Now, what's your geographical imagination of the world?

It never occured to me that maps are not as factural nor impartial as they seem to be until i started reading geography at university. What is depicted on the map, as well as what is not included tells a lot of stories. Of course it would be highly impossible to do an exact replica of the actual ground conditions on a map, therefore information has to selectively chosen to be represented on a map. Ever wondered who holds the power to choose what to include on a map and why in that manner? Why are there so many colours and lines dividing countries on a map when in the real physical world, there are often no mammoth lines separating two countries?

During my first geography class in university, the lecturer gave us the task of drawing either the world or singapore map without referring to any sources. It was supposed to be a hand-drawn map based entirely on our own perceptions of our own country or the rest of the world. This task yielded some very interesting results.

For instance, some people drew the whole MRT lines of Singapore, complete with the exact station names --> this person probably takes the train very frequently. Yet another person drew all the major expressways of Singapore --> this person is probably a driver or biker. Or some people are able to locate on the map the places around their homes very well, but left the rest of the spaces blank. All these information gives a very good indication of the map-illustrator's background.

I am highly tickled by "map" below, which is based on the perceptions of some Singaporeans. I am quite sure this might be how some Singaporeans view our neigbouring countries and the world beyond, such as how Indonesia is only restricted to haze and Batam or how India is only filled with programmers. The portrayal of Thailand reflects the mindset of many a Singaporean. Ever since the budget airlines burst into the aviation scene in our part of the world, many of our countrymen have been making numerous weekend trips to Bangkok for cheap shopping, food and massages. I have had friends who commented "Wah, i didn't know Thailand can be so advanced with such a happening night scene and so many chio girls." Then i replied "That is Bangkok, not Thailand."

Indeed, it is highly amazing how some people (not only Singaporeans) can view the world with such warped and stereotypical mindsets. It should be noted that Singapore appears many times larger than what it really is on this map.

Now, how does your view of the world looks like? Try drawing a map of your own locality, town, country or the world. It will probably show how much you know of the world, or conversely, how little you know of it.