can be used throughout a course, from the syllabus to the final examination.

Using a variety of maps requires explanation. Cartographic diversity comes in several forms, the first of which is scale. World, hemispheric, continental, and regional maps have a small scale, a ratio of image to reality so tiny that the details of the landscape cannot be seen. But the small scale enables these maps to cover a lot of territory f showing global or regional relationships. On the other hand, largescale maps of settlements, battlefields, disputed boundaries, transportation corridors, or industrial complexes, because they present a more detailed picture, are useful when discussing social relationships, military tactics, or economic changes.

Maps made for purposes other than showing general physical features and political entities can add to cartographic variety in a classroom. Route maps made for travelers of long ago, estate plans, insurance maps showing the details of 19th-century cities, and newspaper maps of current events are all grist for the historian's mill. Diversity might also be achieved by using historical maps that show change over time. Designed to indicate some movement or development of historical importance, they may focus on people (migrations, dispersion, exile, or congregation), knowledge or ideas (discovery, diffusion, re-mission, exploration, and branching), or goods (trade, exploitation, transport, or the processing of materials).

Arrows can indicate the general direction, location, and size of the movement. Or a series of maps might be used, each having an identical base, but a different date. Viewing the series in chronological sequence shows the spatial aspects of historical developments. Change over time can also be indicated by shading, different colors, or isopleths—lines on maps that connect points of similar value, such as where a cholera epidemic reached within one week after a reported outbreak in a city.

Using maps in different forms can enhance cartographic variety in classrooms. Traditional wall maps are found on rollers at the top of the chalkboard, folded into file-size covers, or rolled into tubes. Sometimes cartographic images are projected from slides, transparencies, laser discs, or computer memories. A globe or a three-dimensional relief model might be used in a history class. Each of these forms suggests an instructional mode in which students focus their attention on the same map while someone—the instructor or a student—provides a commentary connecting the map with the lesson.

Individual study maps for students provide another alternative. These might be outline maps where students add data to bring the map to life in a pedagogical sense. Study maps can be supplied to students, individually or in small groups, to provide an example of the general topic under discussion: neolithic villages or early industrial cities, for instance. This allows the instructor to make some general comments and have students document the generalizations on their maps. Or, the instructional process might be turned around as small groups of students generate observations and questions on the basis of a set of maps while the instructor melds comments and queries into a pattern of explanation.

The Practice of Instruction

Maps can be used for almost any instructional purpose. The following suggestions on using cartographic materials in history classrooms are intended to generate ideas and stimulate reflection.

• Illustration is probably the most common role for cartographic materials. They are called upon when needed to point out a location or trace a route. In this function they are held up for a minute, pressed into service, and then quickly dismissed.
• Using a map as a springboard is a variant of the illustrative function. Here the image launches a lecture or discussion and is retired once the topic gets under way. A class on the Age of Reform in America, for example, might start with one of Joshua H. Bussell's maps of a Shaker settlement. These are splendidly reproduced in Robert P. Emlen's Shaker Village Views (1987).
• A particularly suggestive map might be displayed to provide a focal point for the lesson. A discussion of the Roman Empire in a Western civilization course could profitably focus on the Peutinger Map, showing the imperial road system extending throughout the Mediterranean world. Or the map might not be the central focus, but could serve as a constant reference to provide details for an extended narrative or analysis.
• A series of maps showing boundary changes or variations in land use from place to place might be used for comparison. The maps could serve as piers upon which to build a continuous span of narrative or analysis. A series of maps showing the political division of the Americas in 1775, 1800, 1825, and 1850 would help beginning students put together topics that are often treated in separate lectures or even courses. Maps encourage synthesis and, if one moves over time, larger patterns begin to emerge.
• Any map can be analyzed as a primary source to document a historical theme or to synthesize points in a discussion. Using a map from a typical community of the period under study is an excellent way to tie together topics in social, political, and cultural history. The maps of London by Charles Booth or of Chicago by Hull House residents of the 1890s were designed to highlight certain characteristics of the city, but they shed light on many other topics as well. Moreover, the physical layout of the urban environment shown on the maps provides a matrix into which many topics of the usual urbanization discussion can be placed.
• Maps as devices for synthesis make them useful pegs upon which to hang review-type lessons before an examination.
• A student-made map with a commentary can be a useful evaluation device at the conclusion of a course or unit of study. The selection or design of an appropriate map and, more directly, the composition of an explanatory text, is a creative way to measure a student's mastery of the material. The map provides a means of expressing insights picked up from lectures, readings, and discussions.
• The interplay between maps and commentaries makes cartographic materials ideal for bulletin boards that transform drab classrooms into stimulating learning environments. These displays provide excellent opportunities for hands-on learning experiences in history classrooms and for exhibiting creative student work.
• Student essays, reports, and reviews all can be enhanced by including maps as illustrations or focal points. Since oral presentations by students can become unfocused and monotonous, centering each report on a me transparency and turning it into a commentary is a method for redeeming a useful learning activity that often gets bogged down in the slough of tedium.
• Including at least one relevant map in the course syllabus adds graphic interest to an essential instrument that often appears in drab dress. A striking map with a brief caption on the cover of a syllabus provides a geographic context for the course and an example for students to emulate.
• Map questions may be used in almost all types of examinations. Using a map launch an essay question is an effective way to monitor a student's ability to analyze a document and synthesize information. Two examples will suffice. American history students could be given a cartogram showing, by relative size, voting power of the states in the electoral college in the 1980s and then asked to use the map to tell the story of presidential politics during the decade. Similarly, students in a world history course might be given a map showing Sir Halford Mackinder's view of the world in 1904 and asked to use it to illuminate the story of the 20th-century contest for power among nations. (There is a danger, of course that map questions might lapse into simply being significant places. Obviously, students need to know where places are located, but confining the use of maps to location geography limits their potential to test higher-order thinking skills like analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.)
• One or more carefully selected maps might be used to illustrate the connections between parts of the curriculum. At a time when critics are calling for links between disciplines, especially in liberal arts colleges, maps can be viewed from mathematical, technological, artistic, geographical, historical, and rhetorical perspectives. One could envision faculty members from different disciplines at a Phi Alpha Theta meeting commenting on the Hereford Map from the late 13th century L 'Enfant's plan for the national capital (1792 from various perspectives.

Commentaries

C R. Cheney, the English historian from a generation ago, made a comment about documents that captures the need for classroom maps to be fitted with appropriate commentaries. Documents, he observed, were like the proper little children of long ago who would speak only when spoken to and would not speak to strangers at all. Maps are the same way. One must know something before a map will speak at all, and then the viewer must initiate the conversation. The commentary is the distillation of that process.

Without discourse or commentary, a map becomes a mere decorative item, placed outside the instructional process. But once a student encounters it in a dialogue, the image is transformed into a complex and interesting informant. An instructor can show students how this is done by spending time in class expositing maps as primary sources, providing commentaries of various lengths from various points of view. But the goal might be more ambitious: to empower each student with the conversational skills to engage maps on their own. Whatever the goal, teachers and students can learn more from maps and improve their commentaries if they generate questions to ask or identify characteristics to look for when addressing maps.

The outlines below suggest two ways to inverse with maps. The first titled “A Map in Historical Perspective” offers some suggestions for analyzing a map as a primary source. The second, titled "A Map in Geographical Perspective” uses five fundamental elements to organize a discussion of the geography of the area represented. The first outline focuses on history's contribution to cartographic understanding, while the second one reviews geography's offering to historical understanding. When students begin to see all maps as two-way streets, offering historical as well as geographical perspectives, the goal of using maps in our classrooms will be achieved.

A Map in Historical Perspective

• The Map in Its Setting: (1) Who made it? (2) For what purpose? (3) For what audience? (4) When was it made? (5) Where was it made? (6) What sources were used to make it?
• The Form of the Map: How Was It Made? (1) Was it a manuscript or a published map? (2) In what type of publication did it appear? (3) What are its characteristics? (4) Is it accurate? (5) What is its technical quality?
• The Map in Its Families: Does the map belong to a group in terms of (1) place, (2) date, (3) maker or publisher, (4) function, (5) audience?
• The Map in Its Individuality: Identify (1) the map's historical associations, (2) changes on the map, (3) the map's provenance, (4) how the map has been viewed over time.
• Reading the Map: Explain (1) the direction or orientation of the map, (2) the map's scale, (3) the map's symbols or legend, (4) the projection of the map.
• Reading the Map: Explore the map's (1) center and edges, (2) land and water areas, (3) boundaries and districts, (4) place names and nomenclature patterns (5) landmarks and hierarchies, (6) landforms, (7) routes, (8) land-use patterns, (9) decorative elements, (10) the implicit and explicit aspects of its role as a transmitter of culture.

A Map in Geographical Perspective

• Position on the Earth's Surface: Locate the map's subject in terms of (1) absolute location (latitude and longitude), (2) relative location (descriptive position).
• Physical Characteristics of the Place: What does it suggest about the particular place's (1) atmosphere, (2) lithosphere, (3) hydrosphere, (4) biosphere?
• Human Characteristics of the Place: Describe its (1) economy, (2) social organization, (3) technology and material culture, (4) language, literature, and arts, (4) value system (beliefs and customs).
• Relationships within Places: Reflect on the past, present, and even future human environmental interactions characteristic of this place,
• Movement of People and Linkages: Consider (1) migration and travel, (2) the movement of goods and services, (3) the exchange of ideas and culture in the area.
• How Do Regions Form and Change? Describe the physical, political, cultural, and economic characteristics in regions indicated.

For Further Information

The best way to expand the corpus of cartographic materials available for use in the classroom is to explore books and atlases that provide both maps and historical commentaries. The best of these is David Buisseret, ed., From Sea Charts to Satellite Images: Interpreting North American History through Maps (1990). Here a dozen different types of maps are used to demonstrate the value of maps to students of the past. A Book of Old Maps Delineating American History by Emerson D. Fite and Archibald Freeman (1926) uses 74 classic maps. Its coverage ends with the Revolutionary War. The Historical Atlas of the United States (1988), published by the National Geographic Society, is filled with ideas as well as maps.

For Western civilization and world history courses, teachers would do well to consult the volumes of The History of Cartography, edited by J. B. Harley and David Woodward, as they are published. Two volumes have appeared so far. The first (1987) covers Europe and the Mediterranean world to the end of the Middle Ages. The second, issued in two parts (1992, 1994) focuses on cartography in traditional Islamic and Asian societies. Kenneth Nebenzahl's Atlas of Columbus and the Great Discoveries (1990), broader in scope than the title might suggest contains useful commentaries.

For classroom use, three sets of transparencies by Gerald A. Danzer containing both primary and secondary source maps are available from HarperCollins. Discovering American History through Maps and Views (1991) contains 140 examples, each with a commentary. Similar collections are available for Discovering Western Civilization (1991) and Discovering World History (1992), the former done with David Buisseret.

"Everything," teachers tell their students, "must be placed in a context, especially the context of time." This dictum applies to maps as well as to other historical events and artifacts, and its realization is the historian's major contribution to cartographic literacy. Maps are a fitting metaphor for the historical process itself. Mapping the past is what history courses are all about. Leaving cartography out of the range of documentary evidence used by historians limits what we can do. To neglect an analysis of maps as primary sources is to let them float free of a historical context and to ignore a major element of cartographic understanding. Putting maps into the context of time and using them to bring meaning to the past are two essential functions in the teaching of history. Both help us to see more clearly and, as Jonathan Swift observed long ago, "Vision is the art of seeing things invisible.”

Gerald A. Danzer, professor of history at the University of Illinois at Chicago, directs an MA program for teachers and has chaired the WC Council for Effective Teaching and Learning.

The American Historical Association welcomes comments in the discussion area below, at AHA Communities , and in letters to the editor . Please read our commenting and letters policy before submitting.

Please read our commenting and letters policy before submitting.

In This Section

Map Making History and Development Essay

Introduction, understanding map creation, size and importance in map creation, centrality and map development, challenging the idea of centrality, map development and the age of european colonization, modern day map creation, works cited.

Starting off with sets of lines carved on a flat stone to modern-day digital maps that are created through satellite imaging, map creation as we know it has gone through numerous iterations over several hundred years due to new techniques and methods of observation that have been developed. Maps, in essence, were created as a means for easy navigation over land and sea and have been around for a significant portion of human history. While they are taken for granted in 2015, maps used to be the prized possessions of sailors and merchants due to their necessity in being able to go from one region to another. What is interesting to note though, is that maps, as society knows of them today, are actually quite far from their original iterations.

While most of these changes can be attributed to modern-day technology, some of their differences are in part due to changes within present-day society. Globalization has made the world interconnected at a level that was unprecedented in the past resulting in people thinking of the world and the various countries and societies within it in a way that is distinctly different than how they did in the past. It is due to these changes in perspective that the manner in which maps have been designed and created today is distinctly different than how they were in the past. It is based on this that this paper will examine how to map creation has evolved over time and what factors influenced its creation into how we view maps in the present. It is the assumption of this paper that developments in map creation are inherently impacted by changes in the society that the maps originated from.

What would you say if someone told you that a standard world map that you bought at a local bookstore and believed to be accurate was wrong? It is doubtful that you would actually believe them at first since modern-day world maps have been in use as teaching tools decades and, with the advent of modern-day technology, something as important as a potential inaccuracy in a world map sold to students is unlikely to have gone uncorrected. However, inaccuracies do exist, which can be easily identified by virtue of a simple observation of the sizes of Greenland and Africa in your standard world map that can be bought in a local bookstore.

What is immediately obvious is that both landmasses appear to be almost the same size on the map; this is rather strange considering the fact that Greenland has a total landmass of 836,300 square miles while Africa is well over 11.67 million square miles in size. The same can be said about comparing the relative sizes of Europe and South America wherein Europe (depicted as being larger) is only 3.8 million square miles in size while South America is well over 6.9 million. The reason behind this apparent distortion in size is due to many of these maps utilizing what is known as the “Mercator Projection” when it comes to the depiction of landmasses.

Developed by Gerardus Mercator during the mid-1500s, the Mercator Projection was originally utilized as a means of navigation due to how it was able to preserve the linear scale of geographical points of reference when it came to navigation. However, one problem with its use as a general teaching tool is that the projection’s linear scale actually increases with the latitude of landmasses resulting in considerable distortions in geographical perception regarding the size of particular regions the farther they are away from the equator.

This helps to explain why some world maps bought at a local bookstore show inaccurate projections regarding the scale of particular areas. The maps are not necessarily “wrong”; rather, their purpose was originally meant as a means of navigation and not necessarily as a teaching device to explain the relative size of different countries. However, what the bookstore example does show is that assumptions can be developed quite easily, especially in cases where these assumptions are utilized as a tool to emphasize the importance of particular regions or countries.

Potter explained that distortions in relative sizes and even at times the location of certain countries (Germany being depicted as being more central in Western Europe when in reality it is located more towards the North West) have their basis on the concept of social equality (Potter 16). Even before the original inception of world maps within Western Europe, the correlation of size with power and importance has been present. Basically, the idea is that the larger and more well represented the object, the more people think how important it must be.

This is one of the reasons why, during the age of European imperialism, the ruling class in paintings were often depicted as being larger than life than their more “ordinary” contemporaries who were in the background of the paintings (Potter 16). Going back to the development of world maps, it is theorized that the distortion in sizes created by early cartographers is in part based on how they perceived the importance of particular countries, with maps originating from certain cartographers often showing their country to be distinctly larger or more well represented as compared to other countries within the same region. This shows a trend in visualization based on socio-cultural influences rather than geographical accuracy.

Map development based on socio-cultural influences is an important starting point in understanding how the creation of maps evolved over several hundred years. For example, from 600 BCE to at least the 6th century, map creation had a distinct “central” style in their development. This means that, depending on the region, the map depicted the country of origin as being in the center of the map with outlying regions expounding outward. Evidence of this can be seen in one of the earliest examples of maps created from Babylon in 600 BCE, as well as a more elaborate example by Eratosthenes in 276 BC. Both maps showed the countries of origin as being the central focal point of the map and depicted and expanding landmass and bodies of water from the central location. The basis behind why maps were developed this way was due to the socio-cultural influences of societies that the map makers belonged to at the time wherein both the Babylonians and the Ancient Greeks looked at their respective countries as being the “centers” of their respective worlds.

This means that, regardless of actual geographical positioning, there is a societal belief that their country is at the center of the known world. This particular attitude is actually quite prevalent among many past societies and influenced the manner in which cartographers created their respective maps with this cultural notion in mind. For example, 200 years after the initial work of Eratosthenes, Ptolemy created a similar map in 100 AD that detailed the expansion of the Roman Empire, also with the same centralized theme, but much more detailed and had lines indicating longitude and latitude. In fact, from the 1st century onward, maps became more detailed as more cartographers built upon the work of those that came before them. This resulted in maps showing rivers, towns, mountains, etc.

However, it was also during this period that more “philosophical” thought was placed into map development resulting in design choices that reflected notions and ideas that were prevalent at the time, many of which were not necessarily accurate. For example, in 14th century China had extensive maps of both its interior as well as various surrounding countries and bodies of water. Despite the fact that China was aware of the presence of Europe, Africa and various regions in South East Asia, most of the country’s maps still depicted China as being in the center of the “world” and showed other countries and regions to be much smaller than they really were. This shows that visualization of landmasses and the influence of socio-cultural influences are not limited to European cartographers, but also extends to Asian ones as well. This shows a cross-border societal tendency to believe that their country/region is at the center of everything with everything else merely being outliers.

The concept of centrality in map making and design continued from the 1st century all the way to the 12th century AD. This is despite improvements in visualization and detail by cartographers such as Muhammad Al-Idrisi, who helped to create a map of the Eurasian continent via information from explorers and merchants. Even the “Mappa Mundi” (one of the most detailed ancient European maps) created during the 1300s continued to express the same centrality that was noted in other iterations that came before it. This is despite the fact that explorers at the time already had a fairly accurate approximation of the position of different landmasses and the location of various regions resulting in the development of the idea that the world was round instead of flat. Simon helped to answer this question by explaining that the idea of centrality in map design and visualization was in part due to the lack of interconnections between civilizations prior to the 1400s (Simon 241).

Yes, there was trade, war and some aspects of cultural exchange; however, cultures at the time still lacked the idea of an “expansive” global environment and still clung to the notion of the world being contained within a specific sphere of influence with everything outside of it being labelled as “strange”, “savage” or “uncivilized” (Simon 241). There are of course counterarguments to this perspective with researchers such as Manhard stating that the centrality evident in early maps was due to the fact that early travelers were primarily confined to specific regions (Manhard 2).

Ship design prior to the 14th century lacked the capacity to make the long distance trips needed to circumnavigate continents and had limited stores of food. Thus, travel was primarily isolated to distances close to ports and colonies that could provide the necessary supplies. As such, Shiga stated that this helps to explain why maps tended to be more focused on depicting particular countries as being at the “center” of the world since, for all intents and purposes, the distance people were capable of traveling within particular regions were set based on the limits of the maps that were created (Shiga 47).

It was only during the late 1400s to the 1500s onward that map design came to resemble what it looked today. The “oceanic” map developed by German cartographer Heinrich Hammer showed a distinct deviation from centrality in design wherein it started incorporating the seas, oceans and helped to show distinct delineations between the position of different countries. The map, despite being German in origin, showed Germany in its appropriate position as being towards the North West of the European continent instead of being at its center.

From the early 1500s onward, a literal “explosion” in map development within Western Europe occurred wherein map designs such as the Mercator map, the Ricci map and the Theatrum Orbis (known as the first atlas that is the most similar to modern designs) were created which depicted continents, the oceans, seas and other details in their accurate positions. This “movement” into a less centralized and more “globalized” depiction of the world will be discussed in the next section.

Improvements in map design and the divergence from the trend of “centrality” to a more “global” depiction of the position of countries coincided with the initial waves of European colonization into different parts of the world. Starting with the invasion of Ceuta by Portugal in the early 15th century, this set off a trend in colonization by various European powers as seen in the case of Spain conquering the Philippines, Britain conquering India and the initial colonization attempts in North and South America. Carhart stated that it was this era of colonization that helped to improve the creation of maps since the European powers thought of this period as a time of imperial expansion wherein colonization and conquest paved the way for more riches (Carhart 102). The creation of the “Galleon Trade” between Spain, Mexico and the Philippines, the Spice Routes of India and the mines of South America created an influx of wealth that made the concept of expansion and colonization more appealing. It was due to this that a change occurred within European society at the time resulting in people becoming more open towards the concept of global trade, of the potential riches they could attain should they become a colonist as well as the opportunities that the new spice and galleon trade presented.

Carhart stated that this sort of thinking had an influence on the development of maps during this period wherein they became more expansive, detailed the world more so than their country of origin and focused more on showcasing proper sea routes and points of navigation (Carhart 106). Thus, it can be stated that the age of European colonization actually created the needed societal consensus as well as created a necessity for the development of maps that diverted away from the idea of their country being at the center of the world and acknowledged its proper geographic position based on its proximity to other land masses. This was also due to increased demand for proper maps for navigation due to merchants and opportunists seeing the value in international trade and exploration (Keski-Säntti 122). As such, map designs became more standardized based on set rules and production methods making them closer to what can be defined as “modern day” standards when it comes to positioning locations based on longitude and latitude.

Modern day map creation has taken the form of realism over artistry. For instance, map creation from the 14th century to around the 16th century utilized materials such as velum, wood blocks and special paper in order to create maps that were artistic as well as practical. While map creation became far more refined and expedient through the use of brass molds in order to create repeatedly accurate initial sketches on materials, the fact remained that they were often finished by hand with a wide variety of different artistic flourishes. This made maps during that period of time a valuable navigation tool as well as pieces of art that could be admired for their attention to detail as well as their general uniqueness. However, present day map making has undergone numerous technological advances through developments in satellite imaging and GPS positioning. Map data can now be updated in real time with various iterations such as Google Maps and Google Street View allowing an average individual to access images of a particular locations whereas in the past the ownership of specific maps was limited due to their inherent cost.

Modern day map designs focus more on realistic depictions of locations and due to present day advertising and social media technologies, digital maps now come with more information than ever before ranging from the location of particular shops to knowing where the most interesting places are within a particular region. In fact, through the use of GPS positioning, a person can literally know where they are in virtually any location on the planet. This has enabled people to more accurately determine their proximity to their intended location. What this shows is that while present day maps have lost their artistry, they more than make up for it when it comes to their accuracy, effectiveness and wide spread usage in many different applications for people across the planet.

Based on everything that has been presented so far in this paper, it can be stated that developments in map creation are inherently impacted by changes in the society that the maps originated from. This can be seen in the gradual changes that occurred in various parts of European society, such as developments in technology and a more globalized societal consciousness, that resulted in a shift away from centrality in map design to are more “globalized” depiction of country locations. All in all, what this paper has revealed is that the evolution of map creation has been influenced by a myriad of factors, both technological and societal, and shows that cartographers were often highly influenced in map visualization and creation based on the society that they were a part of at the time.

Carhart, George. “The 24Th International Conference On The History Of Cartography, Moscow, Russia, 2011.” Imago Mundi 64.1 (2012): 101-107. Print.

Keski-Säntti, Jouko. “The Drum As Map: Western Knowledge Systems And Northern Indigenous Map Making.” Imago Mundi 55.1 (2003): 120-125. Print.

Manhard, Manuel. “The Challenge Of Historical Cartography.” H-Net Reviews In The Humanities & Social Sciences (2012): 1-4. Print.

Potter, Jonathan. “History In The Map-Making.” Geographical (Campion Interactive Publishing) 74.3 (2002): 16. Print.

Shiga, David. “The Hipparcos Chronicles.” New Scientist 205.2748 (2010): 47. Print.

Simon, Jesse. “Antiquity Without Cartography? Some New Approaches To Roman Mapping Traditions.” Imago Mundi 64.2 (2012): 241-242. Print.

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"Map Making History and Development." IvyPanda , 4 July 2020, ivypanda.com/essays/map-making-history-and-development/.

IvyPanda . (2020) 'Map Making History and Development'. 4 July.

IvyPanda . 2020. "Map Making History and Development." July 4, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/map-making-history-and-development/.

1. IvyPanda . "Map Making History and Development." July 4, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/map-making-history-and-development/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Map Making History and Development." July 4, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/map-making-history-and-development/.

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Maps 101 , Top 10

Top 10 – reasons why maps are important, 10 reasons why maps are important.

The walls at the  Map Shop  have heard that question too many times to count and we’re here to tell you that  maps do matter …and we have ten reasons why!

Kofi Annan once said “Knowledge is power. Information is liberating” He may have been referring to maps because for thousands of years maps have provided humans with the knowledge they need to make decisions.

Maps first appeared on cave walls, mammoth tusks, and clay tablets then explorers drew maps on paper as we began to understand the shape of our world. Today we use advanced Geographic Information Systems (GIS) that combine complex math and visualizations allows us to plan, understand, and connect us to what matters. How do maps do all these things? Read on and find out…

MAPS GIVE INSPIRATION

Maps inspire you to think outside your own world, to expand your horizons, and take a look at the places you want to go to.

The world is a big place and even just acknowledging there are huge amounts of space in the world that you know nothing about can expand your mind. Yearning to understand our massive world will inspire one to learn and explore. It doesn’t matter if you travel out of your state or halfway across the world, a fresh outlook on the enormity of the world and a glimpse of a different culture beyond your own makes you a better human.

MAPS GIVE STORIES CONTEXT

Maps are tools that can distill thousands of data points into an easy to comprehend functional picture. Maps are visual snapshots of a particular place and time that allows their viewer to more fully understand the subject matter the map describes. Maps are orienting machines.

They provide perspective, allow us to step outside our limited point of view and understand things at a different scale. Maps are a great way to provide context to a place, a time, and to a narrative.

MAPS MAKE YOU HAPPY

Going on a trip can be a thrilling adventure but planning can also be an exciting part of your journey.

According to the 2010 study published by the Applied Research Quality Life, it’s the planning and anticipation of the trip, not the actual trip, that makes travellers the happiest. This is why maps are often used as gifts to announce a trip even in the distant future.

So grab a map, plan a trip, and be happy!

MAPS CONNECT YOU TO YOUR MEMORIES

A map isn’t just a picture of a place, it’s a connection to the memories you have in that place.

Maps inspire you to think outside your world, to expand your horizons, and to take a look at the places you have been and the places you want to go to.

When one reads a place on a map that they’ve visited, they can’t help but conjure up memories of that place. Maps are a treasure trove of memories and stories of the places where you’ve spent time.

Look at a map with someone else and it won’t take long for you both to start pointing to different spots and sharing stories of that place. Maps are the perfect conversation starter.

A BLUEPRINT OF HISTORY

Maps give you a glimpse into how people understood their world at the time the map was created.

Take a look at an old map. Of course, old maps show you the differences of what was there then and what is there now but the map also shows you how the mapmakers understood their world

Are parts of the world missing because they didn’t know they existed? Are there inaccuracies because of incorrect assumptions? The cartographer and reason for the development of the maps can completely change how a map looks.

Maps are a time capsule that explains much more beyond the depiction of geography.

SAFETY IN DETACHMENT

There have been multiple  cases  that deal with accidents related to GPS. A Cornell University study looked at GPS’s effect on drivers and concluded that GPS users “attend to objects in the paths they take toward their destination” but researchers also “found evidence for loss of environmental engagement…the process of interpreting the world, adding value to it, and turning space into place is reduced to a certain extent and drivers remain detached from the indifferent environments that surround them.”

Their conclusion: “GPS eliminated much of the need to pay attention.”

This applies to other aspects of our lives as well. The more we pay attention to the device, the less we pay attention to our surroundings. Maps, on the other hand, ground you to your surroundings. In this world, maps are the hero of the story and GPS will always be the sidekick.

MAPS CAN SAVE YOUR LIFE

According to The National Park Service (NPS), there are more than 300 million people visiting national parks, forests, and wilderness areas every year. Spoiler alert, cell signals don’t extend to all these areas and maps may be the only reference you’ll have in an emergency.

If there’s flooding near you, you’ll need to know how to get to the closest  high elevation . If an injury happens, you’ll need to get to the nearest high traffic area for help. If a bear cuts off your path, you’ll need to find an alternate….fast.

So don’t get caught out there holding your phone to the sky begging for a signal. A paper map may actually save your life.

LIFE SKILLS ACQUIRED

Maps support spatial thinking by helping children visualize where objects, places, cities, and countries are in relation to one another.

Spatial thinking has been linked to greater success in math and science. Children who develop robust spatial thinking skills will be at an advantage in our global and technological society.

As we start shaping their education and preparing them for the future, map reading skills help children gain proficiency in the principles of geography. Oh, the places you’ll go with the help of a map!

MAPS ARE FUNCTIONAL

GPS can get you from point A to point B but it does a poor job with helping you visualize where you are in relation to everything else.

Most people know how GPS works. It finds your location and you tell it where you want to go. GPS is very good at getting you to that next location but it doesn’t tell you anything about the places that you’re passing along the way.

There’s a reason why cross-country trips aren’t planned on a phone. The best route isn’t always the fastest route and you can’t pick your best route without knowing your relationship to all the places around you.

Maps take complex data sets and display them in a pleasing graphic you can use to answer questions about your world.

Imagine that you’re back in elementary school and you ask your teacher to show you how big the United States is compared to other countries. She nods her head, walks over to the spring roller, and pulls down a huge spreadsheet that lists each country and their areas. Huh?!?!

Maps are a visual representation of complicated data. Some may think maps are unnecessary and complicated tools, but in reality, maps simplify your life.

Finally, I want to make sure that readers understand that this is not an anti-technology argument. We love technology and advancements in cartography and location-based data continue to deepen our understanding of where we are.

This is, however, very much an argument that no matter how far technology advances,  GPS will never replace maps because of the limitations we mentioned above.  The robot voice may get you from A to B, but maps will get you much further.

The Mapsquatch

The Mapsquatch is a hotly debated topic among wildlife experts and cartographers alike. There has been much debate over the years about the Mapsquatch - its origins, its movements, and behavior. We can confirm a recent sighting at the Map Shop. An adult male blue and brown Mapsquatch was spotted in our warehouse looking for goodies to give away.

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Why Mapping Is Important? Exploring the Benefits of Mapping

• June 12, 2023 March 16, 2023

Mapping is the process of creating a visual representation of data or information. It involves using various tools and techniques to convert complex information into easy-to-understand visual representations such as maps, charts, and graphs. Mapping has become an essential tool for individuals and businesses alike due to its numerous benefits. In this article, we will explore why mapping is important and the benefits it can offer to individuals and businesses.

What is Mapping?

Mapping is the process of creating a visual representation of data or information. It can be done using various tools and techniques, including mapping software, GIS (geographic information systems), and other visualization tools.

Mapping is a powerful tool for converting complex information into an easy-to-understand visual format. It can be used for various purposes, including data analysis, decision-making, and communication.

READ MORE: What Is GIS Mapping?

Table of Contents

Why Mapping Is Important (The Importance of Mapping)

In today’s fast-paced and data-driven world, mapping has become more important than ever before. Whether you are a student, a researcher, an entrepreneur, or simply someone who wants to make better-informed decisions, mapping can help you achieve your goals. So, let’s dive into the world of mapping and discover its many applications and benefits.

1. Better Decision-Making

Mapping can help organizations and individuals make better decisions. By visualizing information, it becomes easier to identify patterns, trends, and relationships that might not be immediately obvious from raw data. Mapping can help decision-makers understand the bigger picture and make more informed choices.

2. Improved Communication

Mapping is a powerful communication tool. It allows complex information to be conveyed in a simple and understandable way. Mapping can help individuals and organizations communicate their ideas and data to others more effectively, whether it’s through presentations, reports, or other forms of communication.

3. Enhanced Analysis

Mapping can help individuals and organizations analyze data more effectively. By visualizing data, it becomes easier to identify outliers, patterns, and relationships that might not be apparent from raw data. Mapping can help users identify areas of interest, clusters, or hotspots, allowing them to make more informed decisions.

4. Efficient Planning

Mapping can help organizations and individuals plan more efficiently. By visualizing data, it becomes easier to identify areas of concern, such as congestion, low utilization rates, or other issues that might affect planning. Mapping can help planners optimize resources, allocate funds, and prioritize projects to achieve better outcomes.

5. Improved Safety

Mapping can help improve safety in various industries. For example, in the transportation industry, mapping can help identify accident-prone areas, roadblocks, and other safety concerns. In the construction industry, mapping can help identify potential hazards, such as unstable ground, utility lines, or other obstacles.

6. Understanding Complex Data

Mapping allows us to understand complex data in a visual format. Whether we are analyzing demographic data, tracking disease outbreaks, or studying weather patterns, mapping can help us identify patterns and trends that might not be immediately obvious in a spreadsheet or a table.

This can be particularly useful for researchers, policymakers, and other decision-makers who need to make informed choices based on complex data.

7. Optimizing Logistics

Mapping is also an essential tool for optimizing logistics. Whether we are managing a supply chain , coordinating transportation networks, or planning a delivery route, mapping can help us identify the most efficient and cost-effective solutions.

For example, if we are managing a supply chain, we can use maps to identify potential bottlenecks, optimize transportation routes, and track inventory levels. By using maps to optimize logistics, we can reduce costs, improve efficiency, and increase customer satisfaction.

8. Enhancing Customer Experience

Finally, mapping can help us enhance customer experience by providing easy-to-understand information about our products and services. Whether we are providing directions to our store, showcasing our products in an online store, or providing information about our services, maps can help us communicate information in a clear and concise way.

Conclusion:

In summary, mapping is an incredibly important tool in many fields, including geography, urban planning, public health, and many others. By providing a visual representation of spatial relationships, maps can help us communicate complex information, identify patterns and trends, make informed decisions, and better understand the world around us.

Additionally, mapping has also become increasingly important in the digital age. With the advent of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and other mapping technologies, we are now able to create highly detailed and interactive maps that provide a wealth of information in real-time.

FAQs: Why Mapping Is Important?

What tools can be used for mapping.

There are various tools and techniques available for mapping, including mapping software, GIS (geographic information systems), and other visualization tools.

How can mapping help businesses improve their marketing strategies?

Mapping can help businesses identify patterns and trends in customer data, which can be used to develop more effective marketing campaigns and target specific customer segments.

How can mapping improve customer experience?

Mapping can provide customers with easy-to-understand information, such as store locations, product features, and pricing information, which can enhance their overall experience with the business.

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