Kartanlukijat

Kartanlukijat is a Finnish noun that refers to people who read or study maps and engage with cartography. The term is a compound of kartta ("map") and lukija ("reader"), and it can describe both casual map users and more avid map enthusiasts.

In Finnish usage, kartanlukijat appear in discussions about map literacy, geographic education, and the culture of maps. They may be hobbyists who collect antique maps, analyze cartographic representations, or participate in activities that rely on maps, such as orienteering, geocaching, or fieldwork.

The term does not denote a single organization or movement; rather, it captures a broad community of people united by interest in maps and their interpretation. With the rise of digital mapping and open data, the concept has grown to include online map readers who study map design, projection, and data visualization.

Related concepts include kartografia (cartography), kartta (map), and map literacy in Finnish education. The term is used across academic, educational, and hobby contexts to describe the shared interest in how maps convey space and information.