Ukudweba Amabalazwe—Isihluthulelo Sokwazi Umhlaba

NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! ECANADA

“Ipharadesi lindawana-thile eMpumalanga Ekude. IJerusalema lisenkabeni yazo zonke izizwe namazwe, kanti umhlaba wona uyindilinga eyisicaba ezungezwe izilwandle. Zaziwubheka kanjalo-ke umhlaba ezaziphila kuwo izindela, ezazingabadwebi bamabalazwe beNkathi Ephakathi.”

LAWO magama asetshenziswa abahleli be-Reader’s Digest Great World Atlas esethulweni sayo. Inkolelo enjalo engokwenkolo, iBhayibheli elingayisekeli, ngokwengxenye ibonisa ukuthi kungani ukudweba amabalazwe kungazange kuthuthuke ekuqaleni kweNkathi Ephakathi.

Amabalazwe ayisisekelo solwazi lokuma komhlaba, nakho okubalulekile ekuqondeni umhlaba osizungezile. Nokho, ulwazi abaningi abanalo ngokuma komhlaba aluhlukile kolwasezikhathini zasendulo. Eminyakeni engaba yikhulu edlule, umlobi uMark Twain wasebenzisa umlingiswa ayemqambile uHuck Finn ukuze aveze inkinga eyayikhona ngosuku lwakhe. Ephezulu ngebhaluni, uHuck waqinisekisa umngane wakhe uTom Sawyer ukuthi babengakafiki esifundazweni sase-Indiana ngoba umhlaba wawuseluhlaza cwé. UHuck wayephawule ukuthi ebalazweni, i-Indiana yayinombala obomvana.

Ezikhathini zamuva nje, uthisha othile wasesikoleni esiphakeme eMelika wayeye aqale ukufundisa isayensi yokuma komhlaba ngokucela umfundi ukuba akhombe i-United States ebalazweni lomhlaba. Wayeqala izifundo zakhe ngale ndlela iminyaka eyishumi. Wabika ukuthi phakathi naleyo nkathi kwakungakaze kwenzeke ukuba umfundi wokuqala—noma wesibili—anembe lapho ekhomba i-United States! Ngokukamagazini i-Time, mhlawumbe okumangalisa nakakhulu kunalokho ukuthi “amaMelika amathathu kwayishumi awakwazi ukuhlukanisa inyakatho neningizimu ebalazweni.”

Umlando Wokudwetshwa Kwamabalazwe

Ukudweba amabalazwe kungenye yezindlela zokuxhumana endala kakhulu nemangalisayo. Amabalazwe aye aqoshwa ematsheni nasokhunini; adwetshwa esihlabathini, ephepheni nasezikhunjeni; adwetshwa ezindwangwini; enziwa ngisho nangezandla eqhweni.

I-World Book Encyclopedia ithi ibalazwe elidala kunawo wonke lenziwa cishe ngo-2300 B.C.E., ilichaza ngokuthi “isibhebhe esincane sobumba saseBabiloni mhlawumbe esibonisa indawo esesigodini esiphahlwe yizintaba.” AbaseBabiloni basebenzisa imidwebo efanayo yobumba yezingange zomuzi lapho beqala ukuzama ukuthuthukisa umphakathi.

Isazi sokuma komhlaba esingumGreki sekhulu lesibili, uPtolemy wase-Alexandria, sasazi ukuthi umhlaba uyindilinga, njengoba neBhayibheli lakwembula lokho ekhulwini lesi-8 B.C.E. lapho lithi uNkulunkulu “nguye ohlezi esiyingelezini somhlaba.” (Isaya 40:22, omalukeke sizenzele.) Ngokukamagazini i-Equinox, imidwebo kaPtolemy “iphakathi kwemizamo yokuqala emlandweni yokudweba ibalazwe—ngokwendlela ukuma komhlaba okwakwaziwa ngayo.”

Bambalwa ababazi ngamabalazwe kaPtolemy kwaze kwaba yilapho enyatheliswa encwadini yamabalazwe ngasekupheleni kwawo-1400. Ngemva kwalokho, ulwazi oluphathelene nokuma komhlaba olwaludingwa amatilosi anjengoColumbus, uCabot, uMagellan, uDrake noVespucci lwalutholakala ngale ndlela. Ngisho nanamuhla, ibalazwe likaPtolemy lomhlaba wonke eliyimbulunga lifana namabalazwe anamuhla, nakuba ebalazweni lakhe izwekazi lase-Eurasia lilikhulu kunokuba linjalo. I-Reader’s Digest Atlas of the World iphawula ukuthi lobu bukhulu obedlulele “benza ukuba uColumbus alithathe kancane ibanga lokuya e-Asia lapho enqamula i-Atlantic, futhi ngenxa yalokho akabonanga ukuthi wayethole iZwe Elisha eliphakathi nendawo.” Le ndawo ebizwa ngokuthi iZwe Elisha, iMelika, eyethiwa ngo-Amerigo Vespucci, yafakwa ebalazweni lomhlaba ngokokuqala ngqá ngo-1507.

Uhambo olwalandela phakathi nenkathi yokutholwa kwamazwe amasha, cishe phakathi kuka-1500 no-1700, lwanikeza abadwebi bamabalazwe ukwaziswa okunembe kakhudlwana. Amashadi noma amabalazwe abo, aba izincwadi ezisemqoka futhi aye achazwa ngokuthi “amathuluzi ombuso kahulumeni” nangokuthi “izikhali zempi.” Abadwebi bamabalazwe benza izifungo zokuwagcina eyimfihlo, basebenza bodwa, futhi badela ukuphila kwabo ngenxa yamabalazwe abo. Uma kugibela isitha emkhunjini, amabalazwe, lawo ayefakwa esakeni elisindayo, ayephonswa olwandle. Kwaba isikhathi eside amazwe ewavikela ngokucophelela amabalazwe awo asemthethweni, futhi ngesikhathi sempi, abantu abambalwa kuphela ababengakwazi ukuwabuka.

Njengoba kwakutholakala amazwe amasha, kwadingeka ukuba kulungiswe imingcele emidala. Isazi sokuma komhlaba esingumFlemish uGerardus Mercator (1512-1594) sathatha isinyathelo sokudweba incwadi yokuqala yesayensi equkethe amabalazwe. Kule ncwadi yakhe, uMercator wasebenzisa isiqhwaga sasezinganekwaneni u-Atlas umTitan, futhi kusukela ngaleso sikhathi, igama elithi “atlas” liye lasetshenziselwa ukubhekisela emaqoqweni amabalazwe.

Ukudweba Amabalazwe Kwesimanje

Njengoba ulwazi ngokuma komhlaba lwalukhula, izinga lamabalazwe lathuthuka. Izindlela ezintsha zokudweba amabalazwe zaba nendima eyinhloko kule ntuthuko. I-Canadian Geographic ichaza indima enzima yabahlaziyi bezwe phakathi nengxenye yokugcina yekhulu le-19 nasekuqaleni kwelama-20: “Ekushiseni nasemakhazeni, begibele amahhashi, izikebhe futhi behamba ngezinyawo . . . , bahlola amadolobha namazwe, amahlathi namasimu, izindlela ezinodaka namaxhaphozi anemindozolwane. Basebenzisa amaketanga ukuze balinganise ibanga nemishini ukuze babone ama-engela. Bahloma izimpawu besebenzisa izinkanyezi . . . futhi balinganisa ukujula kwamanzi asogwini.”

Ekhulwini lama-20, ukudweba amabalazwe kwathuthuka kakhulu. Izindiza ezinamakhamera zaqala ukuthwebula izithombe emoyeni. Khona-ke, iziphuphutheki zangawo-1950 zathuthukisa ukudwetshwa kwamabalazwe ngemishini yasemkhathini. Ekupheleni kwawo-1980, abahloli bomhlaba abanemishini yokuhlola ukuthi imbulunga imi kanjani base bekwazi ukubona ukuma komhlaba phakathi nesikhathi esingangehora, kanti kwakuthatha izinyanga ukukwenza eminyakeni embalwa ngaphambi kwalokho.

Namuhla abadwebi bamabalazwe badweba ngemishini. Bathuthukisa amabalazwe abo ngokusebenzisa amathuluzi azungeza umhlaba, axhunywe emishinini eyinkimbinkimbi esemhlabeni. Ama-computer anezinhlelo ezikhethekile enza abadwebi bamabalazwe bakwazi ukugcina ukwaziswa okuningi, kokudweba amabalazwe nokunye. Kanjalo, kungenziwa ibalazwe elikhethekile ngemizuzu embalwa, ngaphandle kokudweba ngesandla okudla isikhathi.

Ngesimiso sokwaziswa ngokuma komhlaba (GIS [geographic information system]), kungagqanyiswa cishe noma yikuphi ukwaziswa ebalazweni. I-GIS ingenza ibalazwe lemigwaqo yedolobha eliphelele elingasiza ekuqondiseni izimoto uma imigwaqo iminyene. Ingathungatha futhi iqondise amaloli athuthayo ahamba emigwaqweni emikhulu yezwe, futhi ingasiza abafuyi balawule isivuno sefolishi lemfuyo.

Amabalazwe—Ingabe Aveza Iqiniso?

“Ibalazwe lingakutshela amanga, kodwa aliyona neze into yokuntela,” kubhala imbongi uHoward McCordin. Ngokwesibonelo, uma ibalazwe elidwetshwe ngesandla ephepheni lingawubonisi umgwaqo okuyiwona wona ophumela endaweni olibangise kuyo, akuyona into ehlekisayo leyo. Silindele ukuba wonke amabalazwe abe neqiniso futhi aveze isimo esingokoqobo. Kodwa iqiniso liwukuthi akuwona wonke aneqiniso, futhi akuwona wonke aveza isimo esingokoqobo.

Umgcini wamarekhodi wathola ibalazwe elihle lasodongeni eQuebec, eCanada, futhi kamuva wathola lokho ayecabanga ukuthi kwakuyiphutha elalibangelwe ubudedengu. Wachaza: “Yonke iLabrador yayidwetshwe yaba yingxenye yeQuebec. Lapho ngibonisa engisebenza naye le nkinga, ngamangala lapho ethi cishe iphutha kodwa kwakwenziwe ngamabomu.” Kubonakala sengathi abaseQuebec abasijabulelanga isinqumo sango-1927 sokubekwa komngcele phakathi kweLabrador neQuebec, ngakho ibalazwe lalingalivezi leli qiniso abangalifuni.

Umlisa owayesebenza nalo mgcini wamarekhodi wambonisa nezinye izibonelo zamabalazwe ayenzelwe ukuba akhohlise ngamabomu. Lo mgcini wamarekhodi kamuva wabhala isihloko kuyi-Canadian Geographic esithi “Amabalazwe Akhohlisayo,” esasigcizelela ukuthi “ukudweba amabalazwe kungasetshenziswa kalula ukuze kusekelwe umbono othile.” Wabhala: “Ngangifundiswe ukuthi amabalazwe asiveza ngokwethembeka isimo esingokoqobo kodwa nanka amabalazwe ayenamanga aluhlaza cwé!”

Ngo-1991, i-Globe and Mail, yaseToronto, yabika ukuthi “abameleli abayizikhulu zaseJapane, uhulumeni wabo othi zingezawo iziQhingi zaseKurile ezilawulwa iSoviet, bacela [i-National Geographic Society] ukuba inikeze le ndawo ebangwayo umbala ohlukile.” Kungani babefuna kushintshwe umbala? Umdwebi wamabalazwe omkhulu we-National Geographic, uJohn Garver, Jr., wachaza: “Babefuna ukuba umbala ushintshwe ube luhlaza njengotshani, ngoba iJapane inombala ofanayo ebalazweni.”

Ngakho-ke, imibala yamabalazwe ingasetshenziselwa ukuhlobanisa izinto ezithile noma ukugcizelela isici esithile. Ngokwesibonelo, ngo-1897, lapho kutholakala igolide emngeneleni woMfula iKlondike, amabalazwe aba usizo olukhulu ekushukumiseni ukuthutheleka kwabantu abafuna igolide abangaba ngu-100 000. Abakhiqizi bamabalazwe badweba i-Alaska neYukon ngombala ophuzi ngokufiphele ukuze babonise ukuthi kunamathuba amakhulu empumelelo.

Eminye imibono ingase ithonye ukubukeka kwebalazwe ngendlela ephawuleka kakhulu. Ngokwesibonelo, ngo-1982 kwenziwa “Ibalazwe Elihlanekezelwe,” elashintsha iNingizimu Nenkabazwe layibeka phezulu. Ngani? Ngoba kwakunomuzwa wokuthi ukuba phezulu kwakusho ukuphakama nesithunzi nokuthi ibalazwe elinjalo laliyowajabulisa amazwe ampofu emhlabeni aseNingizimu Nenkabazwe.

Inselele Yabadwebi Bamabalazwe

Ngisho noma umdwebi wamabalazwe efuna ukuveza isimo esingokoqobo, ukwenza ibalazwe endaweni eyisicaba kudala inkinga. Lokhu kungenxa yokuthi ukudweba into eyindilinga endaweni eyisicaba kushintsha ukubukeka kwayo. Kunjengokuzama ukuvula lonke ikhasi lewolintshi libe yisicaba. Ukwakheka kwamazwekazi kungase kube okunembile, kodwa ubukhulu bawo busuke bunganembile. Ngenxa yalokho, uJohn Garver, Jr., wathi: “Ibalazwe okuwukuphela kwalo elinembile ibalazwe eliyimbulunga.” Kodwa njengoba kunzima ukuphatha amabalazwe ayimbulunga, ibalazwe lomhlaba eliyisicaba nelinemibalabala liyathandwa futhi liwusizo.

Ngo-1988, i-National Geographic yakhipha ibalazwe lomhlaba elisha. Ibika lesi senzakalo, i-Time yachaza inkinga abadwebi bamabalazwe ababhekene nayo: “Ngokuvamile imifanekiso esemabalazweni ayifani ncamashí nokwakheka nobukhulu obuhlukahlukene bamazwekazi nezilwandle.” Lokhu ungakubona kalula uma uqhathanisa ibalazwe lomhlaba elakhishwa yi-National Geographic ngo-1988 namabalazwe omhlaba akhishwa yinhlangano efanayo eminyakeni yangaphambili.

Ixoxa ngokuhluka okukhulu kwala mabalazwe, i-Time yathi: “Ebalazweni lomhlaba elisha [i-National Geographic Society] elithumelela amalungu ayo ayizigidi ezingu-11, iSoviet Union ilahlekelwe amamayela-skwele ayizigidi ezingu-18 [amakhilomitha-skwele ayizigidi ezingu-47]—indawo engaphezu kwezingxenye ezimbili kwezintathu zendawo okwakubonakala iyihlanganisa emabalazweni e-National Geographic eminyakeni eyingxenye yekhulu edlule.”

Kusukela ngesikhathi sikaPtolemy, abadwebi bamabalazwe baye babhekana nenkinga yokuveza ubukhulu obufanele bezindawo zomhlaba. Ngokwesibonelo, esimisweni sezilinganiso i-National Geographic eyasisebenzisa iminyaka engu-66, i-Alaska inobukhulu obuphindwe kahlanu kunobukhulu bayo bangempela! Izinkinga ezinjalo zokuhlanekezelwa kwezinto zingakusiza ukuba uqonde ukuthi kungani u-Arthur Robinson, abaningi abambheka njengengqalabutho kubadwebi bamabalazwe e-United States, athi: “Ukudweba amabalazwe kuwubuciko njengesayensi.” NgokukaGarver, ibalazwe i-National Geographic Society eyaqala ukulisebenzisa ngo-1988 “laliwukulinganisela okuhle kakhulu phakathi kokuma kwezwe nobuciko.”

Ikusasa Liphetheni?

Ngokusobala, kuningi okuhilelekile ekudwebeni amabalazwe kunalokho abantu abaningi abakucabangayo. Lapho ulwazi ngomhlaba lwanda, amabalazwe ayonemba kakhudlwana. Nokho, lolo lwazi lungase lungatholakali kalula. Ngakho, njengoba umlobi uLloyd A. Brown asho eminyakeni eminingi edlule, “kuze kube yilapho bonke abantu bengaya ngakwamakhelwane bengasabi, futhi banqamule noma badlule ngendiza kunoma yiliphi izwe bangadutshulwa noma bavinjwe, ngeke libe khona ibalazwe lomhlaba wonke osekungamakhulu eminyaka abantu belifisa. Lingase lenziwe ngolunye usuku.”

Ngokujabulisayo, ngokwesiprofetho seBhayibheli, ekugcineni imbulunga yonke iyohlanganiswa ngaphansi kokubusa kweNkosi emiswe uNkulunkulu, uJesu Kristu. Isiprofetho seBhayibheli simemezela lokhu ngayo: “Iyakubusa kusukela elwandle kuze kube-selwandle, kusukela emfuleni kuze kube-semikhawulweni yomhlaba.” (IHubo 72:8) Lapho izimpi zokubanga imingcele nokuvukelana kwezombangazwe sekuqediwe ekugcineni futhi ingasekho nemibuso elwayo, khona-ke kuyokhishwa ibalazwe lomhlaba eliphelele.

[Isithombe ekhasini 16, 17]

UPtolemy nebalazwe lakhe lomhlaba

UGerardus Mercator

[Umthombo]

Ptolemy and Mercator: Culver Pictures; Ptolemy’s world map: Gianni Dagli Orti/Corbis; globe: Mountain High Maps® Copyright © 1997 Digital Wisdom, Inc.; background on pages 16-19: The Complete Encyclopedia of Illustration/J. G. Heck