A New Theory of Signs in Cartography

The signs, used in the Cartography are shown from four different sides: as a physical structure, as a meaning, as a method of acquisition and as a part of a sign system. There is a determination between the graphical signs described in the legend and the cartographical signs, which function in the field of the map. The meaning of the signs is discussed as a meaning of a sign; as a relationship toward the rest of the signs and as designated characteristics of its object. The graphical and cartographical signs are adopted in a different manner: while the graphical sign is comprehended by the reader (its meaning is described in the legend), as the meaning of the cartographical sign composed by numerous graphical signs is interpreted in the context of the map. The shown theory is able to answer some of the unsettled/unsolved inquiries in the Cartography and contribute for simple understanding of the cartographical signs in the process of study