She jostles for space among the throngs of internally displaced Tamils peddling their rations near the hospital in Vavuniya in the north of Sri Lanka.

ECONOMIST: Eking a living from handouts

Their work is influenced by politics and patrons, regional assumptions and religious beliefs, all of which jostles with the science in determining what a map looks like and what it is used for.

ECONOMIST: A history of mapmaking: Views of the world | The