Lab 1

This is a world map which is oriented around the Pacific Ocean. This map is interesting because the United States, as well as other western cultures, tend to use maps oriented around the Atlantic Ocean, placing Europe in the center of the world. In this map, Asian countries, Australia, and South Pacific Islands are at the middle. This adds a perspective of the world that does not reflect European history. 

Source: http://www.mapcenter.com/?c=web3.8&product=HEMA+WOR+LG+LA

Google Images, 2:20 PM, September 28, 2010

This map shows the CO2 emissions of countries around the world. The size of the country in the map is relative to the amount of CO2 released, instead of the land mass. This is interesting because it simply and clearly highlights the major polluters and shows the disproportion in polluting levels between the developed North and the developing South. A small country like Japan is almost twice as big as the whole continent of Africa and the United States of America is the biggest on the map. 

Source: http://www.worldmapper.org/display.php?selected=299

Google Images, 3:00 PM, October 1, 2010

This map shows the United States of America and contains the names and locations of the Native American Tribes that once flourished here. There are many interesting aspects about this map. The most apparent is the fact that the landlocked states' borders, which were socially constructed by the European immigrants after they had conquered the natives, are drawn. The drawings of native american cultural symbols around the map are also very interesting. One of the symbols is a native american on a horse hunting a buffalo; this is interesting because horses were introduced to the Americas by the Europeans and were not present in the native cultures before European conquest. Thus, although this map is celebrating native tribes, by showing the state lines and horses, European influence is also represented.
Source: http://taramaso.seesaa.net/article/140184773.html?sss
Google Images, 3:45 PM, October 1, 2010