Faculty Publications

Setting the Record Straight: On the Russian Origins of Dasymetric Mapping

Document Type

Article

Keywords

Dasymetric mapping, History carytography, Population density, Russia

Journal/Book/Conference Title

Cartographica

Volume

43

Issue

2

First Page

133

Last Page

136

Abstract

A growing volume of dasymetric mapping research poses a very important and still unanswered question about the historical origins of this method. Conflicting versions offered in the literature propagate confusion among researchers. This article attempts to clarify who invented the dasymetric mapping method and first published dasymetric maps, as well as when this took place. Evidence presented in this article suggests that the Russian geographer Benjamin Semenov-Tian-Shansky must be considered the originator and first practitioner of modern dasymetric mapping. He developed this technique in 1911 and published a substantial number of maps in the 1920s. Reviews and descriptions of Semenov-Tian-Shansky's works in English appeared in the Geographical Review a decade before the frequently cited article by John Wright was published in the same journal.

Department

Department of Geography

Original Publication Date

6-1-2008

DOI of published version

10.3138/carto.43.2.133

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