California as the World

I chose this map of California depicted as the entire world because of the sheer number of possibilities it represents. In actuality, it was a map drawn up by Paramount Studios in 1927, to demonstrate several locations investors could shoot their movies, without actually having to leave the country. On the one hand, it shows the cultural diversity of America and highlights the fact that as a country with 40x more landmass than the UK, it contains nearly every natural and manmade attraction you could wish to see. But on the other, it brings to light the negative aspect to relying on one country for all of your assorted cultural experiences. This is backed up by the statistics revealing only 35% of Americans own a passport, to the UK’s 70%. It could also be used to demonstrate the close knit communities and distinct personalities that develop within particular states, such as California, and the reliance its population has on all of the resources – including recreational and educational.