Carte Physique et Politique Des Etats Scandinaves, Danemark, Suede et Norwege (Physical and Political Map of the Scandinavian States, Denmark, Sweden and Norway) - Carte Physique et Politique De La Russie (Physical and Politics Map of Russia)

Description

This map dated 1872 depicts the Scandinavian Peninsula and the European territories of the Russian Empire. The map details the political borders, administrative divisions, and geographic features of the period. The Scandinavian map on the left shows Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, divided into their respective regions, highlighted in different pastel colors. Important cities such as Christiania (present-day Oslo), Bergen, and Drontheim are shown within the Norwegian territory. Sweden, on the other hand, is designated by historical and administrative regions, from north to south: Norrland, Upsala, Stockholm, and Scanie. Denmark, on the other hand, is drawn to include both the Jutland Peninsula and Zeeland and its surrounding islands, with its capital, Copenhagen, marked. A small inset of Iceland, an autonomous region of the Kingdom of Denmark, is displayed in the upper left corner of the map. The Faroe Islands, located west of the Norwegian Sea and a Danish possession, are also located in the lower center. In terms of physical elements, the map successfully depicts the Scandinavian Mountains, Baltic Sea coastal inlets, large lakes (such as Venern and Vattern), and fjords through topographical surveys. Bodies of water such as the Kattegat, Skagerrak, and Mer Baltique (Baltic Sea) are also detailed. The map on the right, which covers the European territories of the Russian Empire, divides the country into numerous "governements," or provinces or administrative units. These regions are color-coded and their names are written in great detail. The borders extend to the Arctic Ocean in the north, and are bordered by Siberia in the east, Pologne (Poland) and Prusse (Prussia) in the west, and Mer Noire (Black Sea), Caucasus (Caucasus), and Turquie d'Asie (Asian Turkey) in the south. The capital is Saint-Petersbourg, while inland, major administrative centers such as Moscou (Moscow), Smolensk, Kazan, Orel, Koursk, Kiev (Kiev), Kharkov, Tver, Vladimir, and Novgorod are shown. On the Baltic coast, regions such as Livonia (Livonia), Courlande (Courland), and Estonia, with place names reflecting German-Baltic heritage, are located. Important port cities such as Odessa, Cherson, Crimea, and Sebastopol are shown on the Black Sea coast, and their locations are specifically marked for both the Ottoman border and for maritime trade and military strategy. In the southeast, the Caucasus mountain chain, the Mer Caspienne (Caspian Sea), and Astrakhan to the north are noteworthy. At the bottom of the map, the designations Turquie d'Europe (European Turkey) and Turquie d'Asie demonstrate the Ottoman Empire's continued influence in the region. The lands corresponding to Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan are included in the "Transcaucasia" region, illustrating the Russian Empire's expansion into the South Caucasus. The inset map at the top right shows the "Partie de l'Ingrie," or "part of Ingria." Ingria was historically a region in northwestern Russia encompassing St. Petersburg and its surrounding area.