Editing 2838: Dubious Islands
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==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
− | + | {{incomplete|Created by a DUBIOUSLY LARGE ISLAND - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}} | |
− | In | + | The definition of "island" is a piece of subcontinental land completely surrounded by a body (or perhaps bodies) of water. In most cases we don't count rivers and canals as the surrounding bodies,{{Citation needed}} although small pieces of land like Manhattan are exceptions, as is any bit of land entirely surrounded by the ''same'' watercourse, that splits around it. Inland islands surrounded by rivers can be called a [https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/holm "holm"]. |
− | Randall | + | In this comic, however, Randall considers various large parts of {{w|North America}} as "dubious" islands because they're separated from other parts of the continent by various major rivers, canals, and large lakes. The repetition between the title "Dubious Islands" and the in-image label "Dubious Islands of North America" emphasizes the "Dubious-ness" of this map. "Dubious" means "thought not to be completely true or not able to be trusted" (per Cambridge Dictionary). |
− | + | Randall's map's "Dubious Islands" are indeed not to be trusted — they leave out many less prominant rivers and canals which would break the map into many more additional "islands". For example, southern Nova Scotia, southern New Jersey, and the nearly 60-mile-long "Grand Strand" of South Carolina are also islands by the sense used here in recognizing the Cape Cod Canal as creating an island. These and many other omissions would be errors — except that Randall clearly labelled his islands "Dubious" (not to be trusted) from the start, and he is presumably well-aware of this map's stretching of reality. | |
− | The | + | The geography around the area known as {{w|Parting of the Waters}} explains the connection between the Yellowstone and Snake Rivers shown. {{w|Isa Lake}} drains into both the Snake River (via the Lewis River) and the Madison River (via the Firehole River), explaining the connection there. It is unclear why {{w|Divide Creek}} which connects Hudson Bay to the Columbia River is not shown on this map. |
− | These islands are possibly Randall's humorous interpretation of | + | The title text suggests that a new island could be created by digging a canal through the {{w|Traverse Gap}}, and this is Randall's platform when running for office in Minnesota. This is unnecessary and would create little benefit to residents,{{Citation needed}} but constituents who like interesting maps might vote for him. |
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+ | These islands are possibly Randall's humorous interpretation of what drastic erosion (perhaps caused by continued climate-change inducing increased water movement. Sea level rise might also provoke some of these disconnections, but as some of the connecting waterways exist at over 7000 feet (over 2km) in elevation, this would require a worldwide {{w|rise in sea-level}} (and/or localised {{w|Atlantis|fall of land}}) that would cause other changes to the map of North America. | ||
==Transcript== | ==Transcript== |