The Carte de Cassini was the first topographic map of France and the first map of an entire country based on geodetic triangulation. Begun by César-François Cassini de Thury in 1756 and completed by his son in 1789, it consisted of 182 sheets at a scale of 1:86,400. The map was groundbreaking in its use of systematic triangulation surveys and standardized symbols. It set the standard for national mapping programs worldwide and remained the definitive map of France until replaced in the 19th century.