Phantom settlement
Phantom settlements, or paper towns, are settlements that appear on maps but do not actually exist. They are either accidents or copyright traps. Notable examples in the English-speaking world include Argleton, Lancashire in England, and Beatosu and Goblu, Ohio in the United States.[1]
Phantom settlements often result from copyright traps, also known as mountweazels, which is when a false entry is placed in literature to catch illegal copiers.[2] Agloe, New York, was invented on a 1930s map as a copyright trap. In 1950, a general store was built there and named Agloe General Store, as that was the name seen on the map. Thus, the phantom settlement became a real one.[3]
There are also misnamed settlements, such as the villages of Mawdesky and Dummy 1325 in Lancashire on Google Maps.[4]
There is a satirical conspiracy theory that the German city of Bielefeld is a phantom settlement, despite its population of over 300,000.[5] Another example is Leiria, Portugal, (pop. 128,640),[6] which even gave rise to a song "Leiria não existe".[7]
See also
[edit]- Paper Towns, a novel where phantom settlements become plot points
- The 2015 film of the same name, based on the novel
- Paper township
- Phantom island
- Fictitious entry
References
[edit]- ^ Punt, Steve (18 September 2010). "BBC Radio 4 – Punt PI, Series 3, Episode 1". BBC. Archived from the original on 26 November 2022. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
- ^ "mountweazel". Emma Wilkin. 26 February 2020. Archived from the original on 15 June 2021. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
- ^ Krulwich, Robert (18 March 2014). "An Imaginary Town Becomes Real, Then Not. True Story". NPR. Archived from the original on 8 May 2015. Retrieved 20 March 2014.
- ^ "See the new villages of Mawdesky and Dummy 1325 on Google Maps". Southport Visiter. 20 November 2009. Archived from the original on 4 August 2017. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
- ^ Connolly, Kate (5 September 2019). "German city offers €1m for proof it doesn't exist". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 11 November 2020. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
- ^ Nenhum (23 January 2024). "Leiria não existe". Região de Leiria (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 6 October 2024.
- ^ INÊS APENAS (21 November 2023). INÊS APENAS – LEIRIA NÃO EXISTE. Retrieved 6 October 2024 – via YouTube.
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