Cartography
Cartography is map-making, and a cartographer is a person who makes maps.
In the past, cartography was a laborious task. Cartographers observed the landscape and took measurements before drawing maps by hand. Maps were two-dimensional on paper or walls; or they were three-dimensional, like models or globes.
Spain is the third largest country in Europe, covering an area of 500,000 square kilometres. It has just under 5,000 kilometres of coastline.
It is the second most mountainous country in Europe. Imagine how difficult it was to collect the information for the first physical maps of Spain!
Today, cartographers use satellites and new technologies to gather data and images. They use computers to draw modern maps. Many maps are even animated, like weather maps on television or GPS navigation maps in cars.
There are different types of maps: tourist maps, road maps, political maps, thematic maps and physical maps. Physical maps show the landscapes of places.