Animation holds a special place in cartography.
Defined as a graphic art that occurs in time, animation is a dynamic visual statement that evolves through change in the display. Early examples of cartographic animation on film and video could not be easily duplicated, transported, or displayed thus severely limiting their distribution and use. The making of these early animations was also time-consuming and expensive. Computer technology, particularly storage devices such as the CD-ROM and advanced forms of data communications, such as the World Wide Web, spurred a renaissance for this method of mapping during the 1990s. Development of Cartographic Animation .