In geography and earth science, cartography is the science and art of what activity?

Introduction / Context:
Many competitive exams include questions that test familiarity with common scientific disciplines and their names. Cartography is one such term that appears often in geography and general knowledge sections. Understanding what cartography refers to helps students connect geography with real world applications such as navigation, planning, and environmental studies. This question checks whether you know that cartography is related to maps, not coins or cartoons.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The term in question is cartography.
• The options mention coins, maps, and cartoons, along with a none of the above choice.
• We assume standard dictionary and textbook definitions of cartography used in school geography.

Concept / Approach:
Cartography comes from Greek roots meaning map and writing or drawing. It is formally defined as the science, art, and technology of making maps. Cartographers gather spatial data, analyze it, and present it visually to show features such as landforms, political boundaries, roads, and climate patterns. Modern cartography also includes digital mapping and Geographic Information Systems. Numismatics is the study of coins, while cartoons are humorous drawings or animations with no direct connection to cartography as a science. Therefore, the correct association for cartography is with maps.

Step-by-Step Solution:
1. Recall that geography often uses maps to represent the Earth surface, and cartography is closely linked to this function.2. The literal meaning of cartography is drawing or writing maps, which points directly to map making.3. Cartographers use measurements, surveys, and spatial data to create accurate visual representations of regions.4. Compare this with the study of coins, which is called numismatics and is not related to map making.5. Cartoons are humorous or satirical drawings and are part of art and media, not the science of spatial representation.6. Therefore, among the options given, the most accurate description is making and studying maps.

Verification / Alternative check:
Geography textbooks usually have a chapter on maps and sometimes a section that explicitly mentions cartography, describing it as the discipline that designs and produces maps. Atlases, navigation charts, and digital mapping services are all products of cartographic work. On the other hand, books on coins clearly use the term numismatics, and art or media courses handle cartoons separately. This consistent use of terms in educational and professional contexts confirms that cartography refers to mapping activities.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option A, collecting and studying ancient coins, is incorrect because that field is known as numismatics and does not involve map making. Option C, creating humorous cartoons, is also wrong; while cartoons involve drawing, they do not represent geographic space in a scientific manner. Option D, none of the above, is inappropriate because one of the options, making and studying maps, accurately describes cartography. Thus, only Option B correctly captures the meaning of the term.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes confuse cartography with related sounding words, or they associate it with art in general rather than with maps. Another pitfall is to pick none of the above when unfamiliar with the term, instead of linking the word to maps through its root carto. Learning a few common Greek and Latin roots used in scientific terms, such as geo for Earth and graph for writing, can help decode many similar questions in exams without rote memorization.

Final Answer:
Cartography is the science and art of making and studying maps, which are visual representations of geographic spaces.