﻿MAPS, 
  STRATEGY, 
  AND 
  WORLD 
  POLITICS 
  1 
  

  

  By 
  Richabd 
  Edes 
  Harrison 
  

   Cartographer 
  

  

  and 
  

  

  Robert 
  Stbausz-Hup£ 
  

   University 
  of 
  Pennsylvania 
  

  

  [With 
  5 
  plates] 
  

  

  Geography 
  is 
  the 
  study 
  of 
  the 
  earth, 
  its 
  regions, 
  and, 
  more 
  particu- 
  

   larly, 
  the 
  relationship 
  of 
  one 
  region 
  to 
  another. 
  Maps 
  are 
  tools 
  for 
  

   the 
  study 
  of 
  geography. 
  

  

  If 
  the 
  earth 
  were 
  flat 
  as 
  a 
  table 
  top, 
  there 
  would 
  be 
  few 
  problems 
  

   in 
  map 
  making. 
  Each 
  item 
  of 
  geographical 
  interest 
  could 
  be 
  shown 
  

   in 
  true 
  relationship 
  to 
  any 
  other 
  item 
  since 
  the 
  map, 
  like 
  a 
  table 
  top, 
  

   is 
  a 
  plane 
  and, 
  hence, 
  two-dimensional. 
  The 
  earth, 
  unfortunately, 
  is 
  

   a 
  round 
  solid. 
  Map 
  making 
  is 
  mainly 
  concerned 
  with 
  the 
  problem 
  of 
  

   representing 
  three 
  dimensions 
  on 
  a 
  two-dimensional 
  piece 
  of 
  paper. 
  

   Consider 
  a 
  globe 
  — 
  it 
  represents 
  the 
  world 
  in 
  all 
  respects, 
  distances, 
  

   areas, 
  directions, 
  shapes 
  ; 
  this 
  it 
  does 
  because 
  it 
  is 
  a 
  three-dimensional 
  

   scale 
  model. 
  If 
  a 
  globe 
  had 
  a 
  skin, 
  it 
  would 
  be 
  impossible 
  to 
  peel 
  it 
  

   off 
  and 
  flatten 
  it 
  into 
  any 
  single 
  shape 
  without 
  splitting 
  or 
  stretching 
  

   it. 
  How 
  to 
  perform 
  this 
  operation 
  is 
  the 
  dilemma 
  of 
  map 
  making. 
  

   The 
  greater 
  the 
  extent 
  of 
  the 
  sphere's 
  surface 
  depicted 
  by 
  the 
  map 
  

   the 
  greater 
  is 
  the 
  distortion, 
  and 
  the 
  smaller 
  the 
  extent 
  of 
  the 
  surface 
  

   the 
  smaller 
  the 
  distortion. 
  In 
  large-scale 
  tactical 
  maps 
  it 
  shrinks 
  

   almost 
  to 
  the 
  vanishing 
  point 
  but 
  it 
  is 
  present, 
  nevertheless. 
  In 
  an 
  

   area 
  large 
  enough 
  to 
  show 
  a 
  perceptible 
  curvature 
  of 
  the 
  earth, 
  the 
  

   distortion 
  becomes 
  an 
  appreciable 
  factor. 
  It 
  reaches 
  a 
  maximum 
  

   when 
  we 
  attempt 
  to 
  depict 
  the 
  whole 
  earth 
  on 
  one 
  map. 
  

  

  This 
  difficult 
  art 
  of 
  trying 
  to 
  represent 
  the 
  impossible 
  is 
  called 
  

   cartography, 
  and 
  the 
  devices 
  by 
  which 
  cartographers 
  attempt 
  to 
  show 
  

   a 
  round 
  surface 
  on 
  a 
  flat 
  and 
  generally 
  rectangular 
  piece 
  of 
  paper 
  

   are 
  called 
  projections. 
  Map 
  making 
  through 
  the 
  ages 
  has 
  necessarily 
  

   limited 
  itself 
  to 
  controlling 
  distortion, 
  so 
  that 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  four 
  prop- 
  

   erties 
  — 
  distance, 
  direction, 
  shape, 
  or 
  area 
  — 
  is 
  shown 
  correctly 
  at 
  the 
  

  

  1 
  Reprinted 
  by 
  permission 
  from 
  the 
  Infantry 
  Journal, 
  November 
  1942. 
  

  

  253 
  

  

  