Introduction to this site

This site displays a range of reproduced historic maps and more recent original maps of northern highland Vietnam. These are part of a larger project regarding the mapping of highland minorities in Northern Vietnam by the three authors, a cultural anthropologist a development geographer and a GIS specialist, based at three Quebec universities, Canada. The maps linked to this site are directly connected with this academic article: Michaud, J., S. Turner, and Y. Roche, 2004: Mapping ethnic diversity in highland Northern Vietnam. GeoJournal, 57 (4), 281-99.

In this paper we initially critique a range of ethnological maps produced over the last 130 years for highland northern Vietnam, both during and after colonial times. In particular we illustrate the many difficulties faced when trying to represent mosaics of ethnic highland minority groups on two dimensional maps. Such historical maps included no attempts to bring detailed topographic details into the picture, an idea that would have been virtually impossible anyway, given the cartographic technologies at the time. Yet by not including such details or not representing them clearly, a partial image of these populations has been created that, over time, has become a standardised representation. Therefore, as a more systematic approach to the analysis of these highland minority groups, we present recent attempts to create more functional maps for the northern Vietnam province of Lao Cai using modern cartographic techniques and geographic information systems. Utilising tools such as digital cartography and digital elevation models a wealth of information can be gained which has the potential, amongst other possible uses, to allow a greater understanding and sensitivity regarding ethnic minority groups in Northern Vietnam, and their use of the local environment.