![[Map of California shown as an island], Joan Vinckeboon, ca. 1650.](data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZpZXdCb3g9IjAgMCAxMDAwIDcxNCIgd2lkdGg9IjEwMDAiIGhlaWdodD0iNzE0IiBkYXRhLXU9Imh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGd3d3Lmdlb2dyYXBoeXJlYWxtLmNvbSUyRndwLWNvbnRlbnQlMkZ1cGxvYWRzJTJGMjAyMSUyRjA4JTJGbWFwLWNhbGlmb3JuaWEtaXNsYW5kLTE2NTAtVmluY2tlYm9vbnMuanBnIiBkYXRhLXc9IjEwMDAiIGRhdGEtaD0iNzE0IiBkYXRhLWJpcD0iIj48L3N2Zz4=)
California as an Island
Well into the 17th and 18th centuries, cartographers created maps of the region showing California separated from the mainland by a strait.
Survey Markers and Benchmarks
Benchmarks are a type of survey markers whose elevations have been surveyed as accurately as possible based on the technology at the time.
Robinson Map Projection
The Robinson map projection is a compromise project that minimizes distortion across the map.
What Was the First Map Issued by the Ordnance Survey?
The first Ordnance Survey map was issued in 1801.
How Black Cartographers Highlighted Injustice
The work of the Black Panther Party, a 1960s- and 1970s-era Black political group featured in a new movie and a documentary, helps illustrate how cartography can illuminate injustice.