THEMATIC MAPS AS A FUNCTION OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF SERBIA, INCLUDING AN OVERVIEW OF UNDERDEVELOPED AREAS

Cartographic research of some territory, whether it is about a state, region or municipality, represents the concrete support for various analyses, estimations, projections and interventions in space. For some countries in certain period of development, the making of maps represented political activity of the highest state significance, and all with the aim of faster economic development and progress of the country, which is supported by many examples. In the recent times, out of such scientific and social needs and aims, thematic maps developed as a special form of applied maps. In relation to the traditional general-geographic maps, these maps are made by different methodology, in such a way that new thematic layers of the contents are added on the topographic or geographic basis. Different spatial and urban projects and plans are similarly made. Serbia, after the Berlin Congress, paid attention to cartographic research of the territory. With that aim, it educated personnel out of the country, and Cvijic was one of them. He had notable cartographic contribution as well as great scientific influence on other institutions of the country that were in cartography. However, even above significant cartographic projects achieved in the 20th century, Serbia still failed to keep up with the European countries, especially when it was thematic maps about, which directly influenced the economic development of the country. Little better results were noted in the field of spatial and urban planning. As undeveloped areas concerned, it has been obvious from the analysis of this paper that such documentation was partly made and dated earlier. There is an objective need to open many economic, demographic, cultural and ecological projects of the making of thematic maps, which would give new impulse to the economic development of the country.