Over the last several centuries the modern State has made remarkable progress collecting information and developing an understanding of its people and natural resources. Censuses have evolved to describe populations, and surnames have been assigned to uniquely identify specific individuals. Cadastral systems have registered property and defined land boundaries. Some forests were removed from the control of local common property regimes in attempts to introduce scientific management. City plans and transportation arteries were regularized to facilitate trade, state control, and extraction of tax revenues (Scott, 1998).