Satirical cartography

"Angling in Troubled Waters", a satirical map of Europe by Frederick W. Rose, from 1899

Satirical cartography is a form of art, exposing stereotypes and political messages with comical geopolitical illustrations. ^[1] Satirical cartography dates back to the late 18th century and early 19th century. Hanna Humphrey and Frederick W. Rose are among the earliest pioneers in cartoon-ish maps. ^[2]

In some cases, satirical cartography is meant to critique places and peoples or alternatively the stereotypes forming around given places and peoples. ^[3] They are often used as a way to communicate a message or influence ideas, rather than present objective geographic features. ^[4]

Examples

Satire maps often parody the knowledge of political figures like Donald Trump, where world maps are labeled according to the views of a satirized Trump. These world maps often include a United States inflated in size, and generalized views on Africa and Muslims, as a means of ridicule to Trump's various policies. ^[5] In the midst of the 2014 Crimean crisis, Yanko Tsvetkov would create a map of Europe "according to Putin", where countries were labeled humorously and with an exaggerated pro-Russian and pro-USSR ideology. ^[6]

See also

• View of the World from 9th Avenue

References

1. Cartography and Literature in Early Modern France
2. Earth in Vision 2012
3. Satirical Geographies
4. Marshall, Hannah (29 August 2019). "Persuasive Cartography: An Interview with Map Collector PJ Mode". JSTOR Daily. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
5. Jacobs, Frank. "How Donald Trump Sees the World — in Three Maps". Big Think. Retrieved 31 May 2025.
6. Fisher, Max (5 May 2014). "This very funny map shows what Vladimir Putin really thinks of Europe". Vox. Retrieved 31 May 2025.