# Help me date an old globe based on geography **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 3, 2008, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-date-an-old-globe-based-on-geography/475582 "2008-12-03T22:51:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nunavut\_Boy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e95f7d/32.png) [@Nunavut\_Boy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nunavut_Boy)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-date-an-old-globe-based-on-geography/475582/1 "2008-12-03T22:51:51Z")
My gf bought a cool old Replogle 12 inch starlight globe. I want to figure out when it was made based on the countries and crap that it shows. This globe shows: Krakow, Poland Algeria, Sudan, Mauritania, Niger are all one colour and called ‘French West Africa’ The country south of Kenya is called Tanganyika ‘Belgian Congo’? ‘Federation of Nyasal’d’? Bechuanaland Somalia is Somaliland Anybody have any ballparks as to when it was made? ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-date-an-old-globe-based-on-geography/475582/2 "2008-12-03T22:57:00Z")
> [@Nunavut\_Boy](#): > > The country south of Kenya is called Tanganyika I think this narrows it down [considerably](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanganyika): > [@](#): > > Tanganyika is an East African territory lying between the largest of the African great lakes: Lake Victoria, Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika. **From 9 December 1961 to 26 April 1964 it was also an independent nation** Bolding Mine ---
**Author:** ![bryanmaguire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d07c76/32.png) [@bryanmaguire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bryanmaguire)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-date-an-old-globe-based-on-geography/475582/3 "2008-12-03T23:00:04Z")
hmmm, Morbos answer is interesting because ‘French West Africa’ ceased to exist in 1958 ---
**Author:** ![bryanmaguire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d07c76/32.png) [@bryanmaguire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bryanmaguire)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-date-an-old-globe-based-on-geography/475582/4 "2008-12-03T23:08:40Z")
the really helpful one there is Nyasaland. it dates the globe from some time between 1953 and 1963 ---
**Author:** ![bryanmaguire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d07c76/32.png) [@bryanmaguire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bryanmaguire)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-date-an-old-globe-based-on-geography/475582/5 "2008-12-03T23:09:52Z")
combining both answers gives a date between 1953 and 1958 ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-date-an-old-globe-based-on-geography/475582/6 "2008-12-03T23:10:51Z")
> [@Nunavut\_Boy](#): > > Krakow, Poland Isn’t it Krakow, Poland, on most globes? ---
**Author:** ![bryanmaguire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d07c76/32.png) [@bryanmaguire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bryanmaguire)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-date-an-old-globe-based-on-geography/475582/7 "2008-12-03T23:11:45Z")
> [@Morbo](#): > > I think this narrows it down [considerably](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanganyika): > > Bolding Mine actually it doesnt. it may have been independant between 1961 and 1963 but it existed under that name since 1918 ---
**Author:** ![WormTheRed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbe5ce/32.png) [@WormTheRed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WormTheRed)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-date-an-old-globe-based-on-geography/475582/8 "2008-12-03T23:14:34Z")
If we check them all, year by year: Krakow, Poland 1919-1939 and 1945-now Algeria, Sudan, Mauritania, Niger are all one colour and called ‘French West Africa’: 1895-1960 (if we count the first year one of those became indepentend) The country south of Kenya is called Tanganyika: 1961-1964 ‘Belgian Congo’?: 1908-1960 ‘Federation of Nyasal’d’? - I can’t find that with google ☹ Bechuanaland: 1885-1966 Somalia is Somaliland: - 1960 My best guess would be 1960-61. Maybe the countries weren’t recognized until later by some nations? Are you sure it’s made in the USA, or could it be from somewhere else? ---
**Author:** ![Ins\_Outs\_What-have-yous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8797f3/32.png) [@Ins\_Outs\_What-have-yous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ins_Outs_What-have-yous)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-date-an-old-globe-based-on-geography/475582/9 "2008-12-03T23:14:48Z")
The Republic of Tanganyika existed from 1961 to 1964, but the British colony known as Tanganyika dates back to the end of World War I. Nyasaland dates back to 1907 As far we know from the information given, the globe was likely made between 1919 and 1958. Is Israel shown on the globe? East and West Germany or a single Germany? ---
**Author:** ![WormTheRed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbe5ce/32.png) [@WormTheRed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WormTheRed)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-date-an-old-globe-based-on-geography/475582/10 "2008-12-03T23:17:56Z")
It seems like I can’t formulate correct sentences either - it seems like it could’ve at the latest have been made in 1960. ---
**Author:** ![tr0psn4j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@tr0psn4j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tr0psn4j)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-date-an-old-globe-based-on-geography/475582/11 "2008-12-03T23:18:03Z")
I’d guess somewhere between 1958-1962 seems like all the countries mentioned started or ended during that time. ---
**Author:** ![Ins\_Outs\_What-have-yous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8797f3/32.png) [@Ins\_Outs\_What-have-yous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ins_Outs_What-have-yous)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-date-an-old-globe-based-on-geography/475582/12 "2008-12-03T23:18:06Z")
> [@WormTheRed](#): > > Somalia is Somaliland: - 1960 Somaliland became independent in 1960, but it was a British territory under the same name for many years before that. ---
**Author:** ![WormTheRed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbe5ce/32.png) [@WormTheRed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WormTheRed)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-date-an-old-globe-based-on-geography/475582/13 "2008-12-03T23:19:49Z")
> [@Ins\_Outs\_What-have-yous](#): > > Somaliland became independent in 1960, but it was a British territory under the same name for many years before that. It became Somalia in 1960, hence no year before that. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-date-an-old-globe-based-on-geography/475582/14 "2008-12-03T23:24:31Z")
> [@bryanmaguire](#): > > actually it doesnt. it may have been independant between 1961 and 1963 but it existed under that name since 1918 I was going by the OP’s statement “the country south of Kenya is called Tanganyika” - not sure if the globe in question shows it as a territory or independent nation, or if it even shows a difference… ---
**Author:** ![Fubaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-date-an-old-globe-based-on-geography/475582/15 "2008-12-03T23:25:05Z")
Look for a small country, usually in the ocean, called “Copyright.” ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-date-an-old-globe-based-on-geography/475582/16 "2008-12-03T23:27:37Z")
> [@Fubaya](#): > > Look for a small country, usually in the ocean, called “Copyright.” That country’s there EVERY year. ---
**Author:** ![bryanmaguire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d07c76/32.png) [@bryanmaguire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bryanmaguire)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-date-an-old-globe-based-on-geography/475582/17 "2008-12-03T23:29:19Z")
> [@Morbo](#): > > I was going by the OP’s statement “the country south of Kenya is called Tanganyika” - not sure if the globe in question shows it as a territory or independent nation, or if it even shows a difference… if it shows a location called Tanganyika then that only narrows it down to 1918-1963 ---
**Author:** ![Ins\_Outs\_What-have-yous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8797f3/32.png) [@Ins\_Outs\_What-have-yous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ins_Outs_What-have-yous)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-date-an-old-globe-based-on-geography/475582/18 "2008-12-03T23:32:06Z")
> [@WormTheRed](#): > > It became Somalia in 1960, hence no year before that. I don’t recall all the dates, but even after independence in 1960, the country underwent name changes: Somaliland \> Democratic Somali Republic \> Republic of Somalia ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-date-an-old-globe-based-on-geography/475582/19 "2008-12-03T23:32:26Z")
Other changes to look for: Is Ghana on there as Ghana or Gold Coast (or Cote d’Ivoir)? That changed in 1957 when it gained independence. Is there any indication of the United Arab Republic consisting of Egypt and Syria? That lasted from '58 to '61. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-date-an-old-globe-based-on-geography/475582/20 "2008-12-03T23:35:20Z")
Why not look at the chart on their [website](http://www.replogleglobes.com/howOldIsYourGlobe.php) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-date-an-old-globe-based-on-geography/475582.md?page=2)