GIS versus Cartography Systems

GIS and Cartography

Many recorded aspects of human activity need to be analysed and integrated in a geographical context in terms of maps.
The main task of cartography is to define the aim of a map and to visualise geo-data on paper or electronically. As a result of technological efforts, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Computer Aided Cartography (CAC) have been subject to huge advances during the last two decades. Due to high costs of computer technology and unsatisfactory solutions in earlier years, the breakthrough of both GIS desktop software and cartographic software occurred during the early 1990s. Since then, GIS and cartography software have simultaneously competed and complemented one another in some way.
Today, however, neither of them is to be ignored in its importance for the visualisation of spatial objects and phenomena.

In this learning unit, you will have an overview of Geographic Information System and Cartographic Software main objectives, as well as their differences. But you will above all learn why they complement each other.