Map series

A map series consists of topographic or thematic maps, which are built and designed based on uniform principles. Maps occur when an area of a map is to be produced, which must be distributed over several sheets because of their scale. Nevertheless, the individual sheets of a map series may well also be used independently, as they have usually complete card-edge information and legends. Existence of a country several maps of different scales, which are coordinated, results in a scale range.

Term Royal

In everyday use individual maps and atlases are sometimes called paraphrasing " cartography ". This is not correct in the technical language of cartography, as the term is reserved exclusively for the described here form a map in several sheets. The circumference of a map series can range from at least two to tens of thousands of leaves.

Particularly maps of the 19th century often Topographical Atlas Obsolete be called, as these small-sized leaves were bound to atlases. An example of such a map series is the Topographic Atlas of the Kingdom of Hanover and the Duchy of Brunswick.

A map series must not be confused with a map book.

Features

Meet the characteristics of a single map sheet of a map series to equally to all other leaves of the map series. All sheets of a map series have the same card network design, scale, and unified content and cartographic design. A map series is cut for a specific system in single sheets and these numbered and named according to common principles.

Card network designs

Theoretically, almost any card network designs can be used. In practice today variants of the Mercator projection are the most widespread. Often the UTM coordinate system is used.

Shaping

All leaves of a plant cards are created equal. So all carry the common map series title, have the same copyright and copyright notices on, use the same map legend and are usually printed on paper of the same size with the exception of any possible edge leaves. Custom is among other things the sheet title and sheet number, locate the specific leaf as in the maps and identify.

Kind of blade section

The leaves are cut either perpendicular after the map grid or along the meridians and parallels. In the first case, the blades are all the same size. In the second case, there are so-called grade division cards whose card size decreases towards the north. Regardless of the type of cut sheet form usually four map sheets of the larger scale map sheet each one of the next smaller scale. Irregular leaf sections are used to represent special extracts, such as flow maps.

Numbering and naming systems

To determine whether an existing card belongs to a card works or not, it is often sufficient already to look for a map sheet number. This numbering is usually printed prominently and it allows directly or indirectly by means of a sheet index to determine the terminal leaves.

The following numbering systems are mainly in use:

Continuous after appearance: The leaves are numbered consecutively after the date of publication. Thus, it is not possible to detect the adjacent sheets without current sheet index. Also turns out the ability to specify the number of the port blade edge of the map, since its year of publication ( and so that his place in the numbering system ) is not yet known to you. This system is therefore only suitable for small maps or those in an irregular sheet cut ( as in tourist maps of the private cartographic industry ) and comes with modern official map series before any more. Example: Geological Atlas of Switzerland 1:25,000.

Continuous row or column by column: The numbering starts at the top left with the westernmost sheet, then rises on the same line to the right ( east) on to jump from there to the subsequent lower (southern ) line, etc. In some countries, this system not row by row, column by column but applied. The disadvantage of both variants is also here that two of the four port blades are not immediately discernible from the numbering. To comply with this requirement, the numbers of the terminal leaves are indicated at the edge of the map. Example: Belgique 1:50.000.

After zones and columns: This numbering runs in a line from left (west ) to right ( east). In contrast to the sequential numbering system, the subsequent lower (southern ) line by a certain leap value ( eg 20, 100) numbered higher. All vertically one above the other leaves therefore bear at the end identical digits. Such sheet numbers are often four digits and enable a knowledge of the change value in a simple manner the discovery of a neighboring sheet. Example: map of Switzerland 1:25,000.

After longitude and latitude information: The leaves are sorted by integer numbers, which are formed from the geographical latitude and longitude information ( the reverse order is not common ). The geographical location of the map sheets is directly localized in this system. In contrast to the previous system, each south in the leaves bear deeper numbers and the last digit is always the same at the adjacent leaves. These numbers are, at least in central Europe, four digits. Example: General map of central Europe 1:300,000.

After sub-divisions of the International map of the world: The page numbers of the International World Map 1:1,000,000 be supplemented in the next larger scale by an additive (eg capital letters). Also, the sheet numbers of each other scale obtained differentiating additives (eg, Roman numerals, lowercase letters, etc.). These numbers can be very complex, but allow " the expert " also at least a rough localization of the map sheet on the globe. Example: Soviet General Staff map 1:200,000.

The name of a sheet regardless of the blade cutting system depends almost entirely by the largest mapped village. Since the major French Carte de Cassini 1:86.400 18th century almost all the leaves of cards works are not only numbered, but individually provided with a piece of card names worldwide. Today, practically only leaves very remote areas with a lack of toponyms (eg in northern Canada ) without own map sheet name.

Output forms

It is technically very difficult and in use it would be very impractical, for example, the map of Switzerland 1:25,000 to print on a single sheet; the card would be approximately 9 m high and 14 m wide. Therefore maps are published and kept in loose-leaf form. In the extreme case, a card drive include tens of thousands of sheets. Perhaps the greatest ever created map series is the topographic map 1:25,000 of the Soviet Union with around 300,000 sheets, completed in 1987.

Occasionally, smaller maps from the buyer are bound into an atlas, without thereby having the otherwise typical features of an atlas.

Especially as wall decorations are glued together with its neighboring leaves leaves of a map series. For example, hangs the map of Switzerland 1:100,000, consisting of 22 leaves, as a wall decoration in the Federal House ( Bern ) and the Swiss National Library.

Current maps

Every state from a certain area has today several topographic maps matched scales ( scale range ). Are representative for the Topographic maps 1:25,000 ( TK25 ) to 1:1,000,000 ( TK1000 ) called from Germany. In Germany, for the production and updating of maps to 1:100,000 including the countries, and there the respective Land Survey Office, in charge. The kleinermaßstäbigen cards are processed by the Federal Agency for Cartography and Geodesy.

In European countries, a topographical map series 1:25.000 is usually processed as the largest scale. Exceptions are notably Austria (1:50.000 ) and Finland ( 1:20.000 ).

Many non-European countries are limited in deference to the often large territory ( thus, for financial reasons ) mostly on 1:50,000 scale than most. One known exception is the work of the United States in 1:24,000 maps.

Worldwide a high degree of recognition attained card works created by the cooperation of several States, in particular the International map of the world 1:1,000,000 ( IWK ) and the map of the world 1:2,500,000 ( Karta Mira ). The IWK has been developed since 1913. Although many leaves are present, the IWK has never been completed. The Karta Mira was from 1963. Although it is complete, but has not been updated since the 1980s. Both maps also served as the basis for thematic mapping.

Historic Map Works

First maps, still unpublished, are probably the first land survey of the Electorate of Saxony Matthias Oeder and Balthasar Zimmermann (Recording 1586-1633 ) and the Swedish land survey of Western Pomerania (Recording 1692-1709 ). The first published and thus stylistic map series should be the Carte de Cassini, which appeared from 1756 and was not completed until the beginning of the 19th century.

The 19th century was particularly in the German-speaking world the great period of time maps mentioned Topographical atlas. Most German states introduced their own mapping, which were only slightly late aligned under the leadership of Prussia each other. Basic was the Prussian retake 1877-1915. The resulting topographic map sheets at a scale of 1:25,000 were referred because of the admission process as Messtischblatt. From about 1950 increasingly function based on that scale Short description found TK25 use. Many of the German states lead today its historic maps as reproductions in the offer, partly digital editions on CD- ROM or on-line are accessible.

Historical maps are so often chosen by historians, landscape architects, Heimatkundliches learning for comparative studies. In contrast to single maps maps have the advantage to be present over a larger area in a uniform representation and to have documented card network designs and recording methods.