Book Review on "The Invention of the Continents"

History teaches that national boundaries can change frequently. But what about continents? Is their shape really immovable? And how did this happen? The famous geographer and historian Christian Gretaloupe has addressed these questions in his book “The Invention of the Continents”.

no clear division

In his “Tour de Horizons” through the history of cartography, the author shows that the division of the world into continents is not as clear as expected. It is not based on natural boundaries, but man-made, hence the main message of the book, which is very well worth a read. Using literary sources, historical maps, and works of art, renowned geo-historians describe how world views created maps of the world and what specific ideas were incorporated into their representations.

The ability to understand and represent spaces graphically is as old as humanity itself. Maps are consequently the implementation of spatial ideas and knowledge of space – and thus are snapshots of an era and the world of its ideas.

The division into continental and maritime world regions, according to Gretaloupe, has been primarily shaped by cultural determination over the course of history. Whether the Babylonian map of the world from the 7th century BC, the Late Roman “Tabula Peutingariana” or maps of the modern world by Martin Waldseemüller (1507) or Gerhard Mercator (1569) – they are all artificial projections and represent a very specific worldview. indicate. In the East, Babylon has been declared the center of the world. The Roman road network recorded on the “Tabula Putingariana” symbolizes the penetration and domination of space by the world power Rome. And modern maps show a glimpse of the world as their creators wanted to see it – namely from a Eurocentric point of view. One thing is certain for Gretaloupe: “The continents shown on maps tell more about the worldview of the era than the geographical truth.”