Communication above reality
A Salazarist map from 1934 contained the phrase "Portugal is not a small country" and overlaid the African colonies over Europe, attempting to give an image of imperial grandeur that did not correspond to the reality of the Portuguese territory. This was an example of how cartography has been used throughout history as a tool of political and ideological propaganda.
The image of Portugal represented on this map did not correspond to the country's actual size, but rather to a political will to appear powerful and territorially extensive. This practice of cartographic manipulation was not exclusive to Portugal, having been used by various colonial powers over the centuries to reinforce narratives of empire and domination.
Currently, it is the turn of African countries to want to increase Africa's representation on world maps. This trend arises in a different context from colonialism, but with objectives also linked to projecting power and influence on the international stage.
The underlying question is how cartographic representation can influence the perception of power and the relative importance of countries and continents in the world, showing that maps are never merely neutral representations of geographical reality, but rather instruments that carry political and ideological meanings.
