Transformation of Databases

The era of paper maps is gradually coming to an end, and these maps are replaced by integrated databases that enable cartographs to store and update data. The result of this transformation will be the availability of less expensive and more up-to-date maps, both in paper and in digital form. Since the beginning of the new era, art, like science, has received considerable attention in production of maps. Obviously, maps record the discovered features of the surface of the earth accurately and comprehensively. However, preservation of the beauty of the map as well as recording of cultural heritage are not forgotten, because the thoughts of each community are involved in most methods of mapping. This fact still holds; but just as any society is undergoing change, cartography is also experiencing transformation. We are in the middle of a revolution in map production methods.