MAPPEMONDE 2/97

Without summaries


Roger BRUNET . The figures of the crossroads (7 fig.)

The notion of crossroads is a fundamental chorema of geographic space. It becomes complicated with the development of techniques and speeds, but its basic forms are simple. It does not so much create the city as be expression of it. The crossroads of major roads are big cities, or even whole regions, as is the case in Europe.


Jean BARROT. The representation of landscape in painting: rural space and aesthetic culture in Western Europe (16th - 18th c.) (4 fig.)

The invention of perspective makes it possible to look at 16th to 18th century paintings from a geographer's viewpoint. The search for realism permits one to identify changes in rural landscape, depending on period and place. But the painter's representational choices reflect far more the ideological content of his patron's vision of the countryside which in this period remains the primary productive basis of society.


Vladimir KOLOSSOV, Alexei PLATÉ. Divided Russia: geography of elections (9 fig.)

In countries with strong contrasts in population density like Russia, it is particularly judicious to use anamorphoses to analyse and to map electoral results. Then the real weight of each region in the whole electorate can be assessed and subsequently its importance for political parties. The anamorphoses presented here show the results obtained by the main Russian parties at the 1993 and 1995 general elections and at the 1996 presidential election. The geography of these results has been briefly analysed.


Phillipe ELLERKAMP. The plains of Valencia and Vaucluse or two huertas (4 fig.)

Graphic modelling helps to rationalise the comparison between the Mediterranean areas of irrigated agriculture of Valencia (Spain) and the Comtat (Provence). A theoretic reference is formalised and then compared with local realities in order to appreciate recurring and specific elements. In spite of differences due to geographic and urban locations and to the role of huertas, the principles of spatial organisation follow the same rules.


Vincent DUBREUIL, Hervé REGNAULD. French landscapes : the importance of nature under NOAA (2 fig.)

A NOAA 11 meteorological satellite image enables one to observe the distribution of the main regional landscapes as defined by radiometry. A simple coloured composite determines certain spatial patterns (urban network and topography) in France. Traditional boundaries appear whereas other divisions/partitions (Forêt du Double and Périgord) are less obvious. Landscapes here defined are chiefly related to the main physiographic areas.


Joël CHARRE. Picturing climates: what is to be thought of ombrothermal diagrams? (2 fig.)

Ombrothermal diagrams are a representation of the climate from a naturalistic point of view. Mid-latitude and more precisely mediterranean climates are considered as the reference for the comparison of the world's climates.


Frédéric BIZET. Gridmap and urban GIS: the unemployed in Rouen (France) (3 fig.)

The gridmap of Rouen and its suburbs makes computer mapping of socio-demographic data concerning the entire city possible. Two cartographical methods were used on this gridmap providing a new perception of the information and improved representation. The smoothing technique simplifies map reading by eliminating «noises» and the 3D function completely modifies the grid by adding relief.


Claude MANGIN. Nancy for the rich and Nancy for the poor: some teenagers visualise their city (6 fig.)

The comparison between mental images of a given urban area can help to think about exclusion. That is what happened in Nancy, through a survey which has been carried out among pupils living in two totally different parts of the city : the results show two models which correspond to two very different forms of appropriation of the space.


Book reviews. Patricia Cicille, Robert Ferras, Laurent Grison, Céline Rozenblat.


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Last modified: April 19, 1997