Ohio University | Cartography II | What's A Map?
John Krygier 9/18/15
- What is it?
What's a map?
Map: one official definition: "a symbolized image of geographic reality,
representing selected features or characteristics, resulting from the creative
efforts of cartographers and designed for use when spatial relationships are of
special relevance" (ICA, 1995)
Map: 321 Definitions [here too]
Definition 322: Map: "a spatial representation of reality"
- spatial: consisting of at least two dimensions and usually referring to
geographic space
- representation: something that stands for something else (in our case,
something in the human or physical environment)
Definition 323: Map: "A graphic statement that locates facts"
(from Krygier & Wood, 1st edition, 2005)
- "Graphic" A visual display of marks which stand for something else. An airplane
shape on a map implies an airport.
- "Statement" To put forth information, a formal embodiment of facts or assertions.
- "Locating facts" Tangible and intangible phenomena located in geographic space:
what we can see (roads, rivers) and what we cannot see (temperature, radiation),
varying in amount (population) and kind (vegetation types).
- "The snowshoes are in my basement" is this a map?
The point of Map Definition 323 was that maps are a kind of statement - about facts, beliefs, a kind of argument about stuff in the world.
- maps as propositions:
- The act of offering or suggesting something to be considered, accepted, adopted, or done.
- (Map) Rhetoric: a statement of the subject of an argument or a discourse, or of the course of action or essential idea to be advocated.
- (Map) Logic: a statement in which something is affirmed or denied, so that it can therefore be significantly characterized as either true or false.
(or here)
"Because maps are propositions, you must accept responsibility for the realities you create with maps..."
(bigger here)
E-mail: jbkrygier@owu.edu
...to krygier top page.
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