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AZERBAIJAN FIGHTS WITH GOOGLE (AND ARMENIA) OVER TERRITORY
by Giorgi Lomsadze
EurasiaNet.org
http://www.eurasianet.org/node/64034
Aug 12 2011
NY
Azerbaijan has discovered that its territorial integrity has been
violated by a force far more powerful than Armenia -- Google.
Much to Baku's chagrin, Google Maps uses Armenian, rather than
Azerbaijani names for locations now occupied by Armenian forces,
but internationally considered part of Azerbaijan. The slivers of
land in question surround the fiercely disputed separatist region of
Nagorno Karabakh. (Fizuli region is termed Varanda, for instance.)
Baku believes that Google's choice of regional nomenclature is the
result of alleged Armenian jiggery-pokery and has tasked the Azerbaijan
State Committee on Land and Cartography to get Google to correct its
word choice.
The Committee will be firing off an angry latter to Google's California
headquarters soon. Committee Chairman Rafig Huseinli noted that this
is not the first time Google has violated Azerbaijan's territorial
integrity and that Baku was able to negotiate changes to online
listings in the past.
With the advent of online mapping tools and social networking, many
of Azerbaijan and Armenia's territorial battles have gone virtual. In
the past, Baku also wrangled with Microsoft over similar issues with
MSN.com maps.
by Giorgi Lomsadze
EurasiaNet.org
http://www.eurasianet.org/node/64034
Aug 12 2011
NY
Azerbaijan has discovered that its territorial integrity has been
violated by a force far more powerful than Armenia -- Google.
Much to Baku's chagrin, Google Maps uses Armenian, rather than
Azerbaijani names for locations now occupied by Armenian forces,
but internationally considered part of Azerbaijan. The slivers of
land in question surround the fiercely disputed separatist region of
Nagorno Karabakh. (Fizuli region is termed Varanda, for instance.)
Baku believes that Google's choice of regional nomenclature is the
result of alleged Armenian jiggery-pokery and has tasked the Azerbaijan
State Committee on Land and Cartography to get Google to correct its
word choice.
The Committee will be firing off an angry latter to Google's California
headquarters soon. Committee Chairman Rafig Huseinli noted that this
is not the first time Google has violated Azerbaijan's territorial
integrity and that Baku was able to negotiate changes to online
listings in the past.
With the advent of online mapping tools and social networking, many
of Azerbaijan and Armenia's territorial battles have gone virtual. In
the past, Baku also wrangled with Microsoft over similar issues with
MSN.com maps.