Project description:

India and China have been locked in a border dispute since April 2020 when rival soldiers were engaged in skirmishes at several points on their mountain border.

Home to the world’s two most populated countries, with a combined population of nearly three billion, the interactive mapping story visually helps readers understand the situation on the ground and what is at stake.

Impact reached:

This was one of the biggest news stories in the sub-continent in 2020. The interactive map, 3d models and mobile friendly graphics have been shared by many on social media since publishing. 

The story gathered hundreds of thousads of page views, mostly from India, and an average time on page of nearly 6 minutes.

Techniques/technologies used:

The core of the story was built using Mapbox’s scrollytelling in React.js

3d models of the mountain range were created using Google Earth Studio.

Population data and graphics were first pre-processed in QGis and then overlayed on MapboxGL to provide a completely immersive experience. 

What was the hardest part of this project?

Transforming a geographical story into a human story. 

What can others learn from this project?

Maps have the unique ability to explain a part of the world that very few people would otherwise be able to access and understand. 

Project links:

interactive.aljazeera.com/aje/2020/mapping-india-and-china-disputed-borders/index.html