----------------------------Original message----------------------------
A small disagreement has developed among a few persons here at my
institution (it's not nasty..yet).  I have given some information and an
'informed' opinion about the names "Persian Gulf " and "Arabian Gulf", but I
believe a greater body of learned opinion exists on MAPS-L which can provide
some mediation in this situation. (They did not like the idea of calling the
area "The Gulf")
 
You may be interested to know that one producer of maps ( John Bartholomew &
Son) labeled the water body "Persian Gulf" on a 1977 map of Iran, and then
"Arabian Gulf" on a map titled "Arabian Gulf ", also 1977, which focused on
the Gulf States. I would gather that this is an indication of the 'politics
of maps', but I would be interested to know if this was done to avoid
upsetting users of the Iran map and users of the map showing Arab Gulf States.
 
We, like many libraries, have instituted policies to deal with concerns
about the materials collected in our library.  However, the persons who
created the policies had not imagined that maps would become an issue (I
tried to warn them :-))
 
 
By the way, some dictionaries/gazetteers use Perisan - see Arabian, others
use Arabian - see Persian.  (The 1984 Websters Geographical Dictionary
states Arabian Gulf - see Perisan Gulf, and then proceeds to say either can
be used.)(Chambers World Gazetteer states Persian Gulf -see Arabian)
 
Hmmm??  How's that for a friday morning question ?!
 
Cheers
James
 
 
James Boxall (Map Curator)
Map Collection, Science Services
Killam Library, Dalhousie University
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Canada    B3H 4M8
(t) 902-494-3757
(f) 902-494-2062
(e) [log in to unmask]
 
http://www.library.dal.ca/~science/mapcoll.html
---------------------------------------------------------------------
"What in observation is loose and vague
is in information deceptive and treacherous"
Francis Bacon, 1621
---------------------------------------------------------------------