ABSTRACT
Researchers and practitioners in geography as well as in other disciplines have dealt for many years with problems relating to the analysis and manipulation of entities which exist within a specific space-time framework. The most common medium for storing and displaying such coordinate-based information has traditionally been the analog map document (most commonly seen in the form of a paper reproduction). The first map was apparently created before the first alphabet, so it is apparent that we have been working with these analog, storage and display devices for spatial data over an extended period of time. During this time, these devices have evolved to a high level of sophistication and today’s map combines high density data storage with complex, color-based displays.
