I'm fascinated by old maps if only as a representation of misunderstanding of the world in its plainest sense. In the case of the map on page 571 of the text, I love the depiction of the Americas as a thin strip of land rather than the large, expansive continents we know them to be now. I also love how Africa seems to fall of the map at its southern-most tip.
Apart from its artistic representation of the world, this map captures a snapshot of sorts of Europe's view of the world during the fifteenth century. To Europe, they were the center of the world, and marked themselves as such on this map. I'd be interested to see a map from China during this time to compare where the place the center of the world view from, as well as how much of the Americas they draw in, if any, during this time.
It's interesting to know that even maps today place Europe relatively central to the map's proportions. Even though we have a better understanding of the world at large, having explored most of its wonders, we still mark Europe as the center. Odd, considering the text compared the United States to the Roman empire not too long ago. If such were the case, would there be propaganda-esque maps with America at the center? I'm curious.
Extra Credit Comment: Thank you for sharing your passion for maps. I would not have check them out in the text otherwise. The analysis of the maps also make complete sense and I totally agree. America should be the center of the world map because that is where I am located. It would be weird to look at a map that places San Francisco at the bottom since that would be my starting point. Good thing technology today allows for maps to be interactive to allow everyone this perspective.
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