Technological Changes in Maps and Cartography

The article examines the technological changes in maps and cartography. Software applications like Google Earth and ArcGIS have made map creation much more accessible to the common man. Some of these same technological advances have made maps much more widely available to all consumers. In addition to the geopolitical maps of each country that are overlaid with major roads and thoroughfares, the Times atlas includes a section of thematic maps describing worldwide phenomena such as communications, biodiversity, and the environment. The Times atlas is a bit too bulky and unmanageable for the general public and everyday use and is more encyclopedic in its information and presentation. The Oxford atlas may be more appealing to the novice explorer or first-year geography student because its information is presented in a textbook-like, or pedagogical, fashion. Both are useful additions to map and geography libraries for the breadth and depth of geographic information that they contain.