The Salish Sea is nestled between the Pacific Ocean, Vancouver Island, and the mainland of the Pacific Northwest. Cities like Olympia, Tacoma, Seattle, Victoria, Vancouver, and Squamish dot its coastline. More than nine million people call this area home, which they share with a rich and varied ecosystem of hundreds of species of fish, birds, mammals, and invertebrates—the latter of which number in the thousands. The sea itself measures around seven thousand square miles, making it similar in size to Lake Ontario.
Spanning states and provinces in two countries and First Nation lands of the Coast Salish, the sea encompasses a myriad of geographies, peoples, and their histories. Its very name pays homage to this diversity.
The Essential Geography of the Salish Sea
Mapping such a historied place is no small feat. And doing so while representing the range of geographic features of the region is a taller order still. Jeff Clark of Clark Geomatics handled the task brilliantly in his map, The Essential Geography of The Salish Sea. Expertly combining the natural and built environments, Clark’s map is more than a pretty picture. It is a lesson in both local history and the art of cartography. Weaving together First Nations history with the urban environment of airports, transportation networks, and state and provincial parks, the map invites readers to pore over its detailed features. And this is done with an expertly crafted design that reflects elements of the Swiss greats and popular maps in geographic magazines.
This map is one of several that Clark has created, and more are in the works. Each is a cartographic joy to behold, offering readers great insight into the world around them—both past and present.
