Mapa Etnográfico del Archipielago Filipino [and] Mindanao Distribution of Races

Western interpretations of the diverse peoples of the Philippines.

This pair of turn-of-the-century maps was printed by the Norris-Peters Company of Washington, D.C. on behalf of the Government Printing Office. They were originally issued as part of U.S. government reports regarding America’s new major overseas territory, the Philippines.

The first map was originally created by the influential Philippine scholar Dr. Ferdinand Blumentritt and published in 1890 as part of the Bulletin of the Geographic Society of Madrid. Pink, yellow, and green highlight territory occupied by Spanish-Filipino Christians, ‘New Christians’/infidels, and Moors, respectively, according to the legend in the upper left. Over sixty different ethnic groups ranging from the Abacas to the Zambales are shown, though the list oddly places Negritos (N) prominently at the top – no coincidence.

The second map focuses solely on Mindanao and uses red, blue, and white to note the presence of Visayan, Moro, and pagan Filipinos across the island. Labeled towns are occupied by U.S. troops and provide insight into the purpose of the maps themselves – to help in facilitating American control and pacification of the Philippines.