ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that the cartographic expression of geographical information is a tradition that is far from moribund, in spite of the fact that cartography as such has almost completely disappeared from the undergraduate curriculum. Maps, exploration and geographical knowledge were key elements in nineteenth-century European imperialism. Surveyors/map makers were attached to early twentieth-century expeditions to the area around Mount Everest in order to establish the basic topography and physical geography of the area. The desire to explore, to discover and to record spatial information about landscapes is as old as human society itself, certainly older than civilization. Maps also expressed power at a local scale by recording the ownership of property. The mapping helped to provide a rationale for conquest and served as an instrument for the planned social, economic and political restructuring of the country. Historical maps have also been of considerable use in charting patterns of environmental change such as coastlines and river courses.
