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Reflections on national geopolitics : How national geopolitics are mirrored in web map services

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dc.date.accessioned 2013-06-03T11:52:09Z und
dc.date.accessioned 2017-10-24T12:16:35Z
dc.date.available 2013-06-03T11:52:09Z und
dc.date.available 2017-10-24T12:16:35Z
dc.date.issued 2013-06-03T11:52:09Z
dc.identifier.uri http://radr.hulib.helsinki.fi/handle/10138.1/2807 und
dc.identifier.uri http://hdl.handle.net/10138.1/2807
dc.title Reflections on national geopolitics : How national geopolitics are mirrored in web map services en
ethesis.discipline Regional Studies en
ethesis.discipline Aluetiede fi
ethesis.discipline Regionvetenskap sv
ethesis.discipline.URI http://data.hulib.helsinki.fi/id/E14e9eed-a08b-4a09-99e1-232003ef28ab
ethesis.department.URI http://data.hulib.helsinki.fi/id/3d45b9d6-7f3a-4008-a01f-6f27f2263ec4
ethesis.department Institutionen för geovetenskaper och geografi sv
ethesis.department Department of Geosciences and Geography en
ethesis.department Geotieteiden ja maantieteen laitos fi
ethesis.faculty Matematisk-naturvetenskapliga fakulteten sv
ethesis.faculty Matemaattis-luonnontieteellinen tiedekunta fi
ethesis.faculty Faculty of Science en
ethesis.faculty.URI http://data.hulib.helsinki.fi/id/8d59209f-6614-4edd-9744-1ebdaf1d13ca
ethesis.university.URI http://data.hulib.helsinki.fi/id/50ae46d8-7ba9-4821-877c-c994c78b0d97
ethesis.university Helsingfors universitet sv
ethesis.university University of Helsinki en
ethesis.university Helsingin yliopisto fi
dct.creator Andersson, Elina
dct.issued 2013
dct.language.ISO639-2 eng
dct.abstract Critical cartographic research has proved that maps are connected to national geopolitics and that they reflect local, national interests and agendas. The map designer and his background can affect the contents and design of a map to a great extent. Research in critical cartography has so far mostly concentrated on traditional paper maps, but nowadays maps are to a growing extent read on the Web as the World Wide Web has gained success. Because of the extending power that web maps have, it is of great importance to investigate if and how web maps are connected to geopolitical agendas and interests, and how they picture the world. This research investigates three web map services that are free-of-charge and theoretically open for anyone at any time. The map services originate in different parts of the world: ABmaps is Israeli, Google Maps is American and Yandex Maps is Russian. The services are investigated with the help of two structured content analyses, one that focuses especially on the maps' design and tools, and another that concentrates on the study area termed 'the Heart of the Middle East'. The maps are approached with the help of semiotic, hermeneutic and deconstructive theories. The results shows that along with traditional paper maps, also web map services are connected to geopolitical agendas. The national interests are clear in that the own home country is portrayed in favorable ways, thus as colorful and in large size. In Google Maps the whole world is pictured fairly consistently, while ABmaps and Yandex Maps picture areas that are out of interest in poor detail and color. It is evident that it is easy to distort a dynamic web map and make statements on political disputes. Since web map services have a great and growing number of users, it is crucial that map users are aware of distortions that the maps possibly contain, and hereby, how the picture of the world is distorted. en
dct.language en
ethesis.language.URI http://data.hulib.helsinki.fi/id/languages/eng
ethesis.language English en
ethesis.language englanti fi
ethesis.language engelska sv
ethesis.thesistype pro gradu-avhandlingar sv
ethesis.thesistype pro gradu -tutkielmat fi
ethesis.thesistype master's thesis en
ethesis.thesistype.URI http://data.hulib.helsinki.fi/id/thesistypes/mastersthesis
dct.identifier.urn URN:NBN:fi-fe2017112251332
dc.type.dcmitype Text

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