Language Geomatics Maps are a representation of landscape and landscape characteristics. Maps have traditionally been drawn or printed on paper. GIS offers a wide spectrum of possibilities for combining, selecting and presenting data. The amount of detail which can be stored using digital methods is also much greater compared with traditional maps. Electronic storage of cartographic data greatly simplifies the task of updating land use information.
Land use mapping and reliable presentation of information are a part of the national infrastructure.
Norway's national policy on mapping has a long history. The first national mapping and surveying authority was established in 1773, and became the Norwegian Mapping Authority in 1986. The Mapping Authority is responsible for digital national map series and GIS infrastructure. The policy in this field is especially concerned with collecting digital mapping data for land and sea areas, using satellite-based positioning data for localization. A coordinated and well-organized collection of this kind of data is important, so that different kind of data can supply each other and work together.