If New Zealand was in Europe map

If New Zealand was in Europe map

This map from the 1919 Year Book shows where New Zealand would be situated if placed in the corresponding Northern Hemisphere latitude, but with east (instead of west) longitude, for comparison with countries on the Mediterranean Sea.

The map shows Tuatapere near to Trieste, Christchurch near Nice, Greymouth on Corsica, Wellington parallel with Barcelona and Auckland not far from Algiers.

The Europe shown in the map is pre-First World War and had undergone considerable changes since its outbreak. By 1919 the Russian and Austro-Hungarian empires had effectively collapsed leaving the borders of central and eastern Europe in a state of flux, as new states (Finland, Poland, Hungary, etc) proclaimed their independence and victorious established powers (Italy, Serbia, Romania, etc) pressed their claims for territorial expansion. 

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3 comments have been posted about If New Zealand was in Europe map

What do you know?

Mark Schwarz

Posted: 16 Mar 2020

I'd have to agree that this is a misleading map. Why show latitude positioning correctly and longitude incorrectly when the correct depiction can fit on exactly the same map? NZ lies just west of 180 (the anti-meridian), so lies exactly opposite Spain, just west of 0 (the meridian). This suggests we lie opposite somewhere halfway between Spain and Italy, and also suggests the map drawers simply got their meridians wrong. :)

Jimbo

Posted: 04 Nov 2018

Hello from 2018.
In what context is it 'incorrect' to show NZ at East longitude? I think the point was to just show a comparison of the size of NZ relative to Europe as well as its relation to the equator if it were in the Northern Hemisphere.
I think it is strictly a fictional visualization without any correctness.

Nick NZ

Posted: 12 Oct 2011

With reference to this map, I suggest that it is incorrect to show NZ at east longitude, instead of west longitude, as shown on a 1970's map produced by the then Dept of Lands & Survey. Such a more recent [and correct] version was also shown in the "Pillips Childrens Atlas" by David & Jill Wright 1993, publ Reed International Books Ltd, ISBN 0540057231. I am having an argument with an Aussie website about which map is correct. I can send you a copy of the 1970's map from Dept L&S. Are you prepared to enter into such a discussion?!! Regards, Nick Lambrechtsen