Final answer:
Maps are powerful graphic tools that allow us to illustrate relationships and processes at work in the world. They have been contested pieces of historical evidence and have shown inaccurate representations of regions. Cartography and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are important in modern science.
Step-by-step explanation:
Maps are powerful graphic tools that allow us to illustrate relationships and processes at work in the world. They have re-entered the public's consciousness in recent years due to the explosion in spatial data available and changes in the pace of our lives in the digital age. Maps allow our brains to process large amounts of data and see patterns that would be difficult to discern otherwise.
However, maps have also been contested pieces of historical evidence throughout history. They were often made from the perspective of the mapmaker, not as an objective practice. Maps have been used to aid in conquest and suppression of peoples and have shown inaccurate representations of regions, distorting their actual size and shape.
In modern science, cartography and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have become important. Geographers create and use maps to communicate spatial data about the Earth's surface, as they are the most common method of illustrating different spatial qualities.