Map Policy

When do we change our maps?

Maps are a rich, useful, and—to the extent humanly possible—accurate means of depicting the world. Yet maps inevitably make the world seem a little simpler than it really is. A neatly drawn boundary may in reality be a hotly contested war zone. The government-sanctioned, “official” name of a provincial city in an ethnically diverse region may bear little resemblance to the name its citizens routinely use. These cartographic issues often seem obscure and academic. But maps arouse passions. Despite our carefully reasoned map policies, users of National Geographic maps write us strongly worded letters when our maps are at odds with their worldviews.

How do National Geographic’s cartographers deal with these messy realities? With constant scrutiny, considerable discussion, and help from outside experts.

Nations: Issues of national sovereignty and contested borders often boil down to “de facto versus de jure” discussions. Governments and international agencies frequently make official rulings about contested regions. These de jure decisions, no matter how legitimate, are often at odds with the wishes of individuals and groups; and they often stand in stark contrast to real-world situations. The inevitable conclusion: It is simplest and best to show the world as it is—de facto—rather than as we or anyone else wishes it to be.

Africa’s Western Sahara, for example, was divided by Morocco and Mauritania after the Spanish government withdrew in 1976. Although Morocco now controls the entire territory, the United Nations does not recognize Morocco’s sovereignty over this still disputed area. The Atlas shows the de facto Moroccan rule but includes an explanatory note.

Place-names: Ride a barge down the Danube, and you’ll hear it called Donau, Duna, Dunaj, Dunarea, Duna, Dunay. These are local names. This Atlas uses the conventional name “Danube.” (In many cases both local and conventional names are used.) Conventions like these are compiled and approved by the U.S. Board of Geographic Names, a group with representatives from several U.S. agencies that meets regularly in the Washington, D.C., area. Its quest is increasingly daunting: to maintain order in a constantly changing world.

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