Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
a purpose. Mostly their purpose was purely functional - to aid
navigation, produce an accurate record, and pave the way for later
expeditions - and this was the practical face of geography at that
time.
This kind of fundamental geography was a practical science,
characterized by its empiricism and fact-fi nding that helped
build up our knowledge of the world. Much of the exploration
and accompanying mapmaking was politically motivated. It
was strongly linked to imperialism and colonies and to attempts
to extend the power of particular states and organizations.
Maps were a means of depicting claims to territory and
demarcating growing spheres of infl uence. Reminiscing on
his Victorian childhood, the author Stuart Cloete wrote in his
autobiography:
From pole to pole the Union Jack whipped in Arctic gales or
sagged in the tropical heat of this empire upon which the sun
never set. … Britannia rules the waves. Pax Brittanica was a reality.
London was the centre of the world: in children's school atlases
country after country, whole continents, were painted red with
unquestioned British dominion.
Stuart Cloete, A Victorian Son (1923)
As with the Roman Empire before it, there was subsequent
decline and fall, but the scramble for lands and colonies was aided
by and contributed to the science of geography. The last quarter
of the 19th century was the Age of Imperialism. In 1875, 10% of
Africa was in foreign hands; by 1900, this fi gure had risen to 90%.
Britain led the way in redrawing the map of Africa, but France,
Germany, Belgium, Portugal, Spain, and Italy all had a part to
play. Every representation of the world in the form of a map
and every journey into new lands refl ected deeper agendas. The
questions were of extending infl uence, establishing control, and
presenting an image that suited a particular purpose. Geography,
then, has always been concerned with the 'where' of things and
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