engleski

Ethnic Maps: Between Reality and Propaganda

Ethnic maps provide insight into the ethnically complex populations of certain areas. They are a cartographic way of portraying a part of cartographic reality. Southeastern Europe appears as an ideal area for ethnic maps drawers: there is a variety of different ethnic groups living in a relatively small area. Moreover, political boundaries often do not correspond with so-called ethnic borders, i.e. divisions between majority areas of different nations and/or ethnic groups. The history of SouthEastern Europe offers a number of examples of ethnic maps drawing and their use in political context. The paper focused on ethnic maps drawn and published in the context of the break-up of Yugoslav federation during the first half of the 1990’ s. The maps were produced mainly by scientific institutions or under the supervision of experts, but with the specific goal to back and justify political standpoints of their respective country's governments during a turbulent period of geopolitical change and transition. Generally, figures and statistics were presented professionally and correctly. Map authors and compilers did not try to falsify figures. The degree of intent in mapmaking is registered primarily through the choice of cartographic technique, including certain elements of the map design (choice of colours). In that regard, one can identify a technique favoured by Croatian sources (pie charts) and another one often used by Serbian mapmakers (choropleth maps). Maps were understood to be powerful media tools and influential visual images that could be used to create a particular perception.

ethnic map; cartographic technique; political propaganda

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