Map with Brazil in the center is subject to noise, says ex-IBGE – 04/13/2024 – Daily Life

The former president of IBGE (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics) Roberto Olinto assesses that there is “excessive noise” in the debates surrounding the release of the body’s new world map.

The cartographic projection, launched this week with the 9th edition of the School Geographic Atlas, places Brazil at the center of the world — and no longer to the left of those who see the maps, as is usually the case. The idea sparked controversy on social media.

For Olinto, the work follows technical parameters. In this sense, he says that other countries have already produced similar projections, with their territories at the center of the visualization.

The former president also recalls that, in 2007, IBGE itself announced that the 4th School Geographic Atlas placed Brazil at the center of thematic maps.

“Several countries do this. Japan does it, China does it, it has a world map that puts the Americas in the center. It’s no big deal, IBGE has already done this in the past”, says Olinto, who headed the institute of 2017 to 2019.

The former president, on the other hand, sees a problem in what he calls the “excessive importance” given by the institute to publicizing the work.

“Of course there is a political issue in the discussion of how you make the map, whether it is Eurocentric or country-centric. This should not be a matter for the State body called IBGE. IBGE follows standards, and this is possible. The discussion from That’s why it shouldn’t be done”, says Olinto, who is now an associate researcher at FGV Ibre.

“It’s excessive noise, but I think there are problems on both sides. You have to be very careful when publicizing so as not to generate this”, he adds.

The new map was presented at an event in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday (9). The current president of IBGE, Marcio Pochmann, shared information about the launch on his profile on X (formerly Twitter).

On the social network, he also posted photos of the map presentation to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT), ministers and senators.

Pochmann wrote that “the new IBGE shows Brazil at the center of the world” and that the maps “represent the very face of a nation”.

He argues that, in addition to holding press conferences, the institute disseminates its documents in a “transversal way”, which includes expanding forms of communication.

“As a symbol of a country’s image, it is up to IBGE to present to the authorities that represent Brazil this new map, this new publication. Furthermore, as it is IBGE’s duty to highlight the importance of this publication in the formation of the Brazilian people. And as the Brazil is seen around the world”, said Pochmann on X.

The new IBGE world map also shows a marking of the countries that make up the G20. On social media, the work received criticism and praise.

Called a “geographic seal” by some and a “decolonial icon” by others, the map polarized internet users who began to discuss topics such as cartography, geopolitics and patriotism. There are also those who try to escape the controversy.

President Lula’s profile spoke out on the topic. The PT member shared a post with an image of the map and wrote that the Earth is round.

Another point in the IBGE atlas that gained repercussion on social media was the identification of the Malvinas Islands as Argentine territory. The location is the subject of dispute between Argentina and the United Kingdom.

Olinto says he does not see much news in this issue, as IBGE follows recommendations from the cartography area and bodies such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In January, Itamaraty published a statement in which it expressed support for “Argentina’s legitimate rights in the sovereignty dispute with the United Kingdom”.

In 2018, for example, the 8th edition of the School Geographic Atlas already included a map with the association of the Malvinas with Argentina.