Even the biggest 21st century geography nerd would have struggled to navigate the globe in a 19th century classroom, when the atlas looked very different from the modern map of the world.
Colonial expeditions into India and the Americas, as well as the “Scramble for Africa” brought scores of countries under European rule in the 18th and 19th centuries. Often, conquest meant new names imposed by the colonial rulers.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.