Questions tagged [maps]
For questions relating to maps, incl. specific maps, how these were made, and their purpose.
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Which period is this game map supposed to represent? [closed]
I have gotten my hands on a handmade Diplomacy variant, however for the life of me I can't figure out which period it is supposed to represent. Of course the author had to take liberties when ...
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What is the earliest map of Washington, D.C.?
What is the earliest official map of Washington, D.C. and where can it be found in the digital form and highest possible resolution? Googling didn't yield a credible answer.
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Information about the Kingdom of Raja Dahir of Sindh?
I am trying to find some information about the Kingdom of Raja Dahir of Sindh. For example, how much area did his empire constitute and where was it generally located? If anyone could also provide a ...
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Naming of (strategic) hills on a map as numbers (example Hill 60)
I'm a native to the Ypres region. Here we still have hills retaining their names given during WW1: Hill 60, Hill 62, Hill 41,...
I did some research on the naming of the hills. And during my research ...
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What are the height units of contours on this WW2 topographic map?
What are the units seen on the contours and spot heights of this WW2 topographic map? I'm not sure if the map is of Russian or German origin: I've seen the same style and map symbols on Russian army ...
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Are there any surviving maps from the Delhi Sultanate?
Are there any surviving maps of the Delhi Sultanate that were made in India during that era? I'm having a very hard time finding any maps surviving from that period of Indian history that actually ...
CommunityBot
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When would the Japanese have been able to recognize their archipelago?
After watching Bill Wurtz's History of Japan video, it got me wondering.
At 4:38, it brings up the Dutch bringing geography to Japan (obviously, this is a humorous video, so I'm sure this is ...
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Where can I find more information about former German internal enclaves and exclaves?
This question is related to the question I asked previously: Why was the shape of German states pre-WWII (especially Prussia) so complicated?
Most maps of pre-WWII are not detailed enough to see an ...
CommunityBot
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Do any Byzantine maps survive?
Are there any maps still surviving that were made in the Byzantine Empire?
There are plenty of maps from Western Europe during this time period, but I haven't heard of any surviving from the eastern ...
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Pinpointing the date of a globe
I'm trying to calculate the date a globe was produced, using as a source its features, i.e. the names of the nations, the borders, the capitals, anything else that could have changed with time. This, ...
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Where can I find open historical map data?
I am building an interactive map project, that should draw a political map for any given year. Are there any open resources, that give access to such information? Maybe, as an array of points marking ...
CommunityBot
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What are those X in top of the flag?
Well, I was wondering. What are those crosses in the top of the flag when we visualize military battleplans?
For instance, take a look in a map of the Battle for El Alamein:
The Free French ...
CommunityBot
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What was the most accurate map of the world before artificial satellites?
How accurate were the maps before the invention of artificial satellites? What was the most accurate map of the Earth before satellites?
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What is the origin of these WW1 "official history" maps?
I'm looking for a source, preferably the original atlas or set of documents in facsimile, for the following WW1 maps (and their siblings):
I've only found these fragments, reproduced on the Web and ...
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Pre-WW2 location of Skalat
Was Skalat on the border between Poland and USSR before WW2? Is there a pre-WW2 map with Skalat? I am trying to confirm information from a 90-year old who reportedly crossed the former border between ...
CommunityBot
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Was the location of the 180° line of longitude coincidence or deliberately chosen?
This question on Politics.SE asks about the alignment of maps, and got two answers. The first (mine) says the split through the Bering Strait was chosen for practical reasons, the second says that it'...
CommunityBot
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What is the history of Cartography?
Today's maps rely on overhead surveillance. Wikipedia's history of Cartography lists some key technologies that improved cartography (e.g. telescopes, magnetic compasses, etc.), but doesn't explain ...
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Context for this 1871 humorous map of Europe?
The following map is from (circa) 1871, according to this source, and it was published in Bologna, Italy. Could you please provide some context for it? Parts of the map are self evident, as for ...
CommunityBot
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What are the historical reasons for the conventional map orientation?
North is traditionally shown upwards in maps, although there isn't any physical reason for it - compass needles point parallel to magnetic field lines. Showing south as up would be just as legitimate. ...
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Relatively modern phantom islands or similar entities
(Not sure whether to ask it here or at Travel.SE; feel free to migrate my question if others think differently)
I recently came across the concept of Phantom island. I guess there aren't any phantom ...
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At what point did mapmaking begin to accurately reflect what we now know about the earth?
Looking at maps through the ages, it is apparent that maps have become closer and closer to representing the locations and shapes of the Earth's features with increasing accuracy over the centuries. ...
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