Identify these maps

October 18, 2008 10:43 AM

What are the countries, provinces or states shown in this image?

There is Israel twice, unknown, Alberta and unknown (could be California + Cascadia but I am not sure).

Bonus question: this might be just a mysterious work of art but it looks like a riddle. There are some kind of city grids as background spelling (I think) THEFT so the riddle must be political and probably anti US. I don't see what is being stolen in Alberta (oil sands are handsomely bought).

Category: I suppose that "geography" fits inside "science & nature", right?

posted by bru to science & nature (12 answers total)

South Africa is the middle one.
posted by troy at 10:55 AM on October 18, 2008

I don't see what is being stolen in Alberta (oil sands are handsomely bought).

IIRC the oil revenues are staying in Alberta, enriching them but not trickling out into the national public budget.
posted by troy at 11:05 AM on October 18, 2008

South Africa and the Panama Canal Zone?
posted by WPW at 11:17 AM on October 18, 2008

Palestine/Israel are the two on the left, then South Africa, Alberta, mystery shape.
posted by dunkadunc at 11:25 AM on October 18, 2008

Good call on the canal! I can't think of anything else it could be, other than some Federation/Romulan neutral zone or something.
posted by troy at 11:48 AM on October 18, 2008

Last one is the Haldimand Tract, a large chunk of Southern Ontario once belonging to the Six Nations Confederacy.
posted by teg at 12:07 PM on October 18, 2008

"IIRC the oil revenues are staying in Alberta, enriching them but not trickling out into the national public budget."

You sure about that?
posted by larry_darrell at 12:13 PM on October 18, 2008

South Africa: bingo troy, thanks.

WPW, troy: I am not so sure about the canal; the 4 first maps are precise (probably cut and pasted) so the 5th should also be an accurate reproduction of a territory.
posted by bru at 12:17 PM on October 18, 2008

The Haldimand Tract is the subject of the Caledonia/Grand River land dispute.
posted by teg at 12:17 PM on October 18, 2008

Argh! Should have previewed.
The Haldimand Tract it is, faithfully drawn. Thanks, teg, for the find and the links.

Wow!
So we have Israel, Israel, South Africa, Alberta, Haldimand Tract.

Great work, thank you.

Now we only have to guess why those 4 (or 5). There are thousands or "stolen" territories throughout History. In fact, I am quite sure that every territory on the planet has been stolen from someone at a point or another. Only the artist knows.
posted by bru at 12:30 PM on October 18, 2008 [1 favorite]

aside to larry_d: yeah, I was talking national revenues. From what I gather the natural wealth of Canada is not evenly (re-)distributed aggressively, there are richer provinces and poorer provinces.
posted by troy at 1:42 PM on October 18, 2008

aside to troy: there is an equalization program managed by the federal government. Historically Ontario was the main purveyor and most other provinces were on the receiving end (everyone always bickering). Now Alberta is the main purveyor, Ontario will soon be a beneficiary and Newfoundland is fighting like mad to keep at the same time their oil revenues and equalization payments.
posted by bru at 3:28 PM on October 18, 2008