Meaning and Definition of Cosmography

Definition of cosmography

It means cosmography science that is based on the preparation and analysis of maps of the globe. The cosmography word comes from the Greek, language in which cosmos means 'space', 'universe' and graphia means 'representation', 'graphic'. Thus, cosmography is not anything other than the graphic representation of the known universe, especially the planet Earth in its entirety and also the celestial Vault. Cosmography is an ancient science that exists since man began to analyze the sky and through the stars could begin to learn about extensions and space shapes. Cosmography has varied much through the ages according to the mode in which the maps have been making, but has always been (and continues to be) useful for the human being since it is the science that shows you and lets you know the planet as it is.
The ancients already used simplified and primitive forms of cosmography when they delimited territories that knew and used to make very simple maps (sometimes erroneous) land. This science gained special importance from modernity, moment in which, thanks to the overseas expansion to the advancement of maritime trade, and European scientists had to develop maps increasingly accurate and complete for the use of Marines and sailors. One of the great advances of cosmography was recognition of the roundness of the land that was far from the flat representation that used to be done in the maps. This discovery was to understand that the map is nothing more than an artificial but very close to the Earth space representation.
Cosmography could be described as a science that takes into account other many sciences that are deeply important and necessary in the making of maps. Thus, sciences such as mathematics, geometry, astronomy, geography is essential to determine the shape, scale, limits and geographical events of the region to represent, etc. Today, and always, maps have been useful to humans not only to learn more about level geographical shape and silhouette of a region but also to its most important geographical and descriptive characteristics.