How geography shapes National Identities

Abstract

Geography is an intrinsic part of national identities, and the contributions to this journal have reflected this throughout its existence. In this essay, we discuss how geography has shaped National Identities in particular ways. Several of the journal's articles have examined how would-be nationalists form a geographical image of the prospective nation in order to make it real or how they have turned various landscape elements into national icons. Other articles have specifically examined the vital role of geographical scale in mediating between national conceptions, subnational movements, supranational ideas, and globalization. Finally we look at those essays that specifically focus on the role of maps in constructing, displaying, and propagandizing national identity.

Keywords:

• space
• territory
• maps
• landscape
• scale