History of Maps and Cartography - Assignment Example

Download file to see previous pages The map in consideration is a proposed land-swap between Israel and Palestine from Washington Institute Near East Policy as published in the New York Times (2011). The map consists of the basic geographic outlines and with emphasis on strips or areas of lands considered by the proponents to be swapped between the two conflicting countries. The depiction also included bodies of water in light blue, political geographic divisions, and color-coded land areas. Interestingly, the map only acknowledged Israel and did not indicate or provide the distinction between Israel and Palestine lands. The map as a schematic presentation provides not only referential images but also an explanation that:
Jewish West Bank settlements are a major complication in defining a Palestinian state. A possible solution is to exchange territory between the two sides – land swaps. Now, the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, a pro-Israeli research group, claims that Israel could absorb 80 percent of the Jewish settlers by exchanging land presented in this map. This plan is not currently being considered in the negotiation process (Landler, 2011, P1).
Prior to indicating an analysis and discussion of the map, it is important to provide a backgrounder about the source of the map. The New York Times claims that the Washington Institute Near East Policy is a pro-Israeli think tank group as it was founded by scholars linked with the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee (Landler, 2011). The latter is a well-known pro-Israel lobbying group. The proposed map aimed to guide negotiators in coming up with a new Palestinian state in the West Bank but in consideration of the Jewish settlers that live there. The figures say that in the proposed map of land-swap, Israel could absorb up to 80% of its settler population in exchange of 5% of the West Bank to the Palestinians. Previously, Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert proposed in 2008 a land area equivalent to only 6.3% of territory seized during the 1967 Arab-Israeli war but Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas wants only to return 1.6% of the contested land (Landler, 2011).
Representation figures and accuracy of the map provides an immediate bias of swapping as there are more and totally bigger areas to be swapped by the moss-green for the orange areas. As Landler (2011) observed, “Mathematical tradeoffs are sprinkled throughout these maps,” (P 15).
Historically, this analysis will refer to previous maps published that provide a narrative of how two nations now claim of a single territory. But before it will dwell to comparisons and analysis, it will reconsider the identity and various aspects of a map.
In order to explore and critic a map for this paper, it is important to fully comprehend the information about maps, their purpose, and peoples’ understanding about them. A map is a product of envisioning with the purpose of introducing the geographical significance of a visual object to communicate or impart information in an effective and appropriate manner (Parry and Perkins, 2000). It should be understood that geographical knowledge is based on fieldwork observation, mapmaking, survey, as well as illustration and photography. It is about physical and external images dependent on what and how the source of information may view or see it (Parry and Perkins, 2000). ...Download file to see next pagesRead More