2008 Woodie Awards
Amherst cartographer creates equal-area map
U.S. map revolutionized
S.P. Sullivan, Collegian Staff
Issue date: 9/18/07 Section: News
The concept behind the various alternate projections is an acknowledgement on part of ODT of the biases inherent in conventional mapmaking. Few educational resources are entirely free from bias and mapmaking, Abramms insists, is no exception.
"We want to give everybody a fair airing of their views," said Abramms in reference to the equal-area U.S. projection, "and we're doing it with this map."
ODT also offers a version of the Mercator projection but expresses disdain at its obscured representation of size. The map was developed in 1569 for use in navigation; and although it provides useful representation of the planet's oceans, it has caused controversy with how it represents certain countries. Greenland is shown to be nearly equal in size to Africa-a land mass 14 times bigger than itself- while Alaska is represented as being bigger than Brazil when, in reality, it is five times smaller.
It's these sort of geographic misrepresentations that ODT Maps finds to be vastly politically incorrect and their more progressive approach to mapmaking has found a receptive audience in the geopolitically aware Amherst community.
"We've got a lot of new fans in the Pioneer Valley," said Abramms.
S.P. Sullivan can be reached at spsulliv@student.umass.edu.
"We want to give everybody a fair airing of their views," said Abramms in reference to the equal-area U.S. projection, "and we're doing it with this map."
ODT also offers a version of the Mercator projection but expresses disdain at its obscured representation of size. The map was developed in 1569 for use in navigation; and although it provides useful representation of the planet's oceans, it has caused controversy with how it represents certain countries. Greenland is shown to be nearly equal in size to Africa-a land mass 14 times bigger than itself- while Alaska is represented as being bigger than Brazil when, in reality, it is five times smaller.
It's these sort of geographic misrepresentations that ODT Maps finds to be vastly politically incorrect and their more progressive approach to mapmaking has found a receptive audience in the geopolitically aware Amherst community.
"We've got a lot of new fans in the Pioneer Valley," said Abramms.
S.P. Sullivan can be reached at spsulliv@student.umass.edu.
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 3
Roger C. S. Lin
posted 9/18/07 @ 4:20 AM EST
Please also be aware that Taiwan is an overseas area (unincorporated territory) of the United States, and should be included on all United States maps. (Continued…)
Lawrence Mansy
posted 10/20/07 @ 1:52 AM EST
Speaking of "bias"? Here is one for the history books. I remember my 8th grade history teacher saying, when the class began asking questions about Africa and when we were going to study it; She said, and I quote; "We don't know anything about Africa, so we WON'T BE STUDYING IT AT ALL"!
The entire class was stunned to silence and then slowly began asking questions, i. (Continued…)
Alaska Cruises
posted 1/07/09 @ 12:59 PM EST
That map looks a bit different than the maps I used to learn on. I guess this is the future of geography: equal area maps and Google maps...
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