World maps of different countries. World maps for different countries

However, many of us transfer the stereotypes learned through the map to our personal relationship to the real world. We begin to believe that there are countries that play a dominant role in the world, are in its center, and there are those that play a subordinate role, are on its periphery.

As will be seen below, in different countries - Russia, Europe, USA, China, Australia, Chile, South Africa - world maps are very different. It all depends on what the author of the map chooses in each of the following three conditions: 1) how to center the map relative to West and East; 2) how to center the map relative to North and South; 3) which projection method to use.

The vertical axis of the world (the centering of the West and the East) passes through Moscow. The Americas and Australia are on the periphery of the world. The Pacific Ocean is not perceived as an integral space.

The vertical axis of the world passes through London. As for the Russian map, here both Americas and Australia are on the periphery of the world, and the Pacific Ocean is not perceived as an integral space. In addition, the equator (centering the Server and the South) is shifted to the bottom half of the map, making Africa, South America, and Australia appear smaller in relation to North America and Eurasia than they really are.

The vertical axis of the world passes through the USA. America turns out to be an "island" washed by the Pacific Ocean from the west and the Atlantic Ocean from the east. As in the European map, here the equator is shifted to the lower half of the map, which makes the size of North America and Eurasia much larger in relation to the size of South America, Africa and Australia than they are in reality. In addition, the perception of Russia, India and China becomes more difficult for an American: these countries are present for an American twice? - in the west and in the east.

China on its map is located on the western coast of the Pacific Ocean. All the continents have access to this ocean, except for Africa and Europe, which thus find themselves on the periphery of the world.

There is a general stereotype that what is above dominates, and what is below? -? Is in a subordinate position. The Australians not only draw the vertical axis of the world through their mainland, they also place it on top of all others, turning the map 180 degrees. Like the USA, they turn out to be an island lying between three oceans: the Pacific, the Indian and the South. Another important role begins to play Antarctica, hidden at the very bottom on all other maps.

South Africa, like Australia, is at the top, not the bottom of the map, which makes it perceived as a country that dominates all others. South Africa turns out to be a peninsula wedged between two oceans: the Indian and the Atlantic. The Pacific region and Russia go to the periphery of the world.

This map of the world was developed by order of the Military Geographical Institute with the aim of further implementation in school textbooks. Like the Australian map, this one is also upside down, making Chile immediately dominant in the world. The Pacific Ocean is in the center of the map, and this is directly related to the voiced policy of modern Chile, who want to become one of the important business centers in the Pacific region. In this regard, Chile is somewhat similar to China. In the same way, Africa and Europe find themselves on the periphery of the world.

Children get acquainted with the map of the world at school in a geography lesson or at home thanks to relatives and friends.

World map for Russia

The vertical axis of the world (the centering of the West and the East) passes through Moscow. The Americas and Australia are on the periphery of the world. The Pacific Ocean is not perceived as an integral space.

World map for Europe

The vertical axis of the world passes through London. As for the Russian map, here both Americas and Australia are on the periphery of the world, and the Pacific Ocean is not perceived as an integral space. In addition, the equator (centering the Server and the South) is shifted to the bottom half of the map, making Africa, South America, and Australia appear smaller in relation to North America and Eurasia than they really are.

World map for USA

The vertical axis of the world passes through the USA. America turns out to be an "island" washed by the Pacific Ocean from the west and the Atlantic Ocean from the east. As in the European map, here the equator is shifted to the lower half of the map, which makes the size of North America and Eurasia much larger in relation to the size of South America, Africa and Australia than in reality. In addition, the perception of Russia, India and China becomes more difficult for an American: these countries are present for an American twice - in the west and in the east.

World map for China

China on its map is located on the western coast of the Pacific Ocean. All the continents have access to this ocean, except for Africa and Europe, which thus find themselves on the periphery of the world.

World map for Australia

There is a general stereotype that what is above dominates, and what is below is in a subordinate position. The Australians not only draw the vertical axis of the world through their mainland, they also place it on top of all others, turning the map 180 degrees. Like the USA, they turn out to be an island lying between three oceans: the Pacific, the Indian and the South. Another important role begins to play Antarctica, hidden at the very bottom on all other maps.

World map for South Africa

South Africa, like Australia, is at the top, not at the bottom of the map, which makes it perceived as a country that dominates all others. South Africa turns out to be a peninsula wedged between two oceans: the Indian and the Atlantic. The Pacific region and Russia go to the periphery of the world.

World map for Chile

This map of the world was developed by order of the Military Geographical Institute with the aim of further implementation in school textbooks. Like the Australian map, this one is also upside down, making Chile immediately dominant in the world. The Pacific Ocean is in the center of the map, and this is directly related to the voiced policy of modern Chile, which wants to become one of the important business centers in the Pacific region. In this regard, Chile is somewhat similar to China. In the same way, Africa and Europe find themselves on the periphery of the world.

All of us have been studying maps of the world since childhood at school, which form our understanding of how it works. However, flat maps display the world only conditionally, so our vision is sometimes somewhat distorted. We have an opinion about which countries are located in the central part and are of dominant importance, and which are located closer to the periphery.

But after all, in different countries maps of the world are presented in different ways. Each creator of geographic maps chooses how to center it relative to the parts of the world and which projection method to use. Consider the maps of the world that are used in different countries.

Russia

In Russia, on the 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 the maps of Europe, the world axis crosses, therefore. with the Americas are also shown on the periphery, and the Pacific Ocean does not look complete. The equator is shifted to the lower half of the map, which is why Africa seems 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 by the Pacific Ocean in the west, and the Atlantic in the east. 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 west coast of the Pacific Ocean. It turns out that this ocean washes all the continents except for 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 USA, 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'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 map, he replied: what is 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.

They don't like Antarctica either, really, why do we need white spots on the map, especially when they are so vast, and even larger than your country?

Chilean scientists, drawing attention to their neighbors in the southern hemisphere, are also trying to carry out a geographical revolution in their country and turn the planet upside down. In this way Chile also rises to the top of the world, and this must have a good effect on the self-consciousness of citizens.

The principle is the same as on other maps: your country in the middle of the world!

I will supplement the post with one interesting statement of the LJ reader elle_812. When she saw these cards, she remembered one interesting conversation:

“When I didn’t live here yet, but was at the MSPS retreat in Paris, we met with the ex-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 that in the center is France, and on the sides - all other countries.

"When I first saw in Russia a map of the world with Russia in the center, and when I saw its size in relation to other countries, I was really shocked, because we are used to from school that Russia is there, somewhere on the side, with edge, with Siberia and snows ... "I'm showing you the words of Catherine Lalumiere from my old notebook".

The French vision of the world map, to be honest, is not very different from the Soviet ones, apparently the geographical proximity of the countries, relative to Australia, South Africa and the same America, affects.

But I found one interesting map, although it is a hundred years old, the way the French at that time saw the location of the peoples on the planet. Take a look at the territory of Russia, it turns out that then Russian-Siberians lived with us, on the territory of Kazakhstan - the Turks (apparently Turkic-speaking peoples), on the islands of Sakhalin and Hokkaido - the Ainu. I wonder if they still live on Sakhalin?

The European world map is not too different from the one we are used to: it is centered on Greenwich Mean Time, and therefore shifts slightly to the right. This does not change the state of affairs much, except that it slightly displaces Magadan, Chukotka and a little Kamchatka in the Western Hemisphere.

World map for Russia

The vertical axis of the world (the centering of the West and the East) passes through Moscow. The Americas and Australia are on the periphery of the world. The Pacific Ocean is not perceived as an integral space.

However, many of us transfer the stereotypes learned through the map to our personal relationship to the real world. We begin to believe that there are countries that play a dominant role in the world, are in its center, and there are those that play a subordinate role, are on its periphery.

As will be seen above, in different countries, world maps are very different. It all depends on what the map author chooses in each of the following three conditions: 1) how to center the map relative to the West and East; 2) how to center the map relative to North and South; 3) which projection method to use.

The maps of the world that we see from childhood - especially those that are shown to us at school - shape our idea of ​​how the world works. 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.

However, many of us transfer the stereotypes learned through the map to our personal relationship to the real world. We begin to believe that there are countries that play a dominant role in the world, are in its center, and there are those that play a subordinate role, are on its periphery.

As will be seen below, in different countries - Russia, Europe, USA, China, Australia, Chile, South Africa - world maps are very different. It all depends on what the author of the map chooses in each of the following three conditions: 1) how to center the map relative to West and East; 2) how to center the map relative to North and South; 3) which projection method to use.

World map for Russia

The vertical axis of the world (the centering of the West and the East) passes through Moscow. The Americas and Australia are on the periphery of the world. The Pacific Ocean is not perceived as an integral space.

World map for Europe

The vertical axis of the world passes through London. As for the Russian map, here both Americas and Australia are on the periphery of the world, and the Pacific Ocean is not perceived as an integral space. In addition, the equator (centering North and South) is shifted to the bottom half of the map, making Africa, South America, and Australia appear smaller in relation to North America and Eurasia than they actually are.

World map for USA

The vertical axis of the world passes through the USA. America turns out to be an "island" washed by the Pacific Ocean from the west and the Atlantic Ocean from the east. As in the European map, here the equator is shifted to the lower half of the map, which makes the size of North America and Eurasia much larger in relation to the size of South America, Africa and Australia than they are in reality. In addition, the perception of Russia, India and China becomes more difficult for an American: these countries are present for an American twice - in the west and in the east.

World map for China

China on its map is located on the western coast of the Pacific Ocean. All the continents have access to this ocean, except for Africa and Europe, which thus find themselves on the periphery of the world.

World map for Australia

There is a general stereotype that what is above dominates, and what is below - is in a subordinate position. The Australians not only draw the vertical axis of the world through their mainland, they also place it on top of all others, turning the map 180 degrees. Like the USA, they turn out to be an island lying between three oceans: the Pacific, the Indian and the South. Another important role is played by Antarctica, hidden at the very bottom on all other maps.

World map for South Africa

South Africa, like Australia, is at the top, not the bottom of the map, which makes it perceived as a country that dominates all others. South Africa turns out to be a peninsula wedged between two oceans: the Indian and the Atlantic. The Pacific region and Russia go to the periphery of the world.