The Constancy and Volatility in Cartography

Being facilitated by a number of scientific and technological revolutions, maps have successively evolved from omnipotent rare treasures to omnipresent daily necessities, but cartography remains a unique mixture of science, art and technology of making and using maps.This paper revisits four persistent research questions in cartography: ①what is a map, ②for what is a map worth, ③how are maps made, and (4)who is making maps, Based on a retrospective analysis of cartographic progresses with regard to the map typology, values of maps, mapmaking workflows and the role of mapmaker, the author exemplifies the constants and variables in the development processes since the introduction of computer in the 1970's and indicates the emerging trend towards a sustainable mapping ecosystem supported by cloud computing platforms.