------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
From: "Hillary Shaw" <[log in to unmask]>
Organization: School of Geography
To: [log in to unmask]
Date: Tue, 21 Sep 1999 12:08:36 GMT
Subject: a dig at historians
Priority: normal
Well since we could do with some other subjects on crit geog, here's
one.....why do the maps in historical atlases almost always show
ancient towns, nations etc on a modern map (the only exception I know
of is an hist. atlas of ca. 1895 which DOES show Roman Britain, the
Netherlands etc with the coastlines of 2000 yrs ago, and yes they
were very different in places then from now). Its not only historians who dont
allow for changes - most
settlements are built there on the basis that whats there now always
will be; hence we have some major cities now in some very
inappropriate places, eg London, Naples. Naples will be very
interesting, because when (not if) Vesuvius erupts, assuming we have
enough warning, what will be the effect on the Italian GDP? What
would for comparison, the effect on UK GDP be of evacuating a city
like Birmingham, rehousing its population, and then rebuilding it?
Of course we cant just move every city in the world that shouldnt be
there...but if geographers dont try to influence politicians,
planners etc to steer development away from certain areas, who will?
Hillary Shaw, P/G Geography, University of Leeds
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