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Posted by: Amelia Raines
It took centuries for European maps to accurately portray the route of Africa's third-longest river. Does its delta lie in Egypt, Senegal, or Nigeria - or could there even be two?
Posted in: 15th century cartography, 16th century cartography, 18th century cartography, 20th century cartography, African History, European History, Exploration, Hydrology, Physical Geography
Posted by: Julie Stoner
Around 200 million years ago, the supercontinent of Pangaea began to break apart into the continents we know today. This post will explore the discovery of this continental drift theory through maps in the Library’s collections.
Posted in: 16th century cartography, 19th century cartography, 20th century cartography, Physical Geography
Posted by: Tim St. Onge
A fascinating 1787 map serves as a cartographic launching point for exploring the unique history of Belize and how the region’s lush forests drew the interest of colonial powers.
Posted in: 18th century cartography, 19th century cartography, 20th century cartography, Borders, Physical Geography
Posted by: Tim St. Onge
Join us at the Library of Congress on Thursday, February 26th from 5pm to 8pm for Adventures in Topography, a special Live! at the Library event reaching new heights in terrain mapping! This event will feature a collections display, interactive games and crafts, and a talk by Tom Patterson, retired cartographer with the US National Park Service, on the history of topographic mapping techniques.
Posted in: Events, Geographic Information Science, Geography and Map Division, Physical Geography
Posted by: Meagan Snow
North of the Snake River in southeast Washington State sits the Palouse: a region of rolling hills, (somewhat mythical) giant earthworms, and fertile loess soils. This post discusses the unique geology of this region using maps found in the Geography & Map Division.
Posted in: 20th century cartography, American History, Physical Geography
Posted by: Abraham Parrish
Interview with Dr. Shouraseni Sen Roy, the Geography and Map Division's latest Phillip Lee Phillips Society Fellow, who has just finished her 8-week stint here at the Library of Congress to conduct research on her topic of historical analysis of transformations in the Sundarbans Delta.
Posted in: 18th century cartography, 19th century cartography, 20th century cartography, Asian History, Physical Geography
Posted by: Julie Stoner
The Geography and Map Division has thousands of topographic maps in its collections but some have a unique take on the rest of the category. This blog post highlights several maps and models that stand out as being different in form and shape from other topographic maps including a chocolate bar map, a pop up map, and a map made of compressed paper among others.
Posted in: 20th century cartography, Physical Geography
Posted by: Meagan Snow
Learn about the development of the oscillating scan mirror (a key component of Virginia Norwood's multi-spectral scanner), which made Landsat I a success, changing the science of earth observation forever. The development of the oscillating scan mirror is documented in the "Virginia Norwood Papers," a new collection in the Geography & Map Division of the Library of Congress.
Posted in: 20th century cartography, Big Data and Visualization, Geographic Information Science, Physical Geography
Posted by: Lena Mattson
The deepest point in the Atlantic Ocean can be found about 100 miles north of Puerto Rico, in a trench where two tectonic plates meet. This post discusses the Puerto Rico Trench's unique geology and efforts to map it.
Posted in: 19th century cartography, 20th century cartography, Exploration, Geographic Information Science, Physical Geography