安地斯山脈

製圖學(cartography)，亦作mapmaking。

在地圖或航圖上用圖形表示地球自然面貌的科學和技術。它是一門古老的學科，可上溯到史前時代人們所畫的漁獵地區圖。巴比倫人把世界畫成平的圓盤狀，托勒密於2世紀著有地理學八卷集，指出地球是一個圓球，為後人研究奠定了基礎。中世紀時，按照托勒密的理論繪製的地圖都以耶路撒冷為中心，並把東方畫在圖的上方。較精確的地圖是從14世紀開始的，當時為了航海製成了航圖。新大陸發現後，要求製圖學採用新技術，特別是採用正確的投影技術。麥卡托使用一種圓柱投影方式，視地球為一圓柱。圓柱投影法具有許多優點，但在高緯度地區常常失真。等高線地圖是用線連線同等高度的點來顯示地形，以平均海平面來做參考點。現代製圖方法大多使用航空照相或衛星雷達作為繪製任何一種地圖或航圖的基礎，用這種方法作出的地球地形圖達到前所未有的準確度。透過人造衛星攝影，現已能夠繪製月球以及一些行星和它們的衛星的表面圖。

English version：

cartography

Art and science of representing a geographic area graphically,usually by means of a map or chart. Political,cultural,or other nongeographic features may be superimposed. Ptolemy's eight-volume Geography showed a spherical earth. Medieval European maps followed Ptolemy's guide but placed east at the top of the map. The 14th century saw the development of more accurate maps for use in navigation. The first surviving globe dates from 1492. Discovery of the New World led to new techniques in cartography,notably projection of a curved surface onto a flat surface. Gerardus Mercator used a cylindrical projection; which treats the earth as a cylinder. Cylindrical projections have many advantages,though they cause distortions at high latitudes. Contour maps show relief by connecting points of equal elevation with lines,mean sea level being the reference point. Modern cartography uses aerial photography and satellite radar for a degree of accuracy previously unattainable. Satellites have also made possible the mapping of features of the moon and of several planets and their moons. See also geographic information system,global positioning system.