New Zealand moves to centre on maps

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33753, 28 January 1975, Page 3

New Zealand moves to centre on maps

On maps produced overseas, New Zealand often is shown on the edge, and sometimes is left out altogether. This has been remedied by the Lands and Survey Department in maps being produced to show New Zealand’s relationship to its Pacific Ocean neighbours.

The departments has been careful to place New Zealand centrally to illustrate its position relative to islands and countries. Two reference or wall maps have been produced as the first part of a major mapping programme. The new maps measure 80cm by 110 cm. One, N.Z.M.S. 275, “Islands of the South Pacific,” shows all islands and groups from the Marshall Islands, 10 degrees north of the Equator, to Macquarie Island, in the sub-Antarctic,

From west to east, the map extends from Papua New Guinea to Easter Island, more than half-way between New Zealand and South America.

The other map, N.Z.M.S. 276, “The Pacific” shows

half the world’s surface ranging from north of Alaska tc the South Pole, and from Nepal to Puerto Rico. A special projection for this map was devised by Mr L. P. Lee, of the department’s computing branch, with the aim of maintaining a constant scale along as much of the Pacific seaboard as possible. This means that New Zealand can now be seen on a map in as near to its true relationship with the Pacific islands and other countries as is possible.

Both maps are printed in bright colours, with land areas shown in relief.

The second part of the programme will be to publish larger-scale maps of individual islands and groups.