ADVERTISEMENT

For every Internet commenter who enters online arguments about the USA with facts they got from their butt, there's a map that presents hard data bare and allows the viewers to make their own interpretations.

From light pollution and tree coverage to out-of-service railways and streets and highways, maps may not immediately look as exciting as a viral cat video -- which might explain why we often overlook them when -- but that doesn't mean that are boring. To prove that, we put together a selection of maps that explain the United States better then most textbooks and if broadening your worldview isn't thrilling, I don't know what is.

#1

Most Commonly Spoken Language In The Us After English And Spanish

Most Commonly Spoken Language In The Us After English And Spanish

reddit.com Report

There’s often overlapping features between maps. For example, a topographic map could be utilized to show the distribution of a local orchid, making it both a topographic and thematic map. It could also be used to show well-known features of specific interest to travelers making this topographic, general reference, and thematic maps all in one.

The most widely used maps are “Political maps”. They are the ones that are usually mounted on the walls of classrooms throughout the world. They show the geographic boundaries between governmental units such as countries, states, and counties. They show roads, cities, and major water features such as oceans, rivers, and lakes.

#2

The United States Of America: Alaskan Perspective

The United States Of America: Alaskan Perspective

reddit.com Report

Political maps are really good at helping people to understand the geography of the world. They are usually the first type of map that students are introduced to in school, too. They are often called “reference maps” because people refer to them again and again when they have questions.

According to Geology.com, thousands of different political reference maps have been prepared to explain the United States. There are maps of the entire nation, maps for each of the 50 states, and even maps of the 3142 counties (parishes in Louisiana, and boroughs in Alaska) that make up the states. Most counties, boroughs, and parishes are further subdivided into even smaller political units. An incredible number of political maps have been prepared just to display the geography of the United States alone.

ADVERTISEMENT
#3

How I, A Brit, See The United States (Sorry If It Offends Anyone)

How I, A Brit, See The United States (Sorry If It Offends Anyone)

reddit.com Report

Patrick McGranaghan, who is a land surveyor in Colorado, USA, and the creator of one of the biggest online cartography communities, r/MapPorn, did an analysis on its most popular posts on Twitter. McGranaghan collected the 10 best-performing posts from the previous 18 months -- about 200 maps in total -- and went through each of them individually, tagging them based on the content, style, and subject matter. He then sorted the tags to see which ones were the most common.

#4

States With A Smaller Population Than Los Angeles County

States With A Smaller Population Than Los Angeles County

reddit.com Report

Add photo comments
POST
breakmyheart avatar
Something
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is why our voting system is insane. (It was designed for a different view of government, where the states govern the people and the federal government is the government of the states, but now that it doesn't operate at all like that, it doesn't make any sense.)

ianbartels1113 avatar
Ian Bartels
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I would argue that this is why our voting system makes perfect sense. Without the electoral college, the few major cities would be making decisions for the entire country.

Load More Replies...
lynntobin avatar
Lynn Tobin
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This fact is exactly why we have the electoral college! So that the blue states are not forgotten and their views & votes are heard!!

gtyszko_jr avatar
Gordon Tyszko Jr
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is an illustration of the importance of the Electoral College.

mrkette avatar
kevinmckinzie avatar
Kevin McKinzie
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

LA County has half the population of Australia....the entire country

amyloutar avatar
ernduncan avatar
walkerbolin avatar
Walker Bolin
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This why the electoral college is so important, LA county shouldn't have more power than an entire state

antoine-gagnon1983 avatar
Antoine Gagnon
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So the votes of people living in LA count less then the votes of some other states? How is this fair?

Load More Replies...
geoverde avatar
George Parrino
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yet Los Angeles doesn't get two senators like the rest of the states.

jlk103144 avatar
John L
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Actually, to me this states more about LA than the others in the comparison. I'm so happy to be living on the other side of the country, be it Alaska, Hawaii, or the East Coast.

lisamurphy333 avatar
Lisa Murphy
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

For reference: "According to the most recent United States Census, Los Angeles County in California is the largest county in the nation, with a total population of 10,150,558." (~10M)

dontlook avatar
Don't Look
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is sad - powering CA, particularly LA County, is expensive and difficult. so many people live there and it's not meant to be inhabited like it is.

antoine-gagnon1983 avatar
Antoine Gagnon
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The electoral college is the praticipation trophy of politics...

williamjmahoney314 avatar
William Mahoney
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Actually was genius ! Otherwise only 2-3 states would get attention and power. Some just aren’t capable to know when a political Party feigns Indignation fooling dupes AGAIN !

element1519 avatar
SkiguyPK
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The reality is people who don't really care about democracy (read GOP, who have spent years trying to disenfranchise and literally block people from voting) are going to be for the electoral college. It is an affront to true democracy. To say all states should have an equal say is just stupid. CA has 38million people, Montana has 1million. Hopefully NPVIC will go into effect and we can be done with this anti-democratic, archaic system. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Popular_Vote_Interstate_Compact

joekerr avatar
Joe Kerr
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

and this is exactly what out founders were warning us about

jmchoto avatar
Jo Choto
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I used to do work for LA County. They have over 10 million people and counting. If I remember correctly, their economy alone would be the sixth biggest, and that's just a county, not even a state.

rastor9 avatar
Randall Nielsen
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is also why we have a Senate and House of Representatives, so we don't have one small area OR one big area running amok over the rest of the Nation. Checks and Balances...One draft of our Constitution wanted the House or Representatives to select the President and the Senate to select the Vice President. Yet another "flavor" had the Winner of the Popular Vote becoming the President and the second place contender be the Vice-President...

jmdrago_27 avatar
J
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Funny how no one b***h about Obama sweeping the Electoral College twice. The only time you hear complaints is when Democrats lose elections.

element1519 avatar
SkiguyPK
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Um, Duh, President Obama beat McCain by 10 million votes, and Romney by 5 million. tRump lost to HRC by 3million plus. Get it FFS?

Load More Replies...
crobo_lajinn avatar
James Moore
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

actually this is incorrect. Georgia and NC need to be greyed out.

lance-dboyle avatar
Lance d'Boyle
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think this map is deceptive. It seems to imply, visually, that the population of the 44 states is less than that of LA county. It is simply that each state has a population that is less than LA county's (10,105,500).

jepsondesign avatar
Steve Jepson
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And how may people in Los Angeles County are there illegally ? What % are non-white ? Are White people the true minority in most States now?

cgray4 avatar
Courtney Gray
Community Member
3 years ago

This comment has been deleted.

mrkette avatar
Mary Rose Kent
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

One person, one vote. We should hold our presidential elections the same way we hold all other elections: the primaries would all be held on the same date in each state, and then the general election would be composed of the top vote getter in each party. This removes the states as separate entities and fully reflects the will of the people as a whole.

tookangaro avatar
Jim Kang
Community Member
3 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

This is why we need to get rid of the electoral college. One person one vote. That’s it.

nashamagirl avatar
Nia Loves Art
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So that one county can make decisions for everyone else? Get rid of winner takes all but keep the EC.

Load More Replies...
leoh avatar
Leo H
Community Member
3 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

I say bs...the population of kc and st louis combined hss to be higher

zoemurphy avatar
Zoe Murphy
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Missouri has a population of 6.137 million as of 2019. Los Angeles County has 10.04 million as of 2019. Also remember it’s not just the city, it’s the whole county where the are a lot of big cities with populations exceeding 30,000 such as Santa Monica (91,411), Long Beach (467,354), Beverly Hills (34,183), and West Hollywood (36,854) and this list doesn’t include all the Beach Cities and the rest of the inland cities.

Load More Replies...
davenyc88 avatar
Dave P
Community Member
3 years ago

This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

This map is false and misleading, LA the city has 3.9 million people LA County has 10.94. Which means of the states they claim have less than LA County, Georgia and North Carolina have more people actually. If you go by the city of LA there are 28 states with more. Would have been better to just use NYC where only 10 states have more people. But to use a whole county with it's metro area is misleading, do that for NYC Metro area and you have only 3 states with more peopel (not including NY)

bjhulsizer avatar
Barbara Hulsizer
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Oh for heaven sakes. The comparison is the COUNTY. it’s not false just because you want to argue with it. It’s actually possible to compare any US county to a state. 🙄🙄😂

Load More Replies...
View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu

"The most popular subject was history," McGranaghan told Bored Panda. "In this category, the most popular maps were about World War II." Maps about other wars were also well liked, as well as those about the ancient Romans and historic trade routes.

"Another popular category was natural science. Especially popular are maps about wildlife, such as those that use tracking data to show animal migration patterns. Other topics included geology and astronomic maps."

Interestingly, quite a few viral maps focused on language. These include etymology, dialect and various pronunciation maps.

#5

US Watersheds

US Watersheds

reddit.com Report

Add photo comments
POST
johnny_farnen avatar
BeazleBug
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

For those that don't know, a watershed is a geologic area from which all water drains to the ocean. The pink area is the Mississippi river basin which includes the Missouri, Ohio, Platte. Allegheny, Red and Arkansas rivers (among many, many others)

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT

"Another topic that I grouped together are 'political re-alignments'. These are maps that deal with boundaries. Subjects like separatist movements, re-drawing borders, and user-created idealizations. Many of these are satirical and funny," McGranaghan explained.

McGranaghan, however, wouldn't say that all of these maps are scientific. "I think the data is a bit noisy, but it's interesting nonetheless. Users sometimes want a magic formula to make their maps go viral and I don't think there is one. The tastes of the masses are fickle and change over time."

#6

Red And Orange Areas Have Equal Populations

Red And Orange Areas Have Equal Populations

Cogo5646 Report

Add photo comments
POST
nathanjones_2 avatar
Nathan Jones
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is not at all surprising, since nearly half the population in this country lives within 30 miles of the coast.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu

When it comes to maps that best describe a country, McGranaghan thinks that it depends on the goal of the mapmaker. "All maps are generalizations, some good, some bad. They are not true representations and a good 'reader' should know that. I think good data visualization will take disparate datasets and find meaningful connections that weren't known before. It sounds simple but it is not so straightforward. A good mapmaker should be familiar with many matrices of knowledge and should be able to sift through them and make new connections."

McGranaghan created r/MapPorn in May 2011 while living in Taiwan, and it currently has over 995K members. He thinks the reason why the community is becoming so big is the same one why people like maps so much: they are easily digestible. So go ahead folks, continue scrolling and enjoy the rest of the post. Bon appétit!

ADVERTISEMENT
#8

The Most Efficient Route Between Every Springfield In The United States

The Most Efficient Route Between Every Springfield In The United States

reddit.com Report

ADVERTISEMENT
#10

How Much Snow Does It Usually Take To Cancel Schools?

How Much Snow Does It Usually Take To Cancel Schools?

reddit.com Report

Add photo comments
POST
erin_16 avatar
GirlFriday
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Nice. I always get a kick out of the places that close school for an inch of snow. You don't even need to wear a coat for 1" of snow.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#11

Most Common Surname In The United States By State

Most Common Surname In The United States By State

reddit.com Report

#12

Every State's Least Favorite State

Every State's Least Favorite State

reddit.com Report

#13

Its Very Interesting

Its Very Interesting

reddit.com Report

#14

More People Live Inside The Red Area Than The Grey Area

More People Live Inside The Red Area Than The Grey Area

reddit.com Report

Add photo comments
POST
kevin-donegan avatar
Kevin Donegan
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

... and this is the downfall of the American election system called the electoral college.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#15

Drug Overdose Deaths In The United States Per 100,000 Persons For 1999 And 2014

Drug Overdose Deaths In The United States Per 100,000 Persons For 1999 And 2014

reddit.com Report

#16

US States Scaled Proportionally To Population Density

US States Scaled Proportionally To Population Density

reddit.com Report

ADVERTISEMENT
#17

The Loudest And Quietest Spots In The Continental US

The Loudest And Quietest Spots In The Continental US

ational Park Service 9,9822,736Whoa? Report

Add photo comments
POST
brandygrote avatar
Brandy Grote
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

my house is in the border of very loud and very quiet. I can hear trains, a freeway, coyote howls, and owls hooting.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#18

Out Of Service Railways

Out Of Service Railways

Andrew Grigg/ Report

Add photo comments
POST
khairunisaasyikinnoordin avatar
nanashi
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

for a large country like America, why is there no push for investing on high speed trains to cross the states?

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#19

The U.S. Mapped By Residents’ Desire To Move To A Different State

The U.S. Mapped By Residents’ Desire To Move To A Different State

reddit.com Report

#20

Use Of The Word "Dang" Across The Continental US

Use Of The Word "Dang" Across The Continental US

AJgloe Report

#21

How America Utilizes Its Land

How America Utilizes Its Land

reddit.com Report

#22

Percentage Of People Born Outside The U.S. In Each State

Percentage Of People Born Outside The U.S. In Each State

reddit.com Report

#23

Regions Of The U.S. That Don't Officially Celebrate Christopher Columbus Day

Regions Of The U.S. That Don't Officially Celebrate Christopher Columbus Day

reddit.com Report

#25

Map Of Lowest Recorded Temperature In Each Us State (Fahrenheit)

Map Of Lowest Recorded Temperature In Each Us State (Fahrenheit)

reddit.com Report

Add photo comments
POST
dach0813 avatar
Meechelle Reha
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is Hilarious to me, my ex-husband was raised in Alaska from 7 year's old until 22 year's old & heard a ton of weather stories 😅 😄 😂 😆 🙃 🤣 😅 😄 I've been there 4 time's but alway's in summer though!

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#26

Light Pollution In The United States

Light Pollution In The United States

reddit.com Report

ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#27

Air Traffic Control Zones In The USA

Air Traffic Control Zones In The USA

reddit.com Report

#28

U.S. Education Spending Map

U.S. Education Spending Map

reddit.com Report

Add photo comments
POST
bp_10 avatar
WilvanderHeijden
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Explains why so many US citizens show a heartbreaking ignorance and why a guy like Trump could become president.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#32

Portion Of Each State That Is Federal Land

Portion Of Each State That Is Federal Land

reddit.com Report

#33

All U.S. Counties With In-N-Out Burger As Of May 2020

All U.S. Counties With In-N-Out Burger As Of May 2020

reddit.com Report

Add photo comments
POST
troux avatar
Troux
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Thanks for posting this. I keep hearing this name and have never seen one.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#35

Date Of Creation Of All 3,142 U.S. Counties

Date Of Creation Of All 3,142 U.S. Counties

reddit.com Report

#36

US Governors By Eye Color

US Governors By Eye Color

reddit.com Report

See Also on Bored Panda
#37

Voters Who Didn't Vote For Hillary Or Trump

Voters Who Didn't Vote For Hillary Or Trump

reddit.com Report

#39

Results Of The 1984 United States Presidential Election By County. The Most Lopsided Election In History, The Only State Reagan Failed To Win Was His Opponent’s, Minnesota

Results Of The 1984 United States Presidential Election By County. The Most Lopsided Election In History, The Only State Reagan Failed To Win Was His Opponent’s, Minnesota

reddit.com Report

Add photo comments
POST
kevin-donegan avatar
Kevin Donegan
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In reverse, this must be the outcome of the 2020 election. Trump is setting up the "corrupt election" playbook so that when he loses, he can claim the election was fraudulent. We need to do the same thing Reagan did and OVERWHELMINGLY vote the morbidly obese pathological lying vindictive narcissistic imbecile with the emotional maturity of a toddler (AKA tRump) out of office.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#40

US Counties With Gdp Over $100b

US Counties With Gdp Over $100b

reddit.com Report

Add photo comments
POST
davenyc88 avatar
Dave P
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

um where are the five counties that make up NYC, all five have GDP's over 100B on their own

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu