Phantom settlement explained

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 include Argleton in Lancashire, UK and Beatosu and Goblu, US.[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]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Punt . Steve . 18 Sep 2010 . BBC Radio 4 - Punt PI, Series 3, Episode 1 . 2022-11-26 . BBC . en-GB . 26 November 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221126182655/https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00trzfl . live .
  2. Web site: mountweazel . 2022-03-31 . Emma Wilkin . 26 February 2020 . en-GB . 15 June 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210615151451/https://emmawilkin.com/words-of-the-week-2/2020/2/26/mountweazel . live .
  3. Web site: Krulwich. Robert. An Imaginary Town Becomes Real, Then Not. True Story. NPR. 20 March 2014. 18 March 2014. 8 May 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150508201345/http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2014/03/18/290236647/an-imaginary-town-becomes-real-then-not-true-story. live.
  4. Web site: 20 Nov 2009 . See the new villages of Mawdesky and Dummy 1325 on Google Maps . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20170804101540/http://www.southportvisiter.co.uk/news/southport-news/see-new-villages-mawdesky-dummy-6618605 . Aug 4, 2017 . 2022-11-26 . Southport Visiter.
  5. News: German city offers €1m for proof it doesn't exist. The Guardian. 5 September 2019. Connolly. Kate. 23 April 2020. 11 November 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201111195321/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/sep/05/german-city-bielefeld-offers-1m-for-proof-it-doesnt-exist. live.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Phantom settlement".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.