# Guide to cartography

<table data-view="cards"><thead><tr><th></th><th align="center"></th><th></th><th data-hidden data-card-target data-type="content-ref"></th><th data-hidden data-card-cover data-type="image">Cover image</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td></td><td align="center">Introduction to cartography</td><td></td><td><a href="/pages/t26UGIBA2NLcV9ccD7Cn">/pages/t26UGIBA2NLcV9ccD7Cn</a></td><td data-object-fit="cover" data-alt="Flow map showing Napoleon’s 1812 invasion of Russia and retreat. A beige band traces the advance from the Polish border to Moscow, shrinking as troop numbers fall from 422,000 to 100,000. A black band marks the retreat, narrowing to 10,000 survivors. Below, a temperature graph records severe winter cold during the return. Cities, rivers, and dates are annotated along the route"><a href="/files/g9m8DYdk0arP42nRmJjY">/files/g9m8DYdk0arP42nRmJjY</a></td></tr><tr><td></td><td align="center">Types of map</td><td></td><td><a href="/pages/kIuYvdn116o0vMipkc0H">/pages/kIuYvdn116o0vMipkc0H</a></td><td data-object-fit="cover" data-alt="An extract of Ordnance Surveys 1:25 000 Explorer mapping"><a href="/files/4fsd1F3amh2dpeCgWPA9">/files/4fsd1F3amh2dpeCgWPA9</a></td></tr><tr><td></td><td align="center">Symbology</td><td></td><td><a href="/pages/foXf1cbyCYI4zmEIoQ68">/pages/foXf1cbyCYI4zmEIoQ68</a></td><td data-object-fit="cover" data-alt="An extract of Ordnance Survey 1:25 000 Explorer legend showing tourist symbols"><a href="/files/dODf29Wvh6QGbJSgtCHU">/files/dODf29Wvh6QGbJSgtCHU</a></td></tr><tr><td></td><td align="center">Colour</td><td></td><td><a href="/pages/TrDaBj0ULwi2cfPTHS4X">/pages/TrDaBj0ULwi2cfPTHS4X</a></td><td data-object-fit="cover" data-alt="Image showing the additive and subtractive colour systems"><a href="/files/ttq8D7rhA2cWoepPnGXd">/files/ttq8D7rhA2cWoepPnGXd</a></td></tr><tr><td></td><td align="center">Text on maps</td><td></td><td><a href="/pages/2hmAc0phJHPwmRboH3rM">/pages/2hmAc0phJHPwmRboH3rM</a></td><td data-object-fit="cover" data-alt="Image depicting different design variables that can be applied to text on maps"><a href="/files/UBVuYKyWGdb96E7htTDi">/files/UBVuYKyWGdb96E7htTDi</a></td></tr><tr><td></td><td align="center">Generalisation</td><td></td><td><a href="/pages/iGiSaCRbBWoiafvUURPc">/pages/iGiSaCRbBWoiafvUURPc</a></td><td data-object-fit="cover" data-alt="Image showing different map generalisation techniques"><a href="/files/vqTDNPcEGvrJUMIm6aNM">/files/vqTDNPcEGvrJUMIm6aNM</a></td></tr><tr><td></td><td align="center">Coordinate systems</td><td></td><td><a href="/pages/N9U429mVFHbxQ997O1GM">/pages/N9U429mVFHbxQ997O1GM</a></td><td data-object-fit="cover" data-alt="An image of the Ordnance Survey Head Quarters in OS MasterMap Topography Layer"><a href="/files/1SDpMVw0L3i5Z3MWpLWV">/files/1SDpMVw0L3i5Z3MWpLWV</a></td></tr><tr><td></td><td align="center">Projections</td><td></td><td><a href="/pages/zEMyQDkjsXhbEc5uFMGc">/pages/zEMyQDkjsXhbEc5uFMGc</a></td><td data-object-fit="cover" data-alt="Image showing equal earth map projection"><a href="/files/UZQkb5B32Jr8uFY2Yeif">/files/UZQkb5B32Jr8uFY2Yeif</a></td></tr><tr><td></td><td align="center">Scale</td><td></td><td><a href="/pages/d68N6t4VQao0qkRSM0Uj">/pages/d68N6t4VQao0qkRSM0Uj</a></td><td data-object-fit="cover" data-alt="Image depicting two different types of map scale bars"><a href="/files/Py4FpfgXzSftXSWsbsBk">/files/Py4FpfgXzSftXSWsbsBk</a></td></tr><tr><td></td><td align="center">Map legends</td><td></td><td><a href="/pages/C1eKDFzy81PKfzIbX4iw">/pages/C1eKDFzy81PKfzIbX4iw</a></td><td data-object-fit="cover" data-alt="Image showing an extract of an Ordnance Survey 1:25 000 map legend"><a href="/files/W2nDcL8K7e0EzgxmPGUY">/files/W2nDcL8K7e0EzgxmPGUY</a></td></tr><tr><td></td><td align="center">Map layout</td><td></td><td><a href="/pages/qkggOOkZlzZBlUBpjEdK">/pages/qkggOOkZlzZBlUBpjEdK</a></td><td data-object-fit="cover" data-alt="Image showing examples of where map elements should be placed in order to improve usability"><a href="/files/4Hp9Tn71u3qqrXdyKm7m">/files/4Hp9Tn71u3qqrXdyKm7m</a></td></tr><tr><td></td><td align="center">Relief representation</td><td></td><td><a href="/pages/mwtricQcXyP3DSJlMJEh">/pages/mwtricQcXyP3DSJlMJEh</a></td><td data-object-fit="cover" data-alt="An image of a map extract depicting relief representation"><a href="/files/JcNQbFn5OuS5KRPHH1xR">/files/JcNQbFn5OuS5KRPHH1xR</a></td></tr><tr><td></td><td align="center">North arrows</td><td></td><td><a href="/pages/U7VNpoHIwCIcabDQ2GHC">/pages/U7VNpoHIwCIcabDQ2GHC</a></td><td data-object-fit="cover" data-alt="An image showing 4 different types of north arrow"><a href="/files/bsn6HJVU9Qiomw8ahNX9">/files/bsn6HJVU9Qiomw8ahNX9</a></td></tr></tbody></table>


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