50 Informative Maps As Shared By This Page That Might Change Your Perspective On Things
The oldest maps out there are roughly 4000 years old, depicting a section of the river Odet valley in modern Finistère, Brittany. It was found in a tomb, possibly to communicate to people what its inhabitant “controlled.” The fact is that all through history, humans have been trying to make records of the world around them in interesting ways.
The “Simon shows you maps” Facebook page, run by the titular Simon, is dedicated to sharing cool and interesting maps. So get comfortable as you scroll through, upvote the best ones and be sure to share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section down below.
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Stumbled Across A Dumb Little Post
Easier solution os for the West Coast form one country. A second country around the Great Lakes and a Third in New England. The rest of the rest of what's left will quickly discover where the money was coming from.
For A While During The Northern Hemisphere’s Summer, The Sun Sets In Eastern Brazil Before It Does In Ireland. Now You Know
There Are European Cities That Have Been Continuously Inhabited For 7000-8000 Years!
I was about to say "I thought Damascus was the longest continually inhabited city?" then remembered that Syria is in Asia and I'm an idiot.
From the time our ancestors first marked lines in the dirt to stake out hunting ground or chart the changing seasons, mapping has been at the root of how we understand the world. Here's why we can't help but take data and turn it into multicolored maps overlaid on familiar landscapes:
Maps directly tap into our spatial intuition. When you see numbers or patterns overlaid on a geographical landscape, whether dots for earthquake epicenters or color-shaded countries by population density, the relationships pop out at you. Suddenly, what were once abstract statistics become something you can almost "see" and even "feel" in your mind's eye.
Etymology Of Spain. This Map Shows The Origin Of Various Spanish Province Names
Wait, this is a real thing? A cave deeper than 2000m? And people are crazy enough to go all the way down? Good lord! It’s a hard no from me. Happy to support mountaineers all the way to the top but caving is a big no no for your friendly armchair cartography enthusiast
As A German, For A Personal Meeting 12 Means 12 But For A Professional Meeting 12 Means Be 5 Minutes Early. Any Alternative Interpretation Hurts My Little German Brain
A table or a sequence of bars will tell you "what," yet just a map can guide you through the "where" and "why." Think about a heat map of global coffee consumption: you instantly sense cultural hotspots in Scandinavia and Brazil. You can almost taste the latte in Oslo and the cafézinho in São Paulo. A map weaves narrative into bare facts, rendering facts an unforgettable experience.
This Map Shows What The Word "Yankee" Means Around The World
[i was curious and googled it]: the word "yankee" likely derives from the Dutch diminutive "Janke" or "Janneke," which means "Little John" (a diminutive of the common Dutch name Jan, equivalent to English "John"). This nickname was probably first used by Dutch settlers in New Netherland (modern New York) as a derogatory term for English colonists in neighboring New England, particularly in Connecticut. The term was first used derogatorily by the British in the mid-18th century and appears as early as the 1750s to describe American colonists, often paired with terms like "doodle" and "dandy". During the American Revolution, Americans reclaimed the word as a badge of pride. The word "Yankee" later evolved to mean Northerners or Union soldiers during the Civil War.
If You Are Being Born Today, This Is The Likelihood Of You Ending Up In Each Continent
Almost one third of Russians are opposed to vaccines. The second ranked country is the world’s most advanced economy happily shooting itself not in the arm but in the foot. My birth country of Germany also has unnecessarily high opposition
Maps transcend borders, languages, and technojargon. Everyone, anywhere, no matter their background, understands a red‑to‑blue ramp for vote share or a constellation of icons for Wi‑Fi coverage. This universality is an asset for maps when communicating quickly, essential in a crisis, live news, or even executive briefings. Entire teams can be on the same page at a glance as to where to allocate resources.
Young adults are dying at an increasing rate in the United States. France roughly mirrored the US before the introduction of Oxycontin in the mid-90s and later fentanyl. The US isn't doing a great job looking after its own people
There is a large contingent of people who vehemently reject the notion of the government being at all responsible for “taking care of its people” outside of military services to protect borders. I think those people should all move to the Dakotas, build a fence around them, promise them they won’t be “invaded,” then they can live out their rugged individualist cosplay while the rest of us move on.
Map Shows The World In About 250 Million Years
The Great Fire of London ragged in 1666. This fantastic map overlays the effected area on modern day London. Would be cool to walk the area to feel the extent
Humans are wired to detect patterns. A crowd‑sourced map of real‑time traffic flow makes rush‑hour bottlenecks stand out, and a map of deforestation reveals the spread of agriculture into rainforest. By layering different datasets, rainfall over crop yields, say, we become detectives, observing correlations and asking "What's happening here?" It's a powerful superpower for researchers, planners, and curious minds of all types.
Let’s See If This Map Will Come In Handy Any Time Soon
Fun Infographic Shows When We Tend To Peak At Certain Things
Happiness with your body at 74!? Psychological well-being at 82!? I guess there is hope for me yet.
Roosters Without Borders
Brilliant work from the censorship here, glad to have been saved from rooster noises
Let's be real: well-designed maps are just plain fun to look at. Bright color schemes, swooping coastlines, and tidily arranged legends invite you to dive in. Cartographers often sneak in Easter eggs, a tiny sketch of a landmark, say, that rewards a closer look. Interactive web maps bring the fun to a whole new level, letting you zoom in from global overviews to street-level detail, toggle layers on and off, or watch animated shifts over time.
I Live Such A Sheltered Life That I Had Never Heard Of A Horse Chopping Sabre Before
Germany’s Economy Faces Many Struggles Buuuuut It Is Still Huge As This Map Reminds Us
Challenge: Which Definition, Which Terminology Doesn’t Offend Anyone? I’ve Found That Someone Will Always Be Mad
I am proud to be British, but more proud to be Scottish. It annoys me that people in the USA confuse England with Britain/United Kingdom.
From emergency responders deciding where to send rescue teams, to retailers deciding where to open new outlets, maps are vital decision‑making aids. They help us allocate resources efficiently, assess risks, and plan for the future. Mapping epidemiological data during an epidemic, for instance, can quite literally save lives by revealing hotspots and guiding vaccination campaigns.
This map of Ukrainian deep strike capability is astonishing. Drone warfare is so hard to defend against. Any country not heavily investing in defensive and offensive drone technology is simply naive.
The Australian efforts towards tackling the public health issue that is smoking were super successful. Something the country should be proud of. Look at the huge number of ex smokers Australian policies created. Good stuff.
my dad recently got back into smoking after quitting cold turkey like two decades ago... disappointed
Just A Quick Reminder. A Little Public Service Announcement To Please My Dutch Friends
Holland isn't a thing, it's simply the incorrect name (although historically it makes sense) for the Netherlands. It's not that North Holland and South Holland together form a region called Holland, that's not how it works. (Kinda like how you don't say South Dakota and North Dakota together are called Dakota (for as far as I know, I'm not American obviously)). Here in the Netherlands we don't use the word Holland to refer to those 2 provinces together, we only use Holland as an alternative name for the whole Netherlands. And when Dutch people call themselves or someone else a Hollander, they mean Dutch, not that they're specifically from North Holland or South Holland.
Above all, maps mirror the world and our choices back at us. They remind us why some places thrive and others struggle, how our actions remake the planet, and where injustices cluster. By mapping everything from literacy to air quality, we are faced with the issues that confront us, and can more readily imagine solutions.
The classification of Germany in this map classifying the nature of most commonly used profanities across Europe is certainly correct. I would argue a whole category is missing here: family related profanities. Sure, they are often mixed with sexual insults but I thing they deserve their own category!
Medical things being used as profanity? That’s a new one on me.
Technically Correct
Good luck with that. Siberia is huge. It makes Texas look like a Tyco Toy. I said what I said.
Truth
In short, mapping data turns the maze of numbers into a comprehensible cosmos. It is a synthesis of insight, storytelling, art, and strategy, no wonder we come back to maps time and again when we want to make sense of our complex, interrelated world.
Germans And Scandinavias Holidaying In Spain Lose Their Mind Over The Late Dinners
In A World Where More People Obsess About Their Work Being Inherently Meaningful, I Hope That You See Your Job Relatively Close To The Left Side Of The Chart
In places like Germany, the full retirement of the huge Baby Boomer cohort will drive pension payments up significantly. The relatively small workforce will pay for that. Young workers will increasingly dislike that. Voting behaviour might shift further away from established parties as a result.
This Map Shows The Number Of Dentists Per 10,000 Residents Across Europe
Look Who Just Made It Into The Top 20 Of The World’s Largest Economies. Welcome To The Top, Poland
And the smallest country with the fewest people on this list is...
I had never seen the US Baby Boom been visualized in this way. Rather cool visuals. The chart assumes Baby Boomers to be born between 1946 and 1964
This Map Shows Europe In A Silly Scenario Where Sea Levels Decrease By 1000 Meters
Want To Swear But Kids Are Around? Use These Kid-Friendly Swear Words!
By 2050 India Will Be One United States Bigger Than China
This Map Shows The Number Of Ant Species In The 50 Most "Antsy" Countries
Time Traveling Back To 600 Ad Europe, Would You Be Able To Communicate With Anyone?
Yeah, but won't be easy ...Also, my ancestors would be very surpried, learning, that they'll land in the middle of Europe, just 300 years later.
This map shows the status of coal power in Europe as of 2024. Coal is being phased out. Now it’s time to drive down energy costs. Crucial considering the continent wants to be competitive in high end manufacturing, needs big data centers, and wants at least a bit of supply chain sovereignty.
Our push towards green energy is something I'm actually quite proud of the UK for. And I'm not a national pride kind of person.
Just like BC, Canada :) (although that’s not a country capital haha, just our provincial capital)
Yet Another Map That Supports My Suspicion That Poland Is Europe’s Hottest Place To Be At The Moment. Cheaper Than Germany, On The Up Economically
Where To Pee? European Edition
We are being shown how people in Slovakia reference other European nations in their idioms. Germans also use the stingy Scotsman stereotype
This one is useless, as the type is too small to read. I tried zooming in, but it just became pixellated.
Used to be punctual like a German train, but I heard it's not the case anymore. Sad.
Couple from Poland: 1. "Czeski błąd" - Czech mistake - a typo or other mistake made by using something very similar/close by. 2. "Czeski film" - Czech movie - no one knows what's going on or things are impossible to understand. 3. "Francuski piesek" - French doggy - being unreasonably delicate & fastidious. 4. "Siedzi jak święty turecki/jak na tureckim kazaniu" - sits like a Turkish saint/like during a Turkish sermon - to be extremely miserable (showing it with face and posture) but not saying anything; typically used to reprimand individuals that act like they are being punished by simply being at the place/event.
The very low birth rates across Europe lock in future population decline now. The Mediterranean countries will be pretty empty. Well, except for the summer months when everyone still comes to Italy and co for a holiday.
Holidaymakers In The Mediterranean Should Study This Map Carefully To Impress (Annoy?) Their Friends And Family With Island Related Geography Trivia!
The Great War, Wwi, Changed The Map Of Europe Significantly
Most Of Europe Is Shrinking As Is. Without Migration The Shrinkage Would Be Huuuge By 2100
Migration of Islam will be the downfall of all who do it. It's happening already. Sadly.
Not So Forbidden After All…
That's One Way Of Saying That Poland Really Saw Impressive Economic Growth In Recent Years
Wow. That Puts Market Sizes Into Perspective
This Map Overlays The 49th Parallel (Essentially The Us–canada Border) On Europe
Good News, Australia! The Motherland Still Likes Us!
How Long Is Your Summer School Break?
Now That European Ice Cream Season Is In Full Swing, This Map Seems Like Essential Knowledge
Europe Felt The Heat In 2024. Ok, Iceland Didn’t
Gay Marriage Is Slowly Moving Eastward
Life Expectancy At Birth In Europe As Of 2024. It Helps To Be Rich And To Eat Healthy
A Government being excited about their own ideas is normal. This chart made me laugh though. The White House’s economic impact assessment of their Big Beautiful Bill is comically out of whack with all major economic forecasters.
Please note how 3 out of six peak at the 2026 midterms. That is deliberate. The worst parts are scheduled for next year.
This Map Looks Like The Setup For Europe’s Weirdest Cop Show
Map Of The UK Shows Which Country Is The Nearest Neighbour
Time To Enrage Most Of Europe With A Single Map?
Just after you cross the Alps (🚗🚴🐘) into Italy, you enter the Italian Motor Valley. The funnest and fastest Italian engineering marvels are friendly neighbours here.
Good To See The French Still Being Skinny
The China–north Korea–russia Tripoint Must Be One Of The Weirder Borders Out There
Excess mortality in the EU during the Covid years was 12 per cent. This means we've seen 12 per cent more deaths than we would've statistically expected. The Swedish approach wasn't as lackadaisical as we make it out to be. Targeted protection of the elderly saw super high compliance. Sweden's Covid approach remains highly respected
Michigander Remains The Funniest Us Demonym
The Electric Car Boom Continues To Boom
Enjoy Your Summer Holidays My Dear European Friends!
In Minoan Crete they had games called tavrokathapsia (ταυροκαθάψια) that involved bulls. Tavros=bull
London Continues Turning Itself Into A Bicycle City!
It’s Getting Warmer In Europe. In Case You Want To Travel Through Germany, This Map Might Be Of Use
Country Lookalikes
You Are Not Nostalgic About The 90s, 80s, Or 70s. You Are Nostalgic About Your Own Youth - Whenever That Was
The wider the gap, the harder to find a partner. This should in turn further drive down birth rates. On top of this, the UK now has a reverse gender pay gap for young workers. Considering that women still prefer an equally or higher earning partner, birth rates should take yet another hit
Share Of European Countries’ Population Living In The Capital City. Rome And Berlin Are Relatively Small Within Their Country - At Least When Compared To London, Paris, And Madrid
With Italy and Japan we have two big economies where over a quarter of the population is aged 65+. Traditional models of aged care and state guaranteed retirement funding are about to collapse. Time to figure out new models. Younger nations have time and can copy successful approaches of the old nations (and dearly hope that they come up with something smart fast).
Let immigrants in. And/or make it easier for people to have children. Up to you. 🤷🏻♀️ You’re going to have to do one or the other, if you don’t like the current situation.
This map categorizes European forests according to their use. Unmanaged forests are super rare. Finland and Sweden are timber plantations. France has created Landes de Gascogne, a match box forest on the Atlantic coast. Britain got rid of their forests altogether.
This is more about the embargo of Iran over nuclear weapons than the international oil market.
This Map Might Be Bananas But The Word Keeps Changing More Than I Would’ve Expected
Across Most Of The World, The Us Is Now Seen Less Favorably Than Just A Year Ago. The Exceptions Are Worth Noting: Israel, India, Nigeria, South Africa, And Turkey
Of course the seedy underbelly of Nigeria would love the increasing amount of easily brainwashed people in the US.
This chart shows what baby names peaked in each decade in the US. The postwar Larry boom is long gone, the Jennifer-hype of the 70s and 80s died down, but Oliver is still on the rise
When Deborah peaked as a name it was spelled properly as Deborah. Debra is a far more modern version.
Assuming this is US data. It’s so sad. Can you imagine making $7 an hour today? I make $25/hr and I’m a low-level employee haha
Share of the working age (25-64) population that holds at least a bachelor’s degree by country. In the 40% hold academic credentials. Super high considering the population size of the US and the extreme debt that people go into for degrees.
16 countries are home to over 100 million people. 51% of countries officially recognized by the UN are smaller than 10 million residents. 36 countries are smaller than 1 million people.
San Bernardino County, the largest in area in the US, is also larger in area than a number of countries.
Sure, big parts of our healthcare systems are in need of reform but please keep in mind what wonderful progress medicine and pharmaceuticals have given humanity as a whole in the last 100-150 years.
This is very misleading. The infant mortality rate was AWFUL and has significantly improved with vaccinations, public health education and safety standards. If you only graph mortality of people over 10 years old (or even 5). The graph is much flatter, and in some regions it has dropped.
By now you would've read how New York City voted. Have you seen the clear geographic division of votes yet? Countless cities around the world are evenly geographically divided in their political leanings.
Beer Types By Bitterness And Alcohol Levels
Poland-Czechoslovakia Needed A Cooler Name. Just Sayin’…
This Map Shows The Radioactive Fallout In The Us From Nuclear Testing. The First Test, Trinity, In New Mexico Is Visible
I Guess It’s Truly The Heartland Of The Us?!
Some really bad AI made this map or someone who can't read a map. Wisconsin, Illinois And Indiana all have shores on a Great Lake, Wisconsin on two Great Lakes.
This Map Shows When (If Ever) Asian Nations Partook At The Fifa Football World Cup
Wonderfully detailed map shows the Human Development Index across Europe. Concentration of development in Central Europe generally and within the big cities within each individual country
Minor Correction: Skateboarding Seniors Are Cool As Heck And The Chart Should Point Up Again!
Oh I remember Juul 😂 I had like 20 lying around my house and “where’s my juul” was my theme song. I can’t believe that was only like 5 years ago, does Juul even exist anymore?
Chinese Factories Would Get To Sell Heaps More American Flags Once The Us Take In Another State Or One State Defects
They're lucky to have a nice round number of states now, because some of those early ones with weird numbers look ugly as sin. Also, why did they not do three rows of seven for 21 stars?!
