Customized Globes for Picky Customers

The International Herald Tribune reports on the Italian globe company Nova Rico, which has been making customized globes for half a century. The company made globes for Saddam Hussein in which Arab countries were shown in orange while non-Arab countries were displayed in yellow. Other customizations include, "For a Turkish customer, Cyprus is shown split in two, a division that Greek Cypriots do not recognize. In one globe, Chile gets parts of Antarctica that on another globe go to Argentina. And in much of the Arab world, Israel is nonexistent." Hat tip to The Map Room.