It seems most people believe cartography has only two purposes; to locate places, and to aid navigation between them. The Essential Geography adds a third purpose.
The Essential Geography provides a means to visualize places. For example, when you view Minneapolis-St Paul, you see these cities sit at 840 ft in elev., they share an urban area that straddles the Mississippi at its confluence with the Minnesota, where northern forests give way to open prairies. You’ll also see this urban area is home to the state capital, the Univ. of Minnesota, Minnesota State Fair, Mall of America, an intercontinental airport, and numerous suburban cities.
Now, much like people who live there, you can visualize Minneapolis-St Paul’s basic geographic setting. This capacity to visualize places leads to a feeling of connection to our entire planet, and to its people. If we hope to leave an inhabitable planet to future generations, this is a connection we'd be well-served to cultivate. Cartography like the Essential Geography can play a role in cultivating planetary connection.
While we’re on the subject of Minneapolis-St Paul, let’s marvel that, from here, the Mississippi drops only 840 ft all the way to the Gulf, just 5.5 inches per mile.
Geography is amazing! The Essential Geography is a portal to it's appreciation.