What is Cartography in Postcolonialism? | Postcolonial Theory | Postcolonial Concepts Cartography is the study and practice of making maps. Combining science, aesthetics, and technique, cartography builds on the premise that reality can be modeled in ways that communicate spatial information effectively. (From Wikipedia) In postcolonial theory, Cartography is not just the practice of mapping but also the political and administrative actions that it enables for the colonizers and the political legacies that it leaves for the postcolonial nation-states.