What is Cartography?

[Abstracted from the textbook "Elements of Cartography"]

Cartography includes any activity in which the presentation and use of Maps
is a matter of basic concern. This includes teaching the skill of map use;
studying the history of cartography; maintaining map collections and the
associated cataloging and bibliographic activities; and the collection,
collation, and manipulation of data and the design and preparation of maps,
charts, plans, and atlas. Although each activity may involve highly specialized
procedures and require particular training, they all deal with maps, and it is
the unique character of the map as the central intellectual object that unites
those cartographers who work with them.


Why Cartography Laboratory?

We think that presenting geographic and spatial data on maps is an essential
part of any geography studys. Thus, we tends to teach all our geography
students the cartographic skill in their early year. Our department is the
only geography department in Hong Kong that offer the cartography course
to all undergraduate geography students.

The Cartography Laboratory can be divided into two parts, one for manual
cartography, and the other part is computer cartography. 


The Cartography Laboratory.

Our cartography laboratory is the largest lab in our department, which consists
of more than 25 Max automatic drafting tables, with over 20 light tables, 
drafting arms, and other instruments. We also got 16 IBM PCs with drafting
tables specially for computer cartography purposes, although some of them
will be use by GIS application for digitization works. An A0 Size digitizer
will be added to the list for processing of large map sheets. 

In terms of the space and the advance of drafting equipments, we believe our 
department is rated the best in Hong Kong, among other higher institutions.
We will continue to expand our cartography lab, to cope with the advancement
of cartographic techniques.
.