thematic generalization, is unique to categorical data. While in small-scale topographic
maps features like minor roads can just be omitted, this is not possible in categorical maps since a continuous network
of polygons is required by definition. Thematic generalization is in general possible for both vector and raster data and
does not require any geometric transformations. Resampling of data to a coarser resolution using appropriate interpolation
methods is, of course, a method that can only be applied to raster data, while aggregation of categories (e.g., deciduous
and coniferous forest to forest) is not bound to a specific data model.