Karten

Karten is the German plural of Karte and a term that covers several related objects with a flat, sheet-like form. The most common senses are geographical maps (Karten) and playing cards (Spielkarten). In everyday language, Karten can also refer to different kinds of card-based media, such as identification or access cards, like Kreditkarten (credit cards), or digital map services and card-based interfaces in software.

The word Karte originates from Latin carta meaning a sheet of paper, with the form becoming established in German in the Middle Ages. Over time, Karte extended from a sheet of paper to denote maps and, in later usage, any card-like object. The plural form Karten is used when talking about more than one map or card, or when referring to card decks in general.

Karten in the sense of maps are tools for representing geographic areas and spatial information. They range from general world or regional maps to specialized varieties such as topographic maps, street maps, nautical charts, weather maps, and thematic or thematic-geographic representations. Maps are used for navigation, planning, education, and research, and they can exist in printed form or as digital products in mapping services and geographic information systems.

Karten as playing cards refer to card decks used for games and gambling. A standard deck comprises multiple cards divided into suits, ranks, and, in some games, jokers. Playing cards are used in countless games worldwide and have a long cultural and historical tradition, with regional variations in suits, deck size, and gameplay.

Karten also appear in other contexts, such as Kartenlegen (fortune-telling with cards), Kartenikarten in education (flashcards), or demographic and technology contexts (access cards, transit cards, digital map cards). The exact meaning of Karten depends on context.