At the end of the 20th century, the field of cartography began a series of changes and reorientations, which were not only limited to technology. Today such catchwords as WEB-, Internet-, multimedia- and ubiquitous-cartography, etc. have moved into the focus of public perception. Cartography has become an essential element of spatial communication in the information society.
In the mobile communication age, the comprehending and mediation of knowledge related to space are oriented to a virtual (electronic) presentation. Taking this into consideration and using information technology as a basis, modern cartography offers to both makers and users of maps new technological beginnings - cartographical visualizations or, as the case may be, virtual cartographical and related products of the real or fictive world of human beings.
Cartosemiotics is a new discipline situated between cartography and semiotics. It has very great potential of a communicative, multimedial and synergistic nature, which can be realized with the attainment and mediation of information by means of map language. The phenomenon of map language is still inadequately recognized, researched and demanded in society. But the modern communication society needs it, especially in the "new" media such as mobile and non-mobile Internet, etc., in the cartographical (static and dynamic) visualization of real and fictive phenomena or objects, respectively. Map language marks a clear limit to the general (theoretical) and applied cartosemiotics. At the same time, applied cartosemiotics is oriented to the development of cartosemiotic research methods and the gaining of new spatially related knowledge about different cartosemiotic models (maps, atlases, globes, cartographical animations, etc.) in electronic form.
In this section technical/technological case studies as well as methodological and interdisciplinary presentations on this theme (from different fields with cartographical and without cartographical traditions) can be presented for discussion. Papers oriented in terms of a specific perspective are also welcome.
The following are several selected areas of discussion: