Maps have traditionally been made using pen and paper , but the advent and spread of computers has revolutionized cartography. Cartography or mapmaking (in Greek chartis = map and graphein = write) is the study and practice of making maps or globes. Most commercial quality maps are now made with map making software that falls into one of three main types; CAD, GIS, and specialized map illustration software.

Maps function as visualization tools for spatial data. Spatial data is acquired from measurement and can be stored in a database, from which it can be extracted for a variety of purposes. Current trends in this field are moving away from analog methods of mapmaking and toward the creation of increasingly dynamic, interactive maps that can be manipulated digitally. The cartographic process rests on the premise that there is an objective reality and that we can make reliable representations of that reality by adding levels of abstraction.

Geomatics is the discipline of gathering, storing, processing, and delivering of geographic information. This broad term applies both to science and technology, and integrates the following more specific disciplines and technologies

The term geomatics is fairly young, apparently being coined by B. Dubuisson in 1969. It is commonly defined to include the tools & techniques used in land surveying , remote sensing , Geographic Information Systems ( GIS ), Global Positioning System ( GPS ), and related forms of earth mapping. The term geomatics has been adopted by the International Standards Organization and many other international authorities, although some have shown a preference for the term "geospatial technology."