The International Cartographic Association (ICA) (, ACI) is an organization formed of national member organizations, to provide a forum for issues and techniques in cartography and geographic information science (GIScience). ICA was founded on June 9, 1959, in Bern, Switzerland. The first General Assembly was held in Paris in 1961. The mission of the International Cartographic Association is to promote the disciplines and professions of cartography and GIScience in an international context. To achieve these aims, the ICA works with national and international governmental and commercial bodies, and with other international scientific societies.

Leadership

Presidents

The first president, Eduard Imhof of Switzerland was heavily involved in founding the association.

Secretaries-General and Treasurers

The Secretary-General and Treasurer is responsible for the administration and the general running of the Association.

Executive committee

On 20 July 2019 member nations elected the new Executive Committee (EC) of the ICA for the 2019–2023 term. New ICA president is Tim Trainor.

Commissions

To coordinate international cartographic work Commissions and Working Groups have been established. These are chaired by experts in a specific field of cartography and comprise members from the international Cartography and GIScience community.

Members

ICA allows two types of memberships: List of ICA national members Algeria: Institut National de Cartographie et de Télédétection Argentina: Instituto Geográfico Nacional Australia: Mapping Sciences Institute Austria: Austrian Cartographic Commission Belgium: Belgian Sub-Committee of Cartography and GIS Benin: Association Béninoise de Cartographie et de l'Information Géographique Botswana: Department of Surveys and Mapping Brazil: Sociedade Brasileira de Cartografia Bulgaria: Bulgarian Cartographic Association Canada: Canadian Institute of Geomatics Chile: Instituto Geográfico Militar China: Chinese Society of Geodesy, Photogrammetry and Cartography China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region: Hong Kong Committee for ICA Colombia: Instituto Geográfico Agustín Codazzi Croatia: Croatian Cartographic Society Cuba: Grupo Empresial GeoCuba Cyprus: Department of Lands and Surveys Czech Republic: Czech Cartographic Society Denmark: Geoforum Danmark Ecuador: Instituto Geografico Militar Estonia: Estonian Geoinformatics Society Finland: Cartographic Society of Finland France: Comité Français de Cartographie Georgia: Department of Geography, Tbilisi State University Germany: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Kartographie Greece: Hellenic Cartographic Society Hungary: Hungarian Society of Surveying, Mapping and Remote Sensing India: Survey of India Indonesia: Bakosurtanal Iran: National Cartographic Center Ireland: Ordnance Survey Ireland Israel: Israeli Society for Cartography and GIS Italy: Associazione Italiana di Cartografia Japan: National Committee for Cartography Jordan: Royal Jordanian Geographic Centre Kazakhstan: Uzbekov Umirzak Kenya: Survey of Kenya Korea: Korean Cartographic Association Latvia: Latvian Geospatial Information Agency Lithuania: Lithuanian Cartographic Society Macedonia: Agency of Real Estate Cadastre Madagascar: Foiben-Taosarintanin'i Madagasikara Malaysia: Department of Surveying and Mapping Mexico: National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI) Mongolia: Administration of Land affairs, Geodesy and Cartography Montenegro: Association of Geodesists of Montenegro, Branch of Cartography Morocco: Agence Nationale de la Conservation Foncière, du Cadastre et de la Cartographie Mozambique: Centro Nacional de Cartografia e Teledetecção (CENACARTA) Netherlands: Geo-Informatie Nederland New Zealand: New Zealand Cartographic Society Inc Nigeria: Nigerian Cartographic Association Norway: GeoForum Pakistan: Survey of Pakistan Poland: Instytut Geodezji i Kartografii Portugal: Directorate-General for Territorial Development Romania: Asociația Română de Cartografie / geo-spatial.org Russia: Federal Service for State Registration, Cadastre and Cartography (Rosreestr) Serbia: Serbian Association of Cartographers Slovakia: Cartographic Society of the Slovak Republic Slovenia: Faculty of Civil and Geodetic Engineering South Africa: South African National Committee for the ICA Spain: Sociedad Española de Cartografía, Fotogrametría y Teledetección Sri Lanka: Sri Lanka Survey Department Sweden: Kartografiska Sällskapet Switzerland: Swiss Society of Cartography Tanzania: Cartographic Association of Tanzania Thailand: Royal Thai Survey Department Trinidad and Tobago: Ministry of Land and Marine Resources Turkey: Harita Genel Komutanligi Ukraine: State Service of Ukraine for Geodesy, Cartography and Cadastre United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: British Cartographic Society U.S.: U.S. National Committee for ICA Uruguay: Servicio Geográfico Militar

Conferences

International Cartographic Conferences (ICC) take place every second year in one of the member countries. At every second conference (every fourth year) it hosts the General Assembly of the ICA.

ICC Conferences

• 2023: Cape Town, undefined • 2021: Florence, 🇮🇹 italy • 2019: Tokyo, 🇯🇵 japan • 2017: Washington D.C., 🇺🇸 united states • 2015: Rio de Janeiro, 🇧🇷 brazil • 2013: Dresden, 🇩🇪 germany • 2011: Paris, 🇫🇷 france • 2009: Santiago de Chile, 🇨🇱 chile • 2007: Moscow, 🇷🇺 russia • 2005: A Coruña, 🇪🇸 spain • 2003: Durban, undefined • 2001: Beijing, 🇨🇳 china • 1999: Ottawa, 🇨🇦 canada • 1997: Stockholm, 🇸🇪 sweden • 1995: Barcelona, 🇪🇸 spain • 1993: Cologne, 🇩🇪 germany • 1991: Bournemouth, undefined • 1989: Budapest, 🇭🇺 hungary • 1987: Morelia, 🇲🇽 mexico • 1984: Perth, 🇦🇺 australia • 1982: Warsaw, 🇵🇱 poland • 1980: Tokyo, 🇯🇵 japan • 1978: College Park (Maryland), 🇺🇸 united states • 1976: Moscow, undefined • 1974: Madrid, 🇪🇸 spain • 1972: Ottawa, 🇨🇦 canada • 1970: Stresa, 🇮🇹 italy • 1968: Delhi, 🇮🇳 india • 1967: Amsterdam, undefined • 1964: Edinburgh, undefined • 1962: Frankfurt am Main, undefined • 1961: Paris, 🇫🇷 france

Awards

Carl Mannerfelt Gold Medal

The Carl Mannerfelt Gold Medal honours cartographers of outstanding merit who have made significant contributions of an original nature to the field of cartography. It is awarded only on rare occasions. The award is named after the Swedish cartographer, Carl Mannerfelt, who in 1981 won the prize named after him.

ICA Honorary Fellowship

The ICA Honorary Fellowship is for cartographers of international reputation who have made special contribution to the ICA. It includes a bronze medal.

ICA Map Awards at the International Map Exhibition

At the biennial International Map Exhibitions at the ICC an international jury selects the best entries.

Barbara Petchenik International Children Map Design Competition

This competition is organized every two years at the ICC. In a national round in all participating ICA member countries, the national winners are selected, which are exhibited during the International Cartographic Conference, where the international winners are selected.

Publications

ICA offers a number of publications. Its official journal is the International Journal of Cartography (print ; online ), published by Taylor & Francis on behalf of ICA. It also has three affiliated journals: