What is the primary focus of cartography?

The primary focus of cartography lies in the art and science of creating maps and charts. This encompasses a broad spectrum of skills, including the selection of data, the representation of geographic features, and the overall aesthetic design of maps to effectively communicate spatial information. Cartographers emphasize clarity, functionality, and visual style, ensuring that maps not only provide essential information but are also aesthetically pleasing and easy to interpret. Cartography involves decisions about scale, projection, color, and symbols to convey a message or information derived from geography.

Although the formulation of geographic theories, analysis of geospatial data, and design of geographic information systems play vital roles in geography and related fields, they do not encapsulate the core essence of cartography. Cartography stands distinct due to its focus on the visualization aspect, allowing users to comprehend complex spatial relationships in a manageable form through maps and charts.