What world maps look like in different countries. What world maps look like in different countries American political map of the world
The maps of the world that we are shown in school, no less, form our idea of how the world works. After all, it subconsciously seems to us that there are countries located in the center of the map that play a dominant role in the world, and those that are on the periphery play a subordinate role.
There would be nothing wrong with this if we did not forget that a flat map is just a conditional and distorted representation of a round world. And in different parts of the globe there is a completely different view of the illustration of the location of countries on the globe.
Let's find out!
Russia
The vertical axis of the world passes through the capital of the country. The Pacific Ocean in this version of the map appears to be divided into two parts. Both America and Australia huddle on the edge of the world.
Europe
The vertical axis of the world (centering West and East) passes through London. As in the previous version, both America and Australia find themselves on the periphery, and the Pacific Ocean is not perceived as an integral space.
The Equator (centering North and South) is shifted slightly toward the bottom half of the map, making Africa, South America, and Australia appear disproportionately small relative to North America and Eurasia.
USA
In this version of the map, the USA plays a central role. America turns out to be an “island” washed by the Pacific Ocean from the west and the Atlantic Ocean from the east. Here the vertical axis of the world passes through the USA.
The size of North America and Eurasia is much larger in relation to South America, Africa and Australia than it actually is. The perception of Russia, India and China is difficult, since these countries are divided into 2 parts: they are present in both the west and the east.
China
On its map, China is located on the western shore of the Pacific Ocean, which is washed by all continents. But Africa and Europe find themselves on the periphery of the world.
Australia
Australians, like representatives of other countries, draw the vertical axis of the world through their continent. But besides this, they also place it on top of all the others, turning the card 180 degrees. Like the USA, they find themselves as an island lying between three oceans: the Pacific, Indian and Southern. Antarctica, hidden at the very bottom on all other maps, begins to play an important role.
South Africa
Similar to Australia, South Africa appears at the top, making it perceived as the dominant country. South Africa turns out to be a peninsula washed by the Indian and Atlantic oceans. Russia and the Pacific region appear on the periphery of the map.
28/03/2011
Remember, in our schools there was a world map in the geography classroom. Probably, many of you could not even imagine that she could look any different, but when I saw this, something broke in my perception.
IN
It’s very simple: this is how Americans see the world. As a friend who lives in New York told me, they have such cards in schools. She herself first saw such a map at a language school. When she asked the teacher what was wrong with the card, he replied: what’s wrong with it?They will probably also be very surprised when they see that on our maps Russia is not cut in half, and the United States is not in the center, as it should be.
Map of Australia: there is no Antarctica here at all!
But here it is. Maybe they walk on their heads, as Alice from Wonderland imagined?
This is a map of South Africa. They don’t like Antarctica either, really, why do we need white spots on the map, especially when they are so vast, and they are larger than your country?))
This is a Chinese map. The principle is the same as on other maps: put your country in the middle of the world!
I’ll supplement the post with one interesting statement from LiveJournal reader elle_812. When she saw these cards, she remembered one interesting conversation:
“When I didn’t live here yet, but was at a visiting MSPS seminar in Paris, we met with the former Secretary General of the Council of Europe Catherine Lalumiere. It was from her that I learned that in French textbooks the geographical map looks like this: in the center is France, and on the sides are all other countries.
“When I was in Russia for the first time I saw a world map with Russia in the center, and when I saw its size in relation to other countries, I was truly shocked, because we were accustomed from school that Russia is there, somewhere on the side, at the edge (à côté), with Siberia and snow..." - I’m showing you the words of Catherine Lalumiere from my old notebook."
The French vision of the world map, frankly speaking, is not very different from the Soviet ones, apparently due to the geographical proximity of the countries, relative to Australia, South Africa and the same America. But I found one interesting map, although it’s a hundred years old, showing how the French at that time saw the location of peoples on the planet. Take a look at the territory of Russia, it turns out that at that time we had Russo-Siberians, on the territory of Kazakhstan - Turks (apparently Turkic-speaking peoples), on the islands of Sakhalin and Hokkaido - Ainu. I wonder if they still live on Sakhalin?
Since childhood, we all study maps of the world at school, which form our understanding of how it works. However, flat maps depict the world only conditionally, so our vision is sometimes somewhat distorted. We have an opinion about which countries are in the central part and have a dominant importance, and which are located closer to the periphery.
But in different countries, world maps are presented differently. Each creator of geographic maps himself chooses how to center it relative to parts of the world and which projection method to use. Let's look at world maps that are used in different countries.
Russia
In Russia, on a geographical map, the axis of the world is centered relative to the west and east and runs through Moscow. It turns out that Australia, North and South America are on the periphery, and the Pacific Ocean is not regarded as a single space.
Europe
On maps of Europe, the world axis intersects, therefore. with the Americas also shown on the periphery, and the Pacific Ocean does not look integral. The equator is shifted to the lower half of the map, which is why Africa appears much smaller compared to North America and Eurasia.
USA
Here the axis of the world passes through the United States, and it turns out that America looks like an “island”, which is washed in the west by the Pacific Ocean and in the east by the Atlantic. Like European maps, the equator here is also located in the lower half of the map and visually increases the size of Eurasia and North America. In addition, it becomes more difficult for Americans to perceive Russia, China and India, since they are divided into two halves: one in the west, the other in the east.
China
In the Chinese variation, their country on the map is located on the western shore of the Pacific Ocean. It turns out that this ocean washes all continents with the exception of Eurasia and Africa, they are brought to the periphery of the world.
Australia
On the Australian world map, the vertical axis is drawn through Australia, so it is in the center, and the map is flipped 180 degrees. Like, the mainland becomes an island located between the Indian, Pacific and Southern oceans. Antarctica, which is placed at the very bottom on all other maps, begins to play a more important role here, since it appears at the top.
South Africa
It also moves from the bottom of the map to the top, creating the appearance of its dominant position in relation to other countries. Here South Africa is depicted as a peninsula bordering the Atlantic and Indian oceans. Russia and the Pacific region have been relegated to the periphery of the world.
Chile
The Chileans also turned their world map upside down and brought themselves to a dominant position. Thus, the Pacific Ocean is depicted at the very center of the map and provides a good opportunity for Chilean policy to bring the country into the ranks of the most important business centers in the Pacific region. Europe and Africa on this world map also move to the periphery.
Remember in our schools in the geography classroom there was this map:
And this one too:
Probably many of you couldn’t even imagine that it could look any different, but when I saw this, something broke in my perception of the world map.
It's very simple: this is how Americans see the world. As a friend who lives in New York told me, they have such cards in schools. She herself first saw such a map at a language school. When she asked the teacher what was wrong with the card, he replied: what’s wrong with it? They will probably also be very surprised when they see that on our maps Russia is not cut in half, and the United States is not in the center, as it should be.
Map of Australia: there is no Antarctica here at all!
But here it is. Maybe they walk there on their heads, as Alice from Wonderland imagined? :)))
This is a map of South Africa. They don’t like Antarctica either, really, why do we need white spots on the map, especially when they are so vast, and they are larger than your country?))
This is a Chinese map. The principle is the same as on other maps: put your country in the middle of the world!
The French vision of the world map, frankly speaking, is not very different from the Soviet ones, apparently due to the geographical proximity of the countries, relative to Australia, South Africa and the same America.
But I found one interesting map, although it’s a hundred years old, showing how the French at that time saw the location of peoples on the planet.
Take a look at the territory of Russia, it turns out that at that time we had Russo-Siberians, on the territory of Kazakhstan - Turks (apparently Turkic-speaking peoples), on the islands of Sakhalin and Hokkaido - Ainu.
I wonder if they still live on Sakhalin?
There is also this map, which distorts the real geographical contours (which we are used to seeing), but gives an idea of the scale of the countries.
World map from a different point of view. February 23rd, 2011
Remember in our schools in the geography classroom there was this map:
And this one too:
Probably many of you couldn’t even imagine that it could look any different, but when I saw this, something broke in my perception of the world map.
It's very simple: this is how Americans see the world. As a friend who lives in New York told me, they have such cards in schools. She herself first saw such a map at a language school. When she asked the teacher what was wrong with the card, he replied: what’s wrong with it?
They will probably also be very surprised when they see that on our maps Russia is not cut in half, and the United States is not in the center, as it should be.
UPD: thank you for supplementing my observations with other maps, it turns out I still don’t know much)) live and learn!
map of Australia: there is no Antarctica here at all!
But here it is. Maybe they walk there on their heads, as Alice from Wonderland imagined? :)))
This is a map of South Africa. They don’t like Antarctica either, really, why do we need white spots on the map, especially when they are so vast, and they are larger than your country?))
This is a Chinese map. The principle is the same as on other maps: put your country in the middle of the world!
UPD2. Once again I will supplement the post with one interesting statement from a LiveJournal readerelle_812
. When she saw these cards, she remembered one interesting conversation:
“When I didn’t live here yet, but was at a visiting MSPS seminar in Paris, we met with the former Secretary General of the Council of Europe Catherine Lalumiere. It was from her that I learned that in French textbooks the geographical map looks like this: in the center is France, and on the sides are all other countries.
“When I was in Russia for the first time I saw a world map with Russia in the center, and when I saw its size in relation to other countries, I was truly shocked, because we were accustomed from school that Russia is there, somewhere on the side, at the edge (à côté), with Siberia and snow..." - I’m showing you the words of Catherine Lalumiere from my old notebook."
The French vision of the world map, frankly speaking, is not very different from the Soviet ones, apparently due to the geographical proximity of the countries, relative to Australia, South Africa and the same America. But I found one interesting map, although it’s a hundred years old, showing how the French at that time saw the location of peoples on the planet. Take a look at the territory of Russia, it turns out that at that time we had Russo-Siberians, on the territory of Kazakhstan - Turks (apparently Turkic-speaking peoples), on the islands of Sakhalin and Hokkaido - Ainu. I wonder if they still live on Sakhalin?
There is also this map, which distorts the real geographical contours (which we are used to seeing), but gives an idea of the scale of the countries. Thanks for the link.