Maps on Cultural Geography

This page has maps showing the Cultural Geography of this world. I tried to include all maps containing information on different cultures, even though this was not the major theme of the map. 

Other sources for learning about the cultural geography of different regions of our world are shown on other pages on this web site  They are the Great Peoples of the Past series of maps and what I call the Peoples of Series of maps both put out by National Geographic.

Click on Map Titles that are Links to see a Picture of that map.

 1. Races of Europe - December 1918 (25"x22") Here is a political map of Europe color keyed to show the races of Europe and the regions they inhabit. This is the first map put out by National Geographic that I have found which shows the cultural diversity of a region.

 2. Indians of North America - December 1972 (37"x22")
Side A: This side has a huge physical map of North America colored coded into several regions such as the Northwest Coast, Plateau, Great Basin, Southeast, etc. Around the outside are illustrations of the Native American peoples who inhabit these regions along with notes on these regions. The map is filled with specific locations where these early people resided along with the locations of forts and old routes traveled.

3. North America Before Columbus - December 1972 (37"x22")
Side B: This side contains a beautiful raised relief map of North America and Central America showing the locations of several early places of interest. Around the outside are many illustrations, write-ups and insets of historic sites with information on the cultural geography of these places. There is also a big inset chronicling the North American Past showing the artifacts of cultures during different times in history.

4. Celtic Europe - May 1977 (30"x22.5")
Side A: This historic map of Europe is filled with details of the Celtic civilization including their warfare, religion, agriculture and arts. It has four inset maps showing regions of Celtic culture through the ages.

5. Early Civilizations in the Middle East - September 1978 (37"x23")
Side B: This beautiful map features illustrations of artifacts and an overview of the history of this region and the civilizations who called it home. On the left are write-ups on the Growth of Civilization with titles such as First Farmers, First Villagers; Birth of the City; The Arts of Civilization and The Coming of Empires. On the right is an inset with a timeline titled Chronology of the Middle East.

6. Two Centuries of Conflict in the Middle East - September 1980 (20.5"x14")
Side B: This has a large physical map showing the percentage of Muslims amongst the various ethnicities of the region. It also has four maps highlighting the historical conflicts of this region. Map 1 is titled The Ottomans Lose Grip on an Empire; Map 2  British and Russian Ambitions Collide; Map 3 After the War: Slicing up the Region; and Map 4 Jews Create A Homeland Among Arabs.

7. Archaeology of South America - March 1982 (37"x22.5")
Side A: A major portion of this side has a physical map of the western coast of South America showing the cultural geography of this region with locations of Inca and other South American cultures. On the top the map are illustrations of pottery and a write-up titled The Progression of Cultures in Pottery. On the right is an inset containing a timeline filled with illustrations and titled The Growth of South American Civilization. There are other insets of South America, showing the Growth of the Inca Empire, Puma-Shaped Cuzco and Machu Picchu.

8. Indians of South America - March 1982 (37"x22.5")
Side B: This side has a physical map of South America color coded to show the six main Indian groups that inhabit this region; Circum-Caribbean, Amazonia, East Brazil, Gran Chaco, the South and the Andes. All around this map are notes, illustrations and pictures representing the different cultures of Indians that inhabit South America.

9. The Face and Faith of Poland - April 1982 (37"x22.5")
Side A: This has a small physical map of Poland while it still was a part of the Soviet Republic. It gives all kinds of info such as the population, major cities, climate, religion, industries and much more. It also contains seven small maps showing Poland's boundaries during different times in history. Most of this map, however, has pictures and write-ups on the history of Poland. The lower center has illustrations of Great Figures of Poland's Culture and History.

10. Poland - April 1982 (37"x22.5")
Side B: This side of the map is completely filled with beautiful pictures and write-ups of the history and people of Poland. The write-ups are titled "As ever in time of Oppression, Poles draw their hope from God", "Pope John Paul 2 speaks of his native land, its people, and their indomitable spirit" and "Spirited Pilgrims Proclaim their Faith."

11. Traveler's map of Spain and Portugal - October 1984 (36"x22.5")
Side B: You will find lots of information on the history and cultural geography of this region on this map. There is info on tour routes, handicrafts and the Iberian wine country. It has inset maps on the Azores, the Madeira Islands and the Canary Islands. There are also insets of Tour routes in Spain, Andalusia and Official Wine-Producing Regions of France.

12. Central America: Past and Present - April 1986 (31.5"x20")
Side B: This educational map features six individual maps highlighting the history of the region and includes colorful illustrations of historical figures, artifacts and wildlife. A geographical and historical overview is included.

13. History of the Philippines - July 1986 (27"x20")
Side A: This map was published just after the inauguration of Corazon Aquino. Most of the map is divided into sections showing the history of the Philippines and its people. They are titled "Beginnings of the Archipelago", "Cross, Crown, and Crescent", "Manila Entrepot: Junks and Galleons", American Era" and "An Evolving Republic". In the center is a physical map of the Philippines showing the locations of mid 17th century Roman Catholic Missionaries, routes of explorers, Spanish galleon routes, railroad 1891, battles, popular uprisings and world trade ports.

14. Ancient Maya World - October 1989 (27"x20")
Side A: This map allows you to explore the fascinating world of the Maya. It has an abundance of information about trade, travel and the landscape of this civilization, including an explanation of the various eras of Maya history. On the left is a physical map of the Maya world showing the location of known archaeological sites and sea and land trade routes. On the right is a timeline with lots of illustrations titled "Epic of the Ancient Maya".

15. Land of the Maya - October 1989 (27"x20")
Side B: This side has an abundance of historical notes about Mayan cities and their locations. It shows national parks and other preserved areas where you can explore the remains of this civilization. It contains a small physical map inset of the region.

16. Soviet Union - March 1990 (36.5"x22")
Side B: This side has a physical map of the Soviet Union color coded to show the different ethnolinguistic groups. Each group has a short write-up. This side includes nine individual inset maps with an abundance of information on the history of the Federation of Countries of the Soviet Union and their cultural geography.

17. China - July 1991 (29"x22")
Side B: This map contains two large physical maps detailing China's population density and industry and agriculture. It also has six inset maps and a timeline showing the different historical periods of China. This includes 5000 to 221 BC: Evolution to Empire, 206 BC to AD 220: Han Expansion and Collapse, Seventh Century: An Asian Empire, 1100 to 1300: Northern Invaders, 1760 to 1912: The Last Empire and 1916 to Present: World war: Civil war.

18. Native American Heritage - October 1991 (29"x20")
Side A: A large physical map of the United States occupies most of this side. Clearly marked on this map are tribal centers or museums, archaeological discoveries and historical sites, museums with Native American exhibits, Federal Indian Reservations and selected National Parks.

19. Indian America-What you can Visit Today - October 1991 (29"x20")
Side B: The center section of this map is filled with illustrations and write-ups on interesting sites to see. On the left and right sides are indexes to sites of interest for the map shown on the other side, broken into The West and The East.

20. Rediscovering Hawaii - September 1995 (31"x20")
Side B: This also has a stunning physical map of Hawaii which includes facts about the formation and history of the islands, along with information on its ethnic and cultural diversity. It includes maps and information on the Haleakala Crater, the Kauai State Parks, the Kilauea Caldera, Honolulu and Lahaina.

21. Millennium in maps: Cultures - August 1999 (31"x20")
Side A: This side shows a unique physical map of the world showing airline traffic, telephone calls, number of television sets per continent and the spread of the internet. It contains write-ups titled The 1960's: Birth of the Global Village, A More Urban World: The ascent of Cities, and 2000: Globalization Realized. On the bottom is a timeline showing the rise of civilization from the ice age to the information age.

22. Millennium in maps: Voices of the World - August 1999 (31"x20")
Side B: This side contains a colorful physical map of the world color coded to show the cultural geography of the world. It includes two small inset maps showing major language families today and major religions. There are plenty of notes throughout giving extra information on the different language groups.

23. The Caspian Sea - May 1999 (31"x20")
Side B: This side has a beautiful raised relief map of the area around the Caspian Sea. It contains several notes, inset maps and illustrations on the dynamic landscape of this region, the tapestry of cultures and the struggle for prosperity of the People.

24. The Balkans - February 2000 (31"x20")
Side A: This is a beautiful political map of the Balkans with sharply defined borders. It contains lots of notes on the individual countries of this region. There are also lots of notes on the cultural geography of this region including Slovenes, Croats, Serbs, Greeks, Bulgarians, etc. Three insets showing the Balkans during the Ottoman era, World War 1 and World War 2 is shown on the left.

25. Africa Today - September 2001 (31"x20") Side A: This side contains a political map and write-up of present day Africa. Also has six inset maps showing cultural divides, foreign borders, soaring population, wealth of nations, war and its victims and the spread of Aids.

26. Afghanistan: Land in Crisis - December 2001 (31"x20")
Side A: Here is a beautiful physical map of Afghanistan with a timeline of Afghan life from 1838 to 2001. It contains inset maps showing the patchwork of ethnic minorities, drought and earthquakes throughout the region and the refugee status and famine.

27. North American Indian Cultures - September 2004
Side A: Here is a large physical map of North America color coded to show the different Indian cultures or linguistic families. Each linguistic family has its own little write-up on the left side of the map Other information on the cultural geography here can also be found.

28. Indian Country - September 2004
Side B: This side has a large physical map of the United States showing the locations of Native American Indian reservations, other federally recognized tribal entites, State Indian reservations, Indian Health Service or Tribal Hospitals, major festivals or powwows, Cultural centers or museums and Tribal colleges or universities. There are lots of notes throughout the map. On the bottom are insets titled 1775-1819 A Nation Expands, 1820-1864 Forced Exodus, 1865-1894 Land Rush and 1895-2004 New Battlefields. On the top are pictures and small notes on famous American Indians.

29. A World Transformed - March 2007 (31"x20")
Side A: This map vividly illustrates how the early colonist to the eastern coast of Canada and the United States effected the original Native American Indian cultures that lived there. Most of the surface is covered by two physical maps of Eastern Canada and the United States, one at 1491 and the other at 1650. Both maps are color shaded to show what areas were occupied by Indians and by Europeans. Also shown on the map are tribal groups, European settlements, trade routes, explorer's routes, forts or trading posts, missions, major documented conflicts and major documented epidemics. There is an inset showing areas of occupation in the Americas by Dutch, English, French, Portuguese, Spanish and Swedish settlers. On the bottom is a chart graphically showing the population of Indians, Europeans and Africans in the Americas in 1500, 1650 and 1800.

30. When Cultures Collide - March 2007 (31"x20")
Side B: This side has two beautiful illustrations of the Powhatan Indians chief village, Werowocomoco, and the English settlement of Jamestown, that existed 400 years ago in Virginia. The top half shows Werowocomoco which is filled with notes on subjects such as farming, sacred space, hunting, fishing, division of labor and the chief's ground. The bottom half has Jamestown which became the new world's first permanent settlement. It is also filled with notes on subjects such as the trading post, the well, the meadow, strong points, foul water, garbage dump and drill ground. There is an inset map showing where Werowocomoco and Jamestown lie in relation with each other.

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