Do you want to share?
Do you like this article?
Despite North Korea being one of the world’s most shrouded countries,
Google Maps has helped users get that little bit closer to it, by
publishing better detailed maps of the area.
Thanks to a ‘community of citizen cartographers’ which came together
in Google Map Maker, the new and more in-depth maps allow users to zoom
in on areas with more precision.
In keeping with the internet giant’s goal of providing people with
the most comprehensive, accurate, and easy-to-use modern maps of the
world, the web mapping service has added details such as road names,
subways, bridges and the infamous slave labour camps or gulags, in the
Chongjin region.
Crucial first step
Senior product manager from Google Map Maker,
Jayanth Mysore, said: “Creating maps is a crucial first step towards
helping people access more information about parts of the world that are
unfamiliar to them.
“While many people around the globe are fascinated with North Korea,
these maps are especially important for the citizens of South Korea who
have ancestral connections or still have family living there.”
The map of the country’s capital, Pyongyang, shows details such as
stadiums, universities, monuments and the Kim Il-sung Square, where
military parades are held.
The updated view also shows the Chongjin Gulag region,
an area where the country allegedly operates gulag-like political
prison camps/concentration camps, believed to be some of the most
inhumane prisons in the world.
Since 2008, Google
Map Maker has allowed anyone with an interest in cartography to update
the maps of the areas they know, and improve their level of detail and
accuracy.
As no map is perfect and in some parts of the world, map data is very
limited, Map Maker is an increasingly important part of how it builds
the modern map.
Global effort
Mysore said the recent improvements were only able to be made following years of effort from many people
“We encourage people from around the world to continue helping us
improve the quality of these maps for everyone with Google Map Maker,”
Mysore added.
“From this point forward, any further approved updates to the North Korean maps in Google Map Maker will also appear on Google Maps.”
