The Concept of the World through Maps

Mexico and the Americas

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"… Perhaps there is a bit of an explorer or adventurer in each of us that makes us curious about life beyond our shores and prods us to travel in a sense through maps. The great Spanish writer Miguel de Cervantes once said in Don Quixote, "Journey all over the universe in a map, without the expense and fatigue of traveling, without suffering the inconveniences of heat, cold, hunger, and thirst…" -Excerpts from the Preface written by Senator Edgardo J. Angara in the book "Mapping the Philippines: The Spanish Period" Maps, like ports, have played a vital role in discovering and getting in touch with new territories in the earlier centuries. They were drawn accordingly to the cartographer‘s perception of the world and also, the existing knowledge in that point in time. Moreover, maps highlight the geopolitical environment of a certain place or country, which help us understand better the bilateral and multilateral relations, and the historical and cultural roots.



Figure 1 (right) shows that Mexico links North and South America.


Figure 1. Mexico and the Americas.


The Philippines and Asia

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This connection explains why some of the goods like porcelain wares from China, which were transported by the galleons, were found in the Americas. At present, Mexico participates in Latin American discussions and at the same time, maintains strong relations with North America, as a result of sharing the same historical roots. 
On the other hand, the location of the Philippines (Figure 2, left) explains the presence of diverse influences and the equilibrium it provides to countries like Japan, Korea, China and its ASEAN neighboring countries. Likewise, the Filipino culture is enriched by the contributions of Spain, Mexico and the United States.
Figures 3 and 4 (opposite page) show an orientation which is different from what we see in present day maps. Both illustrate that Mexico (New Spain) and the Philippines are indeed neighbours, being separated only by the Pacific Ocean, contrary to the depiction of present day maps, that both countries are continents away from each other and are being divided by big bodies of water.


Figure 2. The Philippines and Asia.