NEW YORK – Maps. Where would we be without them?
And how would we even know?
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Maps are more than just tools for navigation; they reveal the complexities of our world. From defining borders between countries to showcasing the vastness of continents, maps help us understand where we are and where we are going.
However, maps are not just straightforward depictions of reality. They are shaped by choices made by their creators, influencing how we perceive the world around us. For instance, the size and placement of countries can vary significantly from one map to another, affecting our understanding of global politics and geography.
In early October 2023, a significant event at the United Nations highlighted these issues. A vote endorsed a new map that represented Africa more accurately and prominently than traditional maps. The outcome was 164 countries in favor, six abstaining, and only the United States voting against it. This change signifies a shift in how we can visualize and understand the African continent’s true size and importance.
Maps have a powerful impact on our perception. For example, President Donald Trump previously ordered the renaming of Lake Ontario to “Lake America” as part of a trade dispute with Canada. These alterations in naming can change our connection to these places and affect international relations.
According to Alex Moulton, an expert in geography from Hunter College, the way we perceive different places can influence our political opinions and actions. If we view Africa as a smaller continent on the map, it might lead to misunderstandings about its significance and the people who live there.
Maps are also inherently flawed due to the challenge of representing a 3D object like Earth on a 2D surface. This results in distortions—like how Greenland often appears much larger than Africa, even though Africa is vast in reality. This discrepancy is largely due to the Mercator projection, a popular map type used for navigation that alters the size of landmasses based on their latitude.
The recent U.N. vote to adopt the Equal Earth projection map aims to address these distortions, presenting landmasses in a way that more accurately reflects their true sizes. Understanding this is crucial, as it can reshape our political and economic perspectives regarding different regions, particularly Africa.
Maps also serve as time capsules, capturing the beliefs and knowledge of the era in which they were created. The way the United States was drawn on maps has evolved significantly over its 250-year history, reflecting changes in society and politics. For example, Trump’s attempts to rename geographical features illustrate how maps can be manipulated to reflect current political ideologies.
“Map-making is world-making,” Moulton explains. “It’s about how we perceive and understand our world.” The process of creating a map is not just about geography; it’s a reflection of cultural and political ideologies, shaping how we see each other and the places we inhabit.
