Where is Africa?

[DawnCt1]

This was the title of the first chapter of a book that is a hand out for one of DS#3 history courses. The author's premise is that the continent of Africa has suffered from diminished self esteem and lack of geopolitical power because of the European approach to the continent. The first error was in map/globe making. Africa was positioned underneath Europe instead of on top. There is no reason that the north has to be considered the top of the world and the south, the bottom of the world, with Africa under Europe. From the cosmos, it doesn't matter which way the world is viewed, so Africa could have easily been placed above Europe. In the maps, Africa always appears smaller than it geographically is. Greenwich Meantime also is the parallel that is named after a town in England. There was no reason for that. It could have easily been named after any town or city in Africa that exists on the same parallel. The borders of Africa differ from the borders of every other continent. All of the other continents are distinguished from other land masses by their separation by oceans. Africa is separated from the Middle East by the Red Sea. The creation of the Red Sea was an anomali due to seismic activity in the earths crusts. There are other rifts that exist in Africa and other places in the world. The Red Sea just happened to fill with water. Even the naming of the "Cape of Good Hope" indicated that the early explorers didn't see Africa as a destination, but an obstacle in the way of Asia. The author's wish is that these "errors" be corrected but he has no illusions that they will be. He feels that this has contributed to the world's view of Africa. Your thoughts?

 

[disdanny]

I'm not sure.

I think its somewhere near 'The Iraq'

Let's ask Miss Teen South Carolina.

 

[DawnCt1]

I'm not sure.

I think its somewhere near 'The Iraq'

Let's ask Miss Teen South Carolina.

I think she could have written that chapter!

 

[daisax]

I can't remember the name of it, but there IS a legitimate map of the world that looks significantly different from the one we picture in our heads -- land masses are represented more accurately to scale or something. It's fascinating. If nobody here knows the name of it off the top of their heads, I'll ask around and see if anybody I know remembers it.

 

[freckles and boo]

I don't think redefining a few terms will change the after-effects of predatory colonization.

 

[LukenDC]

Sounds like your son has a long semester ahead of him.

 

[Micca]

Animal Kingdom!!!!! Right????

 

[daisax]

Here's one look -- The Peters projection

http://www.public.asu.edu/~aarios/resourcebank/maps/page9.html

I wasn't aware that the traditional Mercator map was made up in the 16th century!

 

[Mr Man]

A word comes to mind: ludicrous

The thought of "diagnosing" a continent as having esteem issues is farcical.

Is Antarctica's historic lack of development as a continent because it is "frigid"?

Why does North America include Mexico but not the rest of Central America.......is it because of that greedy South America?

The mind wanders........

Africa's current condition has everything to do with the current leaders of the various countries there and their corruption and their inability to compete on the open market as a result of this corruption.

JMO and thanks for the laugh.

 

[frndshpcptn]

There was a really GREAT episode of the West Wing dedicated to this subject. I think it was the one with "Andrew Jackson's Big Cheese Day" where Leo invites people who would never normally have the opportunity to meet with Senior Staff have a meeting on this day.

CJ Craig meets with "Cartographers for Social Equality" and they go through the whole map-thing where all the countries don't really look (in real life) they way they do represented on the popular maps.

It's a really good episode.

 

[JR6ooo4]

Traditionaly the top of a map is north. It is a convenience.

Unless you are an architect, then the front door of a structure is more important than proper geographic alignment.

Mikeeee

 

[profdsny]

There was a really GREAT episode of the West Wing dedicated to this subject. I think it was the one with "Andrew Jackson's Big Cheese Day" where Leo invites people who would never normally have the opportunity to meet with Senior Staff have a meeting on this day.

CJ Craig meets with "Cartographers for Social Equality" and they go through the whole map-thing where all the countries don't really look (in real life) they way they do represented on the popular maps.

It's a really good episode.

That was the first I heard about the upside down map. I've since read and seen more about it. It makes sense. Not that there is a right way or wrong way, just that there isn't just one way, the way we've always known. The text for the class sounds interesting.

 

[themarquis]

A word comes to mind: ludicrous

The thought of "diagnosing" a continent as having esteem issues is farcical.

Is Antarctica's historic lack of development as a continent because it is "frigid"?

Why does North America include Mexico but not the rest of Central America.......is it because of that greedy South America?

.

What you just said has absolutely nothing to do with the actual argument. The argument is that Africa's **perceived** status has suffered in part due to mapmaking practices.

Nice try, though.

 

[Art Vandalay]

That would explain the subprime mortgage crisis in the US! We're not in the middle of the map!

 

[#1hockeymom]

Most US world maps show North America in the center while most European world maps show Europe as the center. I have no idea what a world map from Asia looks like, but if I was a betting woman...

 

[Art Vandalay]

On a more serious note, in terms of standard map projections, I would say exactly the opposite. Africa is given center stage along with Europe. The main reason for that probably has more to do with visual pleasantries than anything. Europe and Africa represent a central land mass flanked on one side by the Americas and on the other by Asia and Australia.

In terms of history, it is no accident that a location in England was used for standardizing time in the 19th century. Of course there was a reason for it -- the predominance of the British Empire.

As for continental borders, Asia and Europe have no such border. And explorers saw it as an obstacle because there were amazing trade possibilities with Asia. They didn't simply decide on a whim to ignore Africa. Africa's troubles are rooted in Africa and its history, not the whims of mapmakers.

 

[Mr Man]

What you just said has absolutely nothing to do with the actual argument. The argument is that Africa's **perceived** status has suffered in part due to mapmaking practices.

Nice try, though.

Please permit me my joke......

Note to self: Look into Cartography and it's effect on our "feeeeelings"........(and perceptions of said feelings).

There's $ in this......perhaps even a book....... hehehehe.....

 

[enyaj40]

sounds like crazy talk to me and a cop out

and if britain messed it up so bad, how come folks are constantly hounding us to fix it?

i won't pretend to know much about the history but what i've seen/heard is a continent where dictatorship seems common and where civil wars tear countries apart

 

[NotUrsula]

The first error was in map/globe making. Africa was positioned underneath Europe instead of on top. There is no reason that the north has to be considered the top of the world and the south, the bottom of the world, with Africa under Europe.

(Emphasis mine)

Sure there's a reason: a compass. If the map is published in the northern hemisphere it will be oriented the same way that a northern hemisphere compass would be: north. Since most major publishers that we in the Western World buy from are in the northern hemisphere, these are the map orientations that prevail. Yes, there is Western bias in that, but as the expression has it, to the victor belong the spoils. Europeans subjugated Africa and thus tradition preserves their POV.

It's an interesting premise, but a bit touchy-feely. Still, history is all about spin, and this is just another example of it. I hope there is some critical discussion going on in class.

 

[CPM]

It's somewhere over there and I'd like to visit there someday!!