Topography is a science that studies all the features present on the surface of a territory, such as the relief and other factors specific to a particular region.
Topography was born in line with cartography (study of maps), with the need that people had to specify the conditions and structure of the paths described in the geographic maps of the time.
However, specific studies on topography began to grow only in the 17th century, with the invention of some instruments important for topographic measurements, such as the barometer (Torricelli), the chronometer (John Harrison) and the astronomical bezel (Kepler), by example.
Etymologically, the word “topography” originated from the Greek topography, being that tops means "region" or "place", and graphen it means “description”. Thus, topography is the “description of a region” in literal translation.
Topography is concerned with analyzing only small or medium geographic regions (approximately 80 km of surface), being the studies done on a large scale (as whole planets, for example) named in geodesy.
Learn more about the meaning of geodesy.
Topographic studies are very important for the elaboration of engineering-related projects.
Before constructing buildings, roads, railways, etc., a topographic study is necessary to determine the soil conditions that will house these constructions.
Natural and artificial geographic features, the particularities and forms of the terrain are observed in detail, with the aim of determining whether they have safe conditions for a given infrastructure.
Currently, one of the most important tools for topography, as well as for other areas of geography, is the GPS (Global Positioning System, in Portuguese).
Find out more about the meaning of GPS and Types of maps.
