Maps (HUM 225, 415, 455)

Let’s look at some maps.

Here’s the familiar Mercator projection, used in classrooms throughout the US:

This is the Peters’ Projection, which is intended to compensate for the distortion of scale which occurs in the Mercator because it attempts to describe land masses’ true outline:

Below is a map of the world. The western hemisphere lies between the prime meridian, which runs through London, and 180 degrees longitude.

The map above is a political map, showing the internationally recognized boundaries (more or less) separating nation states. Of course not all borders are agreed upon, which is the source of often sustained conflict. The area between Pakistan and India for instance, Kashmir, is claimed by both countries. Or the borders in Palestine. Boundaries can seem “natural” in that they follow topographical contours, or they can be quite arbitrary.

Human geographers map the social phenomena. Here’s a map of internet use:

Resource maps also have a social dimension:

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