Includes bibliographical references (p. [185]-202) and index.

Maps-a perverse sense of the unseemly -- What is critique? -- Maps 2.0: map mashups and new spatial media -- What is critical cartography and GIS? -- How mapping became scientific -- Governing with maps: Cartographic political economy -- The political history of cartography deconstructed: Harley, Gall, and Peters -- GIS after critique: what next? -- Geosurveillance and spying with maps -- Cyberspace and virtual worlds -- The cartographic construction of race and identity -- The poetics of space: art, beauty, and imagination -- Epilogue: Beyond the cartographic anxiety? "The use of maps as a means of conveying geographical information hasn't changed much since ancient times. But the methods of gathering data for map-making, of course, have changed drastically. Mapping: A Critical Introduction to Cartography and GIS examines the critical role that Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and cartography play in the study of geography and a wide range of disciplines. By exploring topics such as race and identity, the politics of GIS, the mapping of cyberspace, surveillance, and map art, we discover exactly what it means to "use" maps and GIS critically in today's world." "The book also examines the historical development of mapping, reviews the emergence of thematic mapping in modern Europe, and explores how maps produce space and place. Several real-world case studies illustrate key concepts and provide readers with a practical context for the theoretical approaches and ideas being presented. Mapping: A Critical Introduction to Cartography and GIS firmly situates mapping at the heart of thinking geographically and provides readers with a solid conceptual foundation in the basic principles of cartography and the technological advances that have changed the face of map-making."--BOOK JACKET.