Ewlah - a continental map

[Lyandra]

Well, I think your map looks really great. The amount of detail is stunning. Don't let Hai-Etlik's constructive criticism overwhelm you, just make the best of it without having to change the whole map. ^^ It's fantasy cartography after all (we can always come up with an otherworldly explanation for the weirdness of those odd terrain features^^) and there are a few of us here who can actually call themselves professional cartographers. There is always a second version to consider as well... We have to remember that it's knowledge about real life cartography among other things that makes us better at what we do here. Don't be afraid to try mapping your world again. After all we all learn from our mistakes. After what you've learned from Hai-Etlik I'm sure your next map would be truly awesome.

I had a look at your website and it seems that you have a major world building project going on. I admire you for your perseverance. Keep at it and may your maps look more realistic in the future! (If that is your wish of course^^)

[Rik]

Hi, Hai-Etlik. Many thanks for the detailed feedback. I do understand your concerns, and will try to respond to them.

You're right that the current map doesn't show the real shape of the continent. I had a software program on my old computer (can't remember the name of it now) which could convert this sort of map into various projections. The continent is, as you say, a lot slimmer at the top:



I try to explain the mountains by claiming that Ewlah is a relatively new continent formed from a number of colliding microcontinents and island arc chains -- sometimes I almost believe this fiction myself, though the truth is that I first drew the map almost 4 decades ago, complete with very unrealistic orogeny. It does lead to some head-scratching mountain formations, but I kinda like them ...

The prime meridian shown in this map runs through an observatory on top of a mountain in Pesan Aframig, and also (by chance) passes through the middle of a town in the Land of Raman, not too distant from the second largest city on the continent. Previously I had the meridian running through the southern-most tip of the largest continent, which had the unfortunate effect of putting the dateline through the middle of Ewlah, so I count this as an improvement. I take your point about the heaviness of the lines on the map - easily changed as they're on their own layer.