The 25th International Conference on the History of Cartography was held in the Marina congress centre in Helsinki, capital of Finland, from June 30 to July 5, 2013. The conference was organized by the Cartographic Society of Finland in collaboration with Imago Mundi Ltd. Partners in organization were the National Land Survey of Finland, National Library of Finland, John Nurminen Foundation, University of Helsinki, Aalto University, National Archives of Finland, Geographical Society of Finland, National Museum of Finland, Chartarum Amici, University of Jyväskylä, City of Helsinki and City of Espoo. The conference theme was Four Elements – The Essentials of the History of Cartography. In ancient times, Universe was thought to consist of four elements. Earth, air, fire and water, as main themes, symbolize basic elements in the history of cartography and its importance in representing nature and our worldview.