AbstractBecause of the domination of development and administrative planning by economists there has in the past been a concentration on variables that are mostly economic and measurable and a tendency to give insufficient attention to socio‐cultural and socio‐political variables. Now perspectives are changing and there is an awareness of the need to use more accurate and complete data on social and cultural phenomena. There is as a result a need to appreciate the contribution that geographers and cartographers can make. This article reviews the small scale socio‐cultural mapping of third world countries. It considers the available range of such maps and carto‐bibliographical guides, and proceeds to consider how socio‐cultural mapping could be extended in a way that would be useful for development planners and admin