This is the map for everything that's not on the map.
This map is not for getting you to your destination, but for getting lost along the way. It is not for making sense of the world, but for re-enchanting it. For remembering what's been lost, and dreaming of what's to come.
And it is not drawn by those in power, but entirely by us.
[alt]atlas is an ever-evolving community project. Currently you can contribute by adding historical or indigenous names, undocumented places, old photos, and art of all kinds. Click the Help button for more guidance.
Filter the map
Show the following place type
Show the following name type
Show the following item type
Show items from this named place collection
Show items from this art & photography collection
Show names from the following languages/peoples of origin
Reminder: [alt]atlas is a labor of love supported entirely by your donations, and is committed to remaining 100% free and noncommercial. Please consider giving a small amount here to help with the costs of storage and maintenance!
Interacting with the map
The [alt]atlas map is fully interactive, so pan and zoom just as you would on other webmaps. More places will appear at higher zoom levels. The Basemap selector can be used to toggle between map and satellite views, and the Search bar can be used to find and zoom to existing addresses or places.
Click or tap on the Filter button to choose the place types, name types, or item types that display on the map, or to display items from a particular collection.
Click or tap on any place name or marker to view all user submissions associated with that place. Each submission (name, artwork, photo, etc.) can in turn be clicked or tapped to view its own detailed information. Some places such as regions and neighborhoods are represented as polygons rather than points. Their names appear on the map as labels and, when clicked or tapped, will reveal the full outline of the corresponding polygon.
Contributing new places
What counts? Anything with a name and a location that doesn't appear on any (conventional) map! Anything from a bioregion spanning thousands of square miles, to a swimming hole with significance only to you, can qualify.
If the place is associated with a specific location (point), begin by zooming in as far as needed to find the exact spot. Then click or tap the Draw Point tool to activate it, and click or tap the map to place the marker. A popup will appear to provide your submission options.
If the place is best represented as an area rather than a point (e.g. a region or neighborhood), click or tap the Draw Polygon tool instead. You may then draw the area's boundaries by clicking or tapping the map to place each point. On the last point, double-click or double-tap and the polygon will automatically be completed. Polygons can be edited once drawn by dragging their vertices, but they are final once the place has been submitted.
Contributing alternative names
What counts? Any place name that does not appear as the standard name for its place on a conventional map. Indigenous names, historical names, and nicknames can all qualify.
What doesn't count? Names that are obsolete for good reason - because they were imposed by colonizers and/or have a negative connotation, for instance. (Example: Mangi (which includes the word for barbarian) was once widely used as a name for southern China, but the inhabitants of the region generally considered the name derogatory and did not use it as a self-appellation.) Please use due diligence in considering a name's appropriateness.
To contribute a name for an existing place, first try finding the place via the Search bar, or navigating to it directly on the map. (Make sure you pick the right place - many place names will have multiple entries in the Search results! Toggling the basemap may help confirm your choice.) If the place does not appear in the Search results and has not already been added to [alt]atlas by a user, add it to our database using the "Contributing new places" workflow above. If you are able to find it, click or tap its marker if necessary to open its info window, and look for the "Add an alternative name" button. In either case you will be prompted to enter the name, name type (indigenous, historical, colloquial, etc.), language of origin (if applicable), and any other details.
Contributing artworks
What counts? Any visual, musical, or literary piece that represents or is inspired by a place. Examples include Bierstadt's painting "Valley of the Yosemite," Strauss's waltz "The Blue Danube," and Wordsworth's poem "Tintern Abbey." Original works by [alt]atlas users are also accepted and strongly encouraged.
What doesn't count?
Photographs of places meant simply to document them for informational purposes. The goal of [alt]atlas is to show us the world in a new way.
Works that are primarily depictions of people or objects rather than places, submitted at the locations where the subjects happened to be (or the museums where the works happen to reside).
Visual artworks must be associated with a link to an image on the Web. Musical works must be associated with a link to an audio file, or an embed link to a video representation. Literary works may be brief excerpts from larger works, such as Hemingway's description of Paris in A Moveable Feast, or even memorable quotes.
To contribute an artwork, first follow the steps in the above section to locate the place of interest and determine whether a new place must be submitted. On clicking or tapping the "Add an artwork" button, you will be walked through the submission steps, which will differ depending on artwork type. For visual and musical works, you must supply a valid image, audio, or video URL before proceeding with your submission. (A preview of the media at the link will be automatically generated.)
Contributing historical photos
What counts? Any photograph of a place that documents its appearance at a different period of history (as a general rule of thumb, more than 25 years ago).
The process of submitting historical photos is essentially the same as that for submitting visual artworks. As with the latter, a historical photo must be associated with a link to an image on the Web.
Editing and reporting
You must have a (free) [alt]atlas user account and be logged in to edit or report existing entries. The Edit and Report buttons will appear when you click or tap from a place's info window on any alternative name, artwork, or historical photo to view its details. Choosing Edit will open a version of the initial submission form, with the option to change any of the existing values. Choosing Report will prompt you to provide reasons for bringing this entry to the community's attention.
Possible reasons for reporting include an incorrect location, a broken link, inappropriate content, or concerns about attribution or historical accuracy. Please be as detailed as you can in your report, and if the issue is simply an incorrect location, submit a new entry at the correct location if you can. In most cases, reported entries will be removed from public display until concerns are resolved.
Collections
Collections are a way of filing related entries together for consistency and convenience. A collection might be comprised of multiple place names documented in a particular source, for instance, or multiple artworks belonging to the same genre. All entries in a collection can be displayed by choosing that collection from the Filter interface.
Anyone can add to an existing collection, by using the "Choose a collection" dropdown when submitting a new entry. The ability to define a new collection is restricted to logged-in users.
For further help, to share suggestions or concerns, or to join our community of contributors, please email us at info at altatlas dot org or find us on social media.
