the virtual transforms the real

…the map can also become a highly effective machine of power

(The Contemporary Cartorama – last paragraph)

…the real becomes more and more transformed by a virtual

(surfaces)

The map as a political instrument:

On November 4th 2010 a Nicaraguan military commander, relying on Google Maps, moved troops into an area near San Juan Lake along the border between his country and Costa Rica. The troops are accused of setting up camp there, taking down a Costa Rican flag and raising the Nicaraguan flag, doing work to clean up a nearby river, and dumping the sediment in Costa Rican territory.

http://searchengineland.com/nicaragua-raids-costa-rica-blames-google-maps-54885

http://static02.mediaite.com/geekosystem/uploads/2010/11/NicarCosta.png


The World of Google:

Google languages and regions (according to the map of Theo Deutinger from 2007) differ strongly from the political map. Some countries are missing (mostly in Africa) and some exist in the world of google, but not on the Map of the U.N..

This map shows "wanna-be"-states of the world. Some of them are countries in the world of google.

source: http://td-architects.eu/