When asked why they'd seized territory,

當問及為何他們要佔領這塊領土時

they claimed it belonged to them....

他們宣稱這裡屬於他們國家…

On Google Maps.

在 Google 地圖上

Who did Costa Rica turn to first? Nicaragua? The United Nations?

哥斯大黎加應該先向誰求助？尼加拉瓜？聯合國？

No

都不是

They went straight to Google, because in the eyes of the world Google Maps has become the de facto

他們直接找上 Google，因為在世人的眼中，Google 地圖早已成為事實上的世界地圖

world map. Despite having no legal authority over international borders, Google have become the world's most powerful player.

儘管在國際邊界判定上並沒有法律權限，Google 儼然成為世界上最具影響力的組織了

Borders are a uniquely human concept. In most of the world the only tangible legitimacy they have is through maps.

邊界是人類世界中獨特的概念。在世界上大部分地區都得透過地圖才能證明邊界的明確合法性

But the cost and resources required to make a map are staggering. Until recently countries were the only ones who could afford it.

但製作地圖所需的成本與資源相當驚人，直到近年來，也只有國家才能負擔得起

Cartography was a nationalized industry, which meant no map was without bias or influence.

地圖製作是個國有化的產業，也意味著每個地圖都存在偏差或有影響力存在

Historically if you wanted to seize territory from a less powerful nation.

歷史上如果你想要侵略某個武力較弱的國家

You just re-drew the map.

你只要重畫地圖就好

When questioned by locals, you show them the map. Ignore their claims of already living there, and hold up the only piece of real evidence that exists.

當本地人提出異議時，你就拿出地圖給他們看。忽略他們主張自己在此居住已久，並且堅持這是唯一存在的、真實的證據

This is basically how colonialism worked.

這基本上就是殖民主義者做的事

But with more genocide.

但附帶更多的種族滅絕

Probably the most extreme example is Africa. In 1884, 10% of Africa was under European control.

或許最極端的案例就是非洲。西元 1884 年，非洲有 10% 的土地在歐洲列強掌控之下

Just 30 years later,

但僅僅過了 30 年

this had risen to 90%.

這比例提升至 90%

Land was negotiated from thousands of miles away and countries redrawn with little

土地分贓的過程是遠在千里之外進行的，而且重劃領土範圍時，很少考量到

consideration for local or cultural boundaries. Yet the map drawn then remains largely

當地或文化的界線。此外地圖的繪製也很大程度地保留至今

unchanged today. Most would argue that today's map of Africa is correct. There is some objective truth to it, but 130 years ago

完全無法改變。許多人會爭辯今日的非洲地圖是正確的，這是個客觀的事實存在，但 130 年前

it was nothing of the sort. Over time the existence of a map is self legitimising.

根本不是這麼回事。長久以來這個地圖就是自我正當化的存在

While countries were the sole map makers it was fine if two states

然而國家做為唯一的地圖製作單位是好的，如果兩個國家

disagreed over a border. Each produced their own map and their citizens would rarely have a chance to see any other version.

都對邊界訂定抱有異議。每個國家都有自己的版本，他們的國民也很難有機會看到其他版本

But as the internet arrived, nationalized mapping decreased and companies like Google started to fill the gap.

但網際網路的存在，國有的地圖製作減少，而私人企業如 Google 開始補上這些缺口

An international company creating an international map for all.

一個國際企業為所有人製作了一個國際地圖

Not quite. Google still relies on the approval of nation states.

也不完全是所有人，Google 還是要依靠國家的認同

It's all too easy to censor a website. Google only have to annoy one government to lose a

現在刪改一個網站太容易了，Google 只要惹惱了一國政府，對那個國家來說

country's worth of users. Any errors along the China-India border could lose them a third of the world's customers.

就沒有使用的價值了。中國與印度邊界上的任何失誤，都會讓他們損失世界上 3 分之 1 人口的顧客

The region of Arunachal Pradesh borders India, China, Bhutan and Myanmar. Administrated as a state of India,

阿魯納洽爾邦地區位在印度、中國、不丹與緬甸交界處。由印度管理

they keep a hundred thousand troops in the region.

他們部署了成千上萬的軍隊在此地區中

But China also claims ownership calling it South Tibet.

但中國也宣稱擁有此地主權，並稱之為藏南地區

Each country has laws to stop map makers drawing the border in the others favour, or even acknowledging the region's

每個國家都有法律制止地圖製作者劃出對另一方有利的邊界，或甚至承認這地區的

disputed. So Google creates three different maps...

爭議存在。所以 Google 就做了 3 種版本的地圖

This is what two thirds of the world will see on Google Maps - the dotted line indicates disputed territory.

這是世界上其他 3 分之 2 的人在 Google 地圖上看到的樣子，這個虛線圍起來的地區就是爭議領土

But if you view the area from a Chinese domain it shows it belonging to China, and part of India from an Indian domain.

但如果你在中國看這個地區，它會顯示此地屬於中國，從印度看這個地區則是屬於印度

No map maker previously had the ability to do this. Historically you had to pick sides.

過去沒有一個地圖製作者有能力這麼做，以前你就是得選邊站

The average Chinese or Indian citizen would be unaware of any dispute. Or at least they would have been until Google

通常中國或印度公民都不會察覺到任何爭議在此。或是至少在西元 2007 年以前不會察覺到

accidentally switched the borders in 2007. This caused outrage in both countries.

因為 Google 不小心將地圖上中印雙方邊界交換了。這個錯誤使雙方衝突一觸即發

Many in China were unaware that most of the world didn't recognize China's legitimacy over the region. And members of the Indian Parliament

許多中國人沒有察覺到世界上大多數人都不承認中國在這地區的合法性。而印度國會議員

accused Google of purposefully derailing an upcoming summit between the two nations.

指責 Google 有意地搗亂兩國即將舉行的會談

There are similar disputes all along the India-China border. All are heavily militarised, with regular standoffs, backed by two of the largest

在這整條中國-印度邊界上都有著相似的領土爭議。所有地區都配備軍事、長期對峙，背後有著

armies in the world, both with nuclear weapons.

世界兩大軍事力量支持，兩者都備有核武

So just in case nobody noticed the first time round, Google managed to make the same mistake again in 2009.

所以如果沒有人注意到第一次錯誤，Google 在西元 2009 年再次犯下相同錯誤

But the advantage of online maps is the speed they can be changed.

但線上地圖的好處就是能夠快速的更動

A mistake of that magnitude 20 years ago would have taken years to correct instead of hours.

20 年前一個重大的失誤將會花費數年來修正，而非數小時

Google can react to geo-political events quicker than any other map maker. When Russian troops arrived in Crimea in February

Google 對於地緣政治事件能夠比其他地圖製作者有更快的反應。當俄羅斯軍隊西元 2014 年 2 月抵達克里米亞

2014, it was less than a month till Google showed the territory as disputed.

還不到一個月，直到 Google 將此領土顯示為爭議地區

This was despite the United Nations asking nobody...."…to recognise any alteration of the status of Crimea."

儘管聯合國要求沒有人能承認克里米亞情勢的改變

Google Maps in Russia shows Crimea as Russian territory, and Ukrainian when viewed from Ukraine.

Google 地圖 在俄羅斯顯示克里米亞為俄羅斯領土，在烏克蘭看則是烏克蘭領土

The fact that Google are willing to ignore

Google 願意忽略聯合國決議的事實

UN resolutions is a big deal. Countries do all the time, they protect their own interests and alliances above other nations.

是件大事。所有國家都一樣，他們保護自己的利益與聯盟，凌駕於其他國家之上

But Google is a company who now has the power and influence of a state.

但 Google 現在是個有權力與影響力的企業

They're big enough to survive any confrontation with the UN and probably see Russia as the worse enemy to make.

他們已經大到能夠在任何與聯合國的對抗中生存，可能將俄羅斯視為

The UN moves slowly. The United Nations

導致聯合國行動緩慢的最大敵人。

Regional Cartographic Conference, only meets every three or four years. Google have to make border and naming decisions daily. Those decisions may not have any legal

聯合國地區製圖會議每 3 到 4 年才召開一次。Google 每天都得對邊界與命名做決策。這些決策或許沒有任何法律

weight, but everyone uses Google Maps so in reality

效力，但每個人都會使用 Google 地圖，所以事實上

they're the most important. When South Sudan became a country in

他們是最重要的。當南蘇丹在西元 2011 年獨立

2011, the vote didn't specify the exact placement of the border. Leaving some towns and villages

這次投票並沒有指明確切的邊界位置。有一些城鎮和村莊

unsure whether they would be in Sudan or South Sudan. Each country naturally claimed ownership,

還沒確定他們屬於蘇丹或南蘇丹。兩者自然都宣稱擁有主權

but no official map would be made for a while. It was left to Google to organize South Sudan community mapping events. They encouraged local

但當時並沒有一個正式地圖標明邊界。留待 Google 組織南蘇丹的社區製圖活動。鼓勵地方

people to create detailed maps of an area that was lacking any accurate data.

居民將缺乏任何正確資料的這一地區的詳細地圖繪製出來

And through a semi-democratic process, an almost-precise border was decided. There are still

透過半民主程序，幾乎決定了大部分的邊界。現在仍然

contested areas today, and not without their bloodshed.

有部分爭議地區，也免不了流血衝突

But Google did more to help local territorial disputes than the UN or any state.

但 Google 跟聯合國或其他國家比起來，為地方領土爭議奉獻更多心力

This isn't the only example of Google using local input as the basis for their maps.

這並非 Google 利用當地投入做為他們地圖基礎的唯一案例

They publish a program called Google Map Maker, this allows anyone to make changes in suggestions.

他們發表了一個 Google 地圖製作者的程式，讓任何人都能提出建議來修改地圖

This is useful for new roads and public footpaths, but also helps Google decide what to call things.

這對辨別一些新建道路與公共小徑相當有用，也幫助 Google 幫這些地方取名

It's strictly moderated and Google have final say over the public version, but like Wikipedia things inevitably slip through the cracks...

它運作起來相當有節制，且 Google 擁有公眾版本的最終決定權，但就像維基百科一樣免不了出些差錯

For obvious reasons you can't edit the border of a country. There are hundreds of disputes in the world - imagine the chaos.

因為一些顯而易見的原因，你無法編輯國家邊界。世界上有一大堆爭議地區，想像這樣的大混亂

So Google don't get involved with most of them.

所以 Google 不會將這些地區納入

But here and there throughout the world map, it does change slightly based on where you're stood. This may not necessarily be a bad thing.

但在世界各地的世界地圖，根據你所處的國家確實會有些微的改變。這也許不必然是件壞事

Historically the larger power would just stamp out the smaller one.

歷史上武力強大的國家會踐踏那些弱小的國家

But with Google Maps as the unofficial-official adjudicator,

但 Google 地圖可以做為官方與非官方的調解者

borders could remain disputed forever. Both sides constantly pointing guns at the other

邊界可以永遠保持爭議地區。雙方不斷地拿著槍指著對方

but rarely firing. Is a long cold war better than a short hot one?

但鮮少開火。長期冷戰難道不比短期交戰好嗎？

That's a philosophical question best left for the comments. But for better

這是個哲學性的問題，最好留給大家評論

or worse Google are making editorial decisions on something most people view as an objective truth.

但無論好壞，Google 都在對大多數人認為是客觀事實的事物做出編輯決策

No political map can ever be a hundred percent accurate in the scientific sense of the word. At best they can be a diplomatic

沒有一個政治上的地圖能夠在這個詞的科學意義上百分之百準確。頂多它們可以是個外交

compromise, and at worse they can be a propaganda tool. Maps (and especially Google Maps) are amazing,

承諾，最差它們也就是個宣傳工具。地圖 (尤其是 Google 地圖) 是個驚人的東西

but they should be treated it like any other media.

但也應該與其他媒體一樣同等對待

They are subject to the motives and influences of the humans that made them.

它們是因為人的動機與影響而製作出來

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