Mark Monmonier

Who is Mark Monmonier?

Mark Stephen Monmonier is a Distinguished Professor of Geography at the Maxwell School of Syracuse University. He specializes in toponymy, geography, and geographic information systems. His popular written works show a combination of serious study and a sense of humor. Most of his work is published by University of Chicago Press. He has appeared on National Public Radio interview programs.

For example, in his work, From Squaw Tit to Whorehouse Meadow: how maps name, claim, and inflame, Monmonier discusses topics such as:

the propensity of conquerors to rename places after those friendly to the new regime.

the tension between place names assigned by the federal Board on Geographic Names and state and local government agencies.

the effects of political correctness and racism on place names.

In How to Lie with Maps, Monmonier gives us a different view of maps: different projections give vastly different impressions of the same "facts" or terrain.