How maps are different in different countries ? does different countries have different maps? What is reason behind it
Apart from the issue which country different territories should or do belong to, which is hot according to discussions here, maps differ in other subtle ways. Here is one. Maps from different countries often have different map projections and datums due to being located in different parts of the world with often vastly different physical geographical factors that impact how the map can best be displayed. Different countries interpret and translate land cover types with variation. To be able to use maps from various countries together in a single project it is necessary to translate the legends and be able to understand which kind of land cover and land use in one country comprises similar or different classes in another country.
There several global in addition to national coordinate systems 27,34562 N and 34,94753 E differ depending on which is used. In most cases the “National” coordinate system is used on official national maps.
The reason for the differences is that Earth is not a perfect sphere, and laying adapting to the actual shape can be done in different ways and National ones tens to do it in a way that moves oddities as much as possible outside the border.
Countries often have different ideas how to present themselves, especialy in relation to their neighbours or the rest of the world. See map :P
Venezuela according to non-Venezuela
Venezuela according to Venezuela
Taiwan according to Taiwan
Taiwan according to China
Taiwan according to non-Chinese (unofficial)
Québec according to Québec
Québec according to non-Québec
The Cree country of Eeyou Istchee according to the Crees
The Cree country of Eeyou Istchee according to Québec
The Cree country of Eeyou Istchee according to Canada
The Innu country of Nitassinan according to the Innu
The Micmac country (I also saw a map in which they claimed the Anticosti island, which the Innu also claim)
Attikamwek country of Nitaskinan (some parts are claimed by the Innu)
Map of the Wendat country of Nionwentsïo according to the Wendat of Wendake (border conflicts with the Innu ancestral territory maybe, probably contested by the Kanienkehá:ka as well, clear conflict with the Abenaki ancestral territory)
Historians generally would acknowledge this as their ancestral territory (it would be in current Ontario)
Map of the Algonquins (border disputes with the Missisaugua and the Kanien:kehá:ka of around Montréal)
(I hope I have convinced you that all these “Decolonial Atlas” are just as useless as any other atlases as anyways, their authors are forced to chose the indigenous claims they prefer and so they are forced to be partial and have an opinion.)
Japan according to Japan (Diaoyu/Senkaku dispute)
Morocco according to Morocco
Morocco according to the rest of the world
Maps are political instruments. All maps are opinions
A map of Serbia containing Kosovo, this is the correct map of Serbia in China, Russia, Spain and countries that do not recognize the independence of Kosovo
Map showing Kosovo separate to Serbia, more commonly seen in western maps. This is the correct map in most of Europe and in the US.
Georgia without Abkhazia and South Ossetia
This is how Georgia looks to the governments of Russia, Syria, Nicaragua, Venezuela and Nauru who all recognize Abkhazia and South Ossetia
This is how Georgia looks to the rest of the world
A Russian map of Russia
Notice Crimea in the west is included.
In most maps used in the west, Crimea is still a part of Ukraine
Pakistani map of Pakistan with Kashmir region
This map shows the Kashmir region to be part of India
An Argentinian map of Argentina
Includes the Islas Malvinas or Falkland Islands
In the United States, most maps of the world have the Americas in the “West” and the other continents in the “East.”
But in China, maps of the world have Asia, Africa, Europe, and Australia/Oceania in the “West” and the Americas in the “East.”
In the US, most maps take a neutral or outright dismissive stance on China’s definition of its territory. A typical map depicts “China” and “Taiwan” as two separate countries, while all territories that are under the effective control of the People’s Republic of China are labeled as Chinese territory. For example, Aksai Chin — a territory controlled by China and claimed by India — is depicted as Chinese territory, while South Tibet/Arunachal Pradesh — controlled by India and claimed by China — is depicted outside of Chinese territory.
Map of China, excluding Taiwan and South Tibet/Arunachal Pradesh
Some maps side with India in all of its territorial disputes with China by depicting Chinese-controlled Aksai Chin as Indian territory.
Map of China, excluding Taiwan, South Tibet/Arunachal Pradesh, and Aksai Chin (notice the gray protrusion along the Sino-Indian border between Pakistan and Nepal)
Almost no map in the US depicts the islands in the South China Sea and surrounding waters as Chinese territory.
Unsurprisingly in mainland China, all provinces (including Taiwan) are included as Chinese territory, while both Aksai Chin and South Tibet/Arunachal are also depicted as a part of China. On top of that, the “nine/ten-dash line” is drawn around the South China Sea to indicate China’s claims in the sea.
Map of China with Taiwan, Aksai Chin, South Tibet/Arunachal Pradesh (notice how all the land directly facing Bhutan to its east are colored as a part of the Tibet Autonomous Region instead of India), and the South China Sea (notice the 9/10-dash line)
Map of China from Baidu. Notice how in this map, the South China Sea Islands are enlarged, presumably to indicate that these islands are there and they are China’s. The Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands (to the northeast of Taiwan) are enlarged as well.
Differences between Chinese and American maps also extend beyond China’s borders. For example, almost all maps produced in the US depict the “Line of Control” in the disputed Kashmir region as the border between India and Pakistan, sometimes with no reference to Kashmir itself.
The map of India you see in the US, with the Line of Control (labeled) depicted as the boundary between the two countries. Kashmir is not labeled in this map.
Map of Pakistan you see in the US. Again, you see the Line of Control represented as the border
Chinese maps, on the other hand, label Kashmir as a separate entity (usually colored in white, like Antarctica, so that it does not appear to belong to either Pakistan or India). While the Line of Control is acknowledged, it is drawn lightly such that it is hard to recognize, or harder to recognize than Kashmir’s “external” borders with both India and Pakistan.
Chinese map of India. Notice how Kashmir is colored separately (in white).
Chinese map of Pakistan. Kashmir is labeled as its own entity with dotted (disputed) borders, while the LOC is drawn in pink and labeled as a demarcation line
In the US, the Falkland Islands (controlled by the UK and claimed by Argentina) are usually labeled as British territory and by its British/English name.
US map of South America with the Falkland Islands labeled as British territory
A US map of Argentina. The Falkland Islands are labeled as a part of the UK while the Argentinian claim is acknowledged
In Chinese maps, the Falklands are usually colored in white to indicate its status as a disputed territory between Argentina and the UK. The islands are first labeled by their Spanish/Argentinian name, 马尔维纳斯群岛 (“Islas Malvinas”), followed by the British/English name 福克兰群岛 (“Falkland Islands”) in parentheses.
Chinese map of Latin America with the “Islas Malvinas (Falkland Islands)” labeled as territory disputed between Argentina and the United Kingdom
Map of Argentina provided by the Chinese Foreign Ministry with the “Islas Malvinas (Falkland Islands)” labeled in a similar fashion. Note how the islands are still given a color other than gray, which makes them look like Argentinian territory even though they are explicitly recognized as disputed.
There are slight variations in how the Middle East, particularly Israel/Palestine, is portrayed in US and Chinese maps. Since the United States does not recognize the State of Palestine, “Palestine” is rarely labeled on American maps. Instead, Israel is labeled as a country while the “West Bank” and “Gaza” are colored separately from Israel. The so-called “1967 line,” which separates the Palestinian territories from Israel, can be seen in most American maps.
Map of Israel and the Palestinian territories according to the CIA. The West Bank and Gaza are colored separately from Israel, while the Golan Heights (occupied by Israel and claimed by Syria) are colored into Israel.
While China recognizes both Israel and Palestine, Chinese maps of the region tend to use the same color for Israel and the Palestinian territories. Some maps, like Baidu’s, do not label Israel or Palestine at all, leaving instead an unlabeled territory between Egypt, Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon that people on both sides of the conflict can interpret differently.
Chinese map of Israel and Palestine, with Israel and the Palestinian territories sharing the same color. Unlike most maps of the region published in the US, this map labels the “Arab areas” (阿拉伯区) from the original partition plan, some of which extends into present-day Israel. The “1967 line” is represented as a temporary border instead of a permanent one, and it is almost unrecognizable.
This is the map of India on Google maps website accessed from India. Take a look at Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh.
This is the map of India on Google maps website accessed from Pakistan.
This is the map of India in Google Maps accessed outside India and Pakistan.
The 3 maps have 3 different representations of Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh in 3 different location.
For example, if you go Pakistan and see the map of India and Pakistan, you will notice that Kashmir belongs to Pakistan.
However staying in India, you will be more accustomed to seeing this image of the political map. What we call as Pakistan occupied Kashmir is called as Indian occupied Kashmir in Pakistan.
Also, if you see the new 20 Riyal note issued by Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, they have declared Kashmir as an independent country altogether. While Ladakh is a part of China.
Similarly China sees Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan as a part of its territory. However to the rest of the world who are not very good allies of China, they are seen as separate, independent countries.
We as Indians are more familiar to this version of the world map.
Here the map is made keeping United Kingdom at the center.
However countries tend to have their own version of the world map where they keep their country at the center.
With USA at the center.
However if we keep Australia at the centre of the map, it looks like this.
Keeping New Zealand at the center changes the look of the world map altogether as we knew it.
Then comes Antarctica. In our childhood we used to think Antarctica to be a huge landmass covered in ice. That is because how Antarctica is portrayed in the world map. It stretches the entirety of the map below giving it the look of a vast continent.
In reality, if we keep Antarctica at the center of the world map, that would look like this.
This is not just with countries but within states too. You are very used to see the map of America like this where Alaska and Hawaii are broken off and brought closer fo fit in the map but portrayed as very small regions.
But did you know that Alaska is the largest US state? This is a projection of Alaska state with respect to America.
And people of Alaska follow the US map in this fashion.
Many island nations who are in close proximity to bigger nations often exclude their neighboring countries from their map. For example, Japan is very close to China but sometimes they choose to exclude the China part from their map.
Same with Sri Lanka where they exclude a part of Tamil Nadu which would have otherwise been seen on the map.
We are also accustomed to seeing the map on a wrong scale. The countries in Northern Hemisphere are scaled up to a larger extent compared to Southern Hemisphere ones. Which is why you always see Russia as such a huge country. Notice how Africa looks so small compared to Russia.
In reality, Russia is smaller than the size of the continent of Africa.
This projection by Mercator shows an accurate detail of how much the countries have been inflated in terms of area. Look at Russia and Canada!
To conclude, all the countries have their own version of the world map which are made in accordance to their political stand with the other countries and sometimes, in accordance to geographical preference too.
Many locations across the world are claimed by multiple countries. In such scenarios, the maps will be represented depending on the political scenario of the particular location.
(Images: Google Maps)
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