{"id":29826,"date":"2024-08-29T14:27:49","date_gmt":"2024-08-29T14:27:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.regio.ee\/?p=29826"},"modified":"2025-07-16T13:34:34","modified_gmt":"2025-07-16T13:34:34","slug":"how-a-world-map-is-made","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.regio.ee\/en\/how-a-world-map-is-made\/","title":{"rendered":"How a World Map Is Made"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Automatic Translation by ChatGPT<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first political world map produced by Regio was published back in 1993, at that time in A3 format. Over the years, this map\u2014later also available as a wall map\u2014has kept a fairly consistent visual style. However, we have continuously and significantly updated its content, even though it might seem like there haven\u2019t been many changes\u2014after all, the countries are mostly the same, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year, we undertook a thorough update of our oldest wall map and added shaded relief to enhance the visual depth. Now, the newly updated map has gone to print, and anyone interested can get a copy for themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Second edition of the political world map from 1998 (A3 format)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Regio editor and proofreader Kertu Uibo<\/strong> writes below about the challenges a cartographer faces when creating a political map of the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Represent Politically Complex Areas on a Map<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Creating a political world map seems like a straightforward task\u2014you simply mark each country, its name, and its capital. Color the countries in different shades, and voil\u00e0: a beautiful political map is ready. There are plenty of examples to follow as a guide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But once this seemingly simple task is done, it quickly becomes clear that the entire map isn\u2019t quite complete. In some places, it\u2019s not even clear where exactly to draw the border, and here and there are grey areas that are hard to color at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the cartographer, this presents quite a conundrum: how to depict politically ambiguous situations on a political map\u2014especially on an overview map, where there\u2019s no room to explain every exception and nuance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In our new map, we resolved this by using a different line style for disputed borders. Contested territories are shown with hatching, where the color of the controlling country is marked with a broader stripe. Some areas, however, remain ambiguous\u2014how, for example, should one depict Palestine or Western Sahara?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How we solved that can now be seen on the new map itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Does the Netherlands Have One or Two Capitals?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Even country capitals present challenges for mapmakers. For instance, Kazakhstan periodically changes the name of its capital. Indonesia is building a new capital to replace Jakarta\u2014called Nusantara\u2014but it\u2019s still unclear when it will officially become the capital. Egypt is also constructing a new capital and is further along than Indonesia, but there’s a different issue: the new city doesn\u2019t yet have a name. And without a name, we can\u2019t put it on the map.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s talk of new capitals in South Korea, Malaysia, and Equatorial Guinea as well. Some countries have not just one capital but two, even three\u2014or their capital\u2019s status is ambiguous altogether.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While creating the map, we found ourselves wondering: Does the Netherlands have one or two capitals? And what is the capital of Israel?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Indonesia is building a new capital to replace Jakarta, and its name is Nusantara<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Agreed-Upon Line Where the Date Changes<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Our newly updated world wall map includes some exciting additions. For example, behind the political information, there is now a shaded relief layer, which adds visual interest and makes it easier to explore settlement patterns and the location of islands in the seas. A new feature on our map is the International Date Line. Now you can see why two island nations\u2014Samoa and American Samoa, located just 70 kilometers apart\u2014have different dates: the International Date Line, an agreed-upon boundary where the date changes, runs between them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The island nations of Samoa and American Samoa, located just 70 kilometers apart, have different dates \u2014 the International Date Line runs between them<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

How to Map Countries\u2019 Territorial Claims?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

As a bonus, our world map includes separate smaller maps of the Arctic and Antarctica, providing a clearer understanding of their location and shape. On the Antarctica map, countries’ territorial claims are shown as part of the political information. These claims are currently indefinitely frozen, and the continent is considered politically neutral.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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On the Antarctica map, countries\u2019 territorial interests are shown as political information<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

And to Finish, One More Interesting Fact:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

When looking at the world wall map, one might wonder\u2014why are there so many countries with the name Guinea? There’s Guinea and Guinea-Bissau, neighbors on the Atlantic coast of West Africa; Equatorial Guinea, located on the Gulf of Guinea; and Papua New Guinea, all the way on the other side of the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are several theories about this, but the most widely accepted explanation is that the word \u201cGuinea\u201d comes from the Tuareg word \u201caginaw\u201d, which means \u201cblack people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Including all the Guineas, our map shows a total of 195 independent countries, as well as the islands and overseas territories belonging to those countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Why Are There So Many Countries Named Guinea?<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The new printed map also features a novel material \u2014 it\u2019s thin, lightweight, and durable, and can be easily mounted on a wall using pushpins or adhesive. In addition to the standard map (99 x 65 cm), larger versions are also available for custom order from Regio\u2019s online store. We print maps on paper, rigid boards, blackout roller blinds, and even wallpaper.<\/p>\n\n\n

Happy exploring<\/svg><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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