As we see the World ... or everything depends on your POV

[Steven_Draker]

Ok, folks, I had a very passionate discussion with a client yesterday that led to some interesting conclusions.

 

Check out the maps below and find what's the difference between the four of them?

 

 

http://www.yesterdog.com/assets/assets/world-map.gif

 

 

http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/files/blogger2wp/world-map.gif

 

 

http://img251.imageshack.us/img251/3066/mcarthurlarge.jpg

 

 

http://subjectiveobject.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/229645279_fef2d36cac_b-705x528.jpg

[Rick Munroe]

Where's the most accurate one (where NYC is the center of the universe)?

[BSR]

The second map, aside from its size distortions resulting from a globe drawn on a flat plane, has at its center the good ol' USofA.

[+ Charlie]

Obviously, each map places a different part of the world at the center or the most prominent part of the globe. The second map, for instance, puts the Americas at the center and the other continents on the periphery, while the fourth map puts the Asia/Pacific region at the center and Europe and the Americas on the periphery. The most interesting, of course, is the one that puts the southern hemisphere "on top", as it were. I haven't been able to figure out the strange color scheme of the first map.

[KMEM]

I have such a map given to me as a gift by some Kiwi friends showing NZ in the center. Most Kiwi's are very laid back and have a "soft" sense of humor such as referring to Australia as the "seventh state". I wouldn't mind NZ being more in the center of every thing even thugh they have economic problems I think moreso than say the US. And, of course, right now they are suffering from a terrible earthquake in Christchurch.

 

I, too would like to know what the colors in the map #1 depict.

 

Best regards,

KMEM

[Steven_Draker]

You all made very good points and congratulations on your ability to read the world map. McArthur's Universal Corrective Map of the World has a fabulous history, made by an Australian in 1979 who was tormented for coming from the "bottom of the world". The "down under" takes a new dimension ...

 

Haven't figured out what the different colors represent in the first map, Charlie and KMEM.

 

For Rick Munroe here's the new and improved WORLD MAP with Times Square as the center of the Universe.

 

http://www.radicalcartography.net/nycenter2.gif

[Diverdan]

Steve,

Thanks so much for these maps. It is a good reminder that the USA is not in fact the center of the planet, but only one part. Unfortunately it is most often the second map that appears in the text books used in the USA, which perpetuates our self importance. Over the past several years I have been blessed to travel internationally and see much of the world in a different light than what one learns by only listening to US Television and reading US newspapers. IMHO the rest of the world, with the exception of a few countries, is much better informed about the rest of the world than we are in the USA.

DD

[KMEM]

There are any number of other observations that could be made about the maps shown on this thread. Map #1 has as its' center the prime meridian aka "zero" meridian aka the meridian passing through Greenwich, England. Map #2 is a Mercator projection which does have the "distortions" previously mentioned but is pretty easy to use for many purposes. Most any map has to have something as a center point and will likely be viewed as egocentric by some. I see nothing wrong with using a world map that centers on the US for US students. They are widely reputed as being terrible in geography as it is and looking at a map centered on say Borneo will likely not pique very many US students' interest. Of course, they should be exposed to other points of view but don't we have to start somewhere?

 

Every time I look at this thread, I look at map #1 to try to glean a clue about the coloration of the various countries.

 

Best regards,

KMEM