So-called Real Map
There is a so-called real map of Europe making the rounds on weblogs, which depicts the countries of the continent with the name of each country on top but in the language of that country. (It's the opposite of an exonym: I'd be interested to know what the word for that is!)
Let's get one thing straight: it's no more "real" or "accurate" than any map you'd see in an atlas. It just shows what the natives call their own country. We call it something different, yes, to distinguish "us" from "them", but also because the way we say it is just plain easier for us (easier on our ears, easier on our tongues, easier to write, etc.). Just as we call their country something other than what they call it, they call our country something other than what we call it, so their maps are no more accurate or innacurate than ours.
Update Sept. 15, 11:05 AM: the map has been updated.
