Amabalazwe Okuhlangabezana Nezidingo Zakho

NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! EBRITHANI

UKUTHOLA indlela ezweni noma edolobheni ongalijwayele kuyinselele. Okokuqala, kumelwe wazi ukuthi ukuphi. Khona-ke, nquma ukuthi iyiphi indlela engcono kakhulu ongayithatha. Ungazi kanjani? Okudingayo yibalazwe!

Amabalazwe—Aqala Nini, Futhi Ngani?

Ukudwetshwa kwamabalazwe, noma i-cartography njengoba kubizwa kanjalo, kunomlando omude futhi onezici ezihlukahlukene. Eminye imithombo ikhomba imikhondo yokudwetshwa kwamabalazwe eminyakeni engu-4 300 edlule kulawo ayeqoshwe ezibhebheni zobumba eBabiloni. Kodwa ngamaGreki okuqala adweba amashadi okuyiwona andulela amabalazwe anamuhla. Ngemva kwamabalazwe ezwe lasendulo ayedwetshwe uClaudius Ptolemy ngekhulu lesibili C.E., i-cartography yanyamalala ngeNkathi Yobumnyama. Izindawo okwakungakayiwa kuzo zazibhekwa njengezibuswa yizilo nemidondoshiya. Inkolo yakuthonya kakhulu ukwenziwa kwamabalazwe kangangokuthi amaningi ayebonisa izwe elimbozwe yinsimu yase-Edene. IJerusalema neMpumalanga Ephakathi kwaqala ukuvelela emabalazweni ezwe elalaziwa ngaleso sikhathi.

Amabalazwe okuqala aseBrithani nawo ayebonisa ukuthi athonywe yinkolo. Elinye ibalazwe elinjalo laliveza umzila izihambeli zendawo engcwele ezaziwulandela lapho ziya ezindaweni zokukhulekela zenkolo eNgilandi. Njengoba lalinikeza imininingwane ‘yoMgwaqo Omkhulu WaseNyakatho Womuntu Ohambele Indawo Engcwele,’ leli balazwe lalibonisa umzila osuka edolobheni laseDurham elisenyakatho uya ethekwini laseDover elisogwini oluseningizimu.

Umsunguli we-cartography yanamuhla kwanguGerardus Mercator (1512-94). Waklama indlela yokubonisa ukuma kwendawo ebalazweni eyaziwa kahle ngamatilosi ngenxa yokunemba kwayo, futhi amabalazwe amaningi adwetshwe ngendlela kaMercator yokubonisa ukuma kwendawo asasetshenziswa nasezincwadini zamabalazwe zanamuhla.

Amabalazwe abá yinzuzo enkulu kubaninimhlaba. Ukubhekisela emingceleni yawo edwetshwe ngokucacile kwasiza ekuxazululeni imibango eyayidinga abomthetho. Isithakazelo sikahulumeni emabalazweni sakhula njengoba ukuhlaziywa kwentela kwakuncike ekubikweni okunembile kwesikhathi sokuqashwa komhlaba.

Namuhla, amabalazwe anelisa izidingo zansuku zonke. Izincwadi zamabalazwe zisiza izingane zesikole ukuba ziqonde izici eziyisisekelo zesayensi yokuma komhlaba. Amashadi enza ukuba ababikezeli bezimo zezulu bakwazi ukubonisa ngokucacile izimo zezulu esingase sizilindele. Ibalazwe lingasisiza ukuba sizisebenzise kangcono kakhulu izinto zokuthutha zomphakathi. Futhi ngokuphathelene nokuphuma kokushaywa umoya komkhaya, ibalazwe lingabonisa izindlela okungase kuhanjwe ngazo ezinezindawo ezibukeka kahle.

Ochwepheshe abashiyiwe dengwane. Kunamabalazwe abonisa ukuminyana kwenani labantu enzelwe abaklami bamadolobha. Amabalazwe esiqu solwandle asiza labo ababheka imikhumbi ephukile noma abafuna imithombo yezinto ezimbiwa phansi. Amabalazwe okuvubukula asiza labo abamba izinto zesikhathi esidlule. Phela, ngokuphathelene nabacwaningi bomkhathi kukhona ngisho namabalazwe enyanga nawamanye amaplanethi! Njengoba kunentilibathwa engaka yokwaziswa etholakalayo ngamabalazwe, kubalulekile ukuba ukwazi futhi uthuthukise ikhono lakho lokuwafunda.

Indlela Yokufunda Ibalazwe

Ukuzuza emabalazweni akho kufana nokufunda ulimi ongalwazi. Lapho ufunda olunye ulimi, ubhekana namagama amasha nohlelo lolimi oluhlukile. Olimini lwamabalazwe, izimpawu zingafaniswa namagama, kuyilapho izilinganiso zamabanga nemigqa evundlile neyehlayo kusebenza njengohlelo lolimi. Amabalazwe amaningi adwetshwa abe nebhokisi elinohlu lwamagama achaza izimpawu ezisetshenziswe ebalazweni. Lokhu kusebenza njengesichazamazwi, esichaza izimpawu.

Izimpawu zikhethwa ngokucophelela ukuze zibonise lokho ezikuchazayo. Ngokwesibonelo, ukuze uthole indlu enesibani esiwuphawu, bheka uphawu olufana nayo. Amasonto nezakhiwo zokukhulekela zingase ziboniswe ngezikwele ezimnyama noma izindilinga ezineziphambano noma imifanekiso yenyanga ewucwephe ngaphezulu.

Ungajwayelana kanjani nalokho okushiwo yilezo zimpawu? UJohn Wilson, umlobi wethi Follow the Map, utusa “ukuzilibazisa okujabulisayo ‘kokubhekabheka ibalazwe.’” Uyanezela: “Iso lakho malizulazule ebalazweni, bese uchaza izimpawu njengoba uhlangana nazo.”

Ingabe uthola ukuthi indawo yakini ibukeka ihluke kakhulu kulokho okuboniswa yibalazwe lakho? Kungani kunjalo? Phela, ngokuvamile sibheka indawo esizungezile ngokobude bethu, obungamamitha angu-1,5 kuya kwangu-1,8 ukusuka phansi. Kodwa amabalazwe abonisa izwe ngokombono, cishe ophezulu kakhulu kunendawo ngayinye esiyibukayo. Ukuze uwuqonde kahle lombono, kubalulekile ukuba uqonde uhlelo lolimi lwamabalazwe.

Isilinganiso, Ukuphakama, Nesimo

Inselele yomdwebi wamabalazwe iwukubhala phansi ukuhlukahluka kokuphakama kwezindawo ngaphezu kwesilinganiso solwandle nanoma yiziphi izinto ezenziwe umuntu phezu komhlaba. Konke lokhu kumelwe kubhalwe ephepheni elingelikhulu ngokweqile. Ukuze kwenziwe lokhu, amabalazwe adwetshwa ngokwezilinganiso. Elinye lamabalazwe athandwayo eBrithani libonisa izwe ngesilinganiso sika-1:50 000—okusho ukuthi isentimitha ngalinye kuleli balazwe limelela amasentimitha angu-50 000 emhlabeni ongokoqobo.

Nokho, ibalazwe elidwetshwe ephepheni lingakubonisa kanjani ukuhlukahluka kokuphakama kwezindawo? Ukushintsha umbala wegquma ube nsundu kungenye indlela yokuveza ukuphakama. Ilanga kubonakala sengathi likhanya ngasekhoneni elingenhla ngakwesobunxele sebalazwe. Imimango ebheke ngasempumalanga nangaseningizimu-mpumalanga, njengoba ingasethunzini, ifakwa imibala ethi ayibe mnyama. Amabalazwe anamuhla ngokuvamile aba nemigqa ehlanganisa izindawo ezinokuphakama okulinganayo ngaphezu kwesilinganiso solwandle. Ukubhala lemigqa ngemibala engagqamile kwenza ukuba ingaphazamisi ezinye izici zebalazwe.

Amabalazwe amaningi asebenzisa isimiso semigqa ehambe ihlangana ukuze ikusize uyithole kalula indawo oyifunayo. Le-grid (imigqa), njengoba ibizwa kanjalo, ivumela ukuba kuboniswe noma iyiphi indawo ngesethi yama-alfabhethi nezinombolo okubonisa leyo ndawo lapho kuhlangana khona lemigqa. Ngokwesibonelo, idolobha elithile lingase litholakale ku-G-13, okusho ukuthi ku-G ohlangothini olwehlayo nakunombolo 13 koluvundlile. Lapho kuhlangana khona lemigqa kulapho uzothola khona lelo dolobha. Nokho, ungaqiniseka kanjani ukuthi ibalazwe lakho lizokunika umbono onembile?

Amabalazwe Enkathini Ye-computer

Ngokuvamile izidingo zezinto zempi ziye zabangela ukuba kwenziwe amabalazwe anembe kakhulu. Phakathi neminyaka engu-40 edlule, kuye kwenzeka ukwenza amabalazwe anembile ngokusebenzisa ukuqhathanisa nge-stereoscope izithombe ezithathwe emoyeni, futhi amazwe amaningi asebenzisa amasu afanayo.

Kakade, sekunamabalazwe anyakazayo enziwe nge-computer kwezinye izimoto kanye namabalazwe okuhamba anemininingwane enzelwe ama-computer asekhaya. “Ama-chip Amancane Kakhulu Ayashayela,” sasifundeka kanjalo isihloko esikhulu kuyi-Observer. Lombiko wachaza omunye umsebenzi wokuhlola owenziwa osebenzisa ama-disc e-computer anokwaziswa kwebalazwe okuxhunywe emshinini okhiqiza izwi. Umshayeli umane nje afake ukwaziswa ebalazweni eliyi-computer ukuze abonise lapho eya khona. Asikho isidingo sokukhathazeka ngenxa yaleyo migwaqo eyinkimbinkimbi edidayo! Ngani? Ngoba njengoba imoto isondela empambanweni ngayinye yemigwaqo, kunezwi elitshela umshayeli indlela okumelwe ayithathe. Izinto ezithile ezizwa okwenzeka kuyikhampasi nasemasondweni zirekhoda ukuhamba kwemoto. Izinto eziye zenziwa muva nje zinokwethenjelwa ngisho nangokwengeziwe futhi zisebenziseka kalula.

Lokhu kuyosho ukuthini ngekusasa lamabalazwe? Ingabe amabalazwe adwetshwe ephepheni ayoba yizinto eziqoqwayo nje? Kuyocaca ngokuhamba kwesikhathi. Kungakhathaliseki ukuthi yikuphi, ibalazwe liyoqhubeka liyithuluzi eliwusizo ngezindlela eziningi lokuhlangabezana nezidingo zakho zokuhamba.

[Ibalazwe/Izithombe ekhasini 23]

Amabalazwe amaningi anohlu lwamagama achaza izimpawu ezisetshenzisiwe

Ukuhlukahluka kokuphakama kuboniswa ngemigqa ehlanganisa izindawo eziphakeme ngokulinganayo, ngokuvamile eyenziwa ngemibala engagqamile

Isimiso semigqa evundlile neyehlayo senza ukuba uthole indawo oyifunayo ebalazweni

Ngokuvamile ibalazwe libonisa lokho iyintshi noma isentimitha elilodwa elilingana nakho emhlabeni ongokoqobo (akubonisiwe lapha)

Isilinganiso samamayela noma samakhilomitha senza ukwazi ukukala amabanga phakathi kwezindawo

[Umthombo]

Crown Copyright Reserved

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 22]

From the book Die Heiligkeit der Gesellschaft Jesu