Drawing the Lines

Maps are more than lines on paper. Like letters or diaries, they tell human stories. They reflect the views of their makers, or their intended users, about what is important, and they reveal just as much by what they exclude as what they include.

Often delicately drawn and brightly colored, they can appear innocent, even whimsical. Upon closer inspection, though, some disclose a racial, religious or ethnic agenda. Maps can be important tools of political propaganda and control, used for good or evil, to lead or mislead.

"All maps are subjective. In...