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For many of us, cartography day in geography or history class meant a quick nap. With our eyes open, we’d dream of all the delicious stuff we were gonna eat after school, of music we’d play on the Walkman, of a message we received the other day from that cutie…

To bring back our long-lost excitement for hard pieces of data, aka maps, plans, and geographic drawings, we're gonna need to start from the very best of them. Luckily, there’s a whole online community on Reddit dedicated to the most unusual charts of geographic areas that took maps to a whole new level.

From mapping "October" in European languages to mapping an eagle’s track over a period of twenty years, these incredible examples will surely put the world into a completely new perspective.

Who knows, you may well unleash your inner cartographer and become among 1.1 million like-minded members of the maps subreddit. In that case, you may need some more cartographical goodness with 41 maps that portray lesser-known facts about America.

#1

An Image Of GPS Tracking Of Multiple Wolves In Six Different Packs Around Voyageurs National Park Shows How Much The Wolf Packs Avoid Each Other's Range

An Image Of GPS Tracking Of Multiple Wolves In Six Different Packs Around Voyageurs National Park Shows How Much The Wolf Packs Avoid Each Other's Range

john3806 Report

#2

To Increase Local Tourism, Lithuania Has Made A Map With Magnets That You Can Only Find In Corresponding Cities

To Increase Local Tourism, Lithuania Has Made A Map With Magnets That You Can Only Find In Corresponding Cities

greycoconut Report

#3

Occupied Bald Eagle Nests In Wisconsin. 1974 vs. 2019. Growth Credited To The Clean Water Act

Occupied Bald Eagle Nests In Wisconsin. 1974 vs. 2019. Growth Credited To The Clean Water Act

zstahowiak Report

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Katy McMouse
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When I was a kid, bald eagles were on the endangered species list and I pretty much figured I'd never, ever see one. I live on Lake Erie, in Pennsylvania, and for the past decade they've made a comeback. I saw one for the first time fly very low over my house just the other day and it was utterly amazing. He was a monster (in size) and I might have squealed like a little kid for about 5 minutes. It's astonishing what one creature can do to my inner child!

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

In raptors (eagles, hawks, kites, etc.) the females are larger than the males. I watched a pair of Peregrine Falcons do an hour of pair-bonding flight after fledging four babies, and she was two-thirds larger than he was. It was really striking.

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Kristin Ingersoll
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3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And Trump decimated The Clean Water Act in April. Hopefully President Biden will correct this before the eagles are killed off AGAIN.

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

Biden is going to be spending a LOT of his first year in office undoing the damage of the 🍊🍄💩!

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Marlowe Fitzpatrik
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In Germany, it would be quite similar with our White Tailed Eagles, except the reason they have a huge comeback is that we banned a certain herbicide from use, which accumulates in the food-chain and weakened the egg-shells. We now have, in appropriate habitats, no shortage of our largest birds anymore! And they're getting more. Oh, I might add that there'd been a rehabitation-project that bred the eagles in captivity and then let them free to re-popularize the areas. It was a huge success, and we have a nest each year at our city and so far, the pair has brought up 2 little ones each year (5th year this year).

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

That’s what happened in the U.S. as well. DDT was to blame—it made the shells very thin and when the parents would roost on them, they would break. Eagles and condors (a very large vulture) were the worst hit.

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Deborah Schmehr
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I was in junior high in 1974. I remember learning that bald eagles were almost extinct in the wild, and that we would almost certainly never see one outside a zoo, or on film. Not one of us had ever seen one in person. Now, I can drive down a rural road at dawn or dusk, and see, in the wild, with my very own eyes, bald eagles!! We CAN make a difference in what happens to our world!

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Grumble O'Pug
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Now if the Clean Soil Act gets some purchase in congress, companies can't throw waste out into ponds, desiccate and throw it in the general environment

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Cheryl Wilcox
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You mean the clean water act that was just trashed by the current administration?

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Robin Huff
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yup. Along with the Clean Water Act and virtually every environmental protection gained over the last 50-80 years.

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Mark Kraabel
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Haven't read all the comments, but isn't the driving reason for the recovery the banning of DDT?

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M O'Connell
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's probably better. DDT has been banned for so long it would be highly doubtful anyone would manufacture it, even if the grumpy-old-party repealed its ban.

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Jennifer Wallin
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3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Growth wasn’t from the clean water act, it was from banning DDT that caused eggshell thinning.

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Hugh Walter
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A powerful message against everything Trump's done to Environmental services!

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Anne Hanna
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

for a little while we lived on Vancouver Island. Sitting on our deck one big eagle landed on top of one of the fir trees in our yard, they are very large and beautiful, there were a lot of eagles this is not so long ago around the beginning of 1990. I don't know for sure but I think there are a lot of the big birds living still in the area.

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Camilla Krone
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I remember seeing my first bald eagle when my Chicago area family was vacationing in Sawyer Co. Wisconsin and my dad and I were out fishing on a lovely summer afternoon in maybe 1966 or so. The eagle flew right over our boat and it was magnificent! I'd never before seen a bird with a really big wingspan like that. My dad told me that eagles were going extinct, so we were lucky to see one while there were still a few left in the wilderness. Now I live in Central MN, and it's a fairly common sight to see a bald eagle flying over the Sauk River hunting for fish or small animals. We also see flocks of sandhill cranes in the summertime and a pair of wild swans that must nest along the river each year. I also remember the DDT fogger trucks that came around our neighborhood to spray for mosquitoes. Moms told their kids to come home and play indoors when the trucks were around. So some days we ended up stuck behind the fogger breathing DDT. I doubt that was what our moms meant for us to do!

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India W
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The biggest threat to them now is lead ammunition that gets lodged in carrion and is ingested by the eagles. They get lead poisoning and it can lead to nervous damage and other health issues.

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Robin Huff
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Lead poisoning is ultimately a terrible death. Wind turbines kill hundreds, also, along with bats, which are extremely important in the ecosystem. Wind turbine companies no longer need to report the numbers of bald eagles killed, either. They were granted 20-year open ended contracts to avoid the required reporting of deaths of a species protected under the Endangered Species Act. Open-ended means it can be renewed in perpetuity. The wind turbines can, as I understand it, be adjusted to kill fewer animals by adjusting their speed, but doing so decreases the amount of energy reclaimed. It’s easier to kill Endangered Species than work on the design of equipment. 🤬🤬 Many bat species are also Endangered, BTW.

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Carson R Ibach
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3 years ago

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

I love it when once in a while humans do something right.

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Christel Nellemann
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Aww, we need more good news. This only happens through us collecting data and finding out, what works. Also called science. I hope, science doesnt die entirely in todays divided states of america 🙁

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Clever Dog
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There are not many good news environmental stories but this is one. Fantastic.

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tips52
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not sure that's correct. I thought the rebound was due to banning DDT in 1972.

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Terri Olson
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

These numbers will decline due to trumps roll back on the clean water act

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JD Lee
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Which explains why Trump wants to/is shelving the act. All those eagles could potentially poo on his golf courses. MAGA!! 🙄

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Anne Hanna
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

wow, that is fantastic, way to go, the whole world can learn from this!! Thanks !

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Blair Baker
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

that and stealing eagles from Nova Scotia to repopulate areas of the US, which apparently worked, but I figured Migratory birds would just find their way back.

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May Day
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And probably for stopping the spread of poisons that destroy the eggshells.

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Pungent Sauce
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Used to be rare and majestic when I was a kid, now I see them eating roadkill.

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Gina White
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

makes you realize how much clean water matters for wildlife

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Stannous Flouride
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The Trump administration in April finalized its controversial definition of what marshes, wetlands and streams quality for protections under the Clean Water Act. Under the Clean Water Act, lawsuits must start in federal district courts, which means challengers can file them all over the country. Those cases will proceed simultaneously. Based on a recent Supreme Court ruling in an immigration case, it is unlikely a federal district court judge will issue a nationwide injunction blocking the rule across the country. Given the way Rethuglicants are packing the Supreme Court with unqualified reactionary justices it seems unlikely that our Earth will win.

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Robin Huff
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I need a combination crying and cursing emoji. 😭😡🤬 “For the love of money is the root of all evil “. If destruction of this beautiful planet and its flora and fauna is not true evil, IDK what is.

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Liz Sahlin
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3 years ago

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This map I really like and find a true comfort and trust in that nature find its way back and have done so even without the act. All the nature really need is for us to disappear.

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Robin Huff
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The Endangered Species Act was essential to the recovery of bald eagles. The story of the bald eagle shows the very need for the ESA, not that Nature can recover without it. Some humans require the force of law to change their behavior. The only way Nature can recover on its own would be the total absence of Human activity and pollutants. BTW, eagles are presently being slaughtered by the hundreds from wind turbines and lead poisoning from lead shot and lead fishing lures, which the ingest from contaminated fish. And Lead poisoning is a long, horrific death.

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To find out more about this amusing Reddit community by the name r/MapP**n, Bored Panda reached out to its creator Patrick McGranaghan, who started the subreddit in 2011 while living in Taiwan.

Patrick said he has always been a map geek: “I wanted people to share those maps so that they are easy to find and discuss.”

It turns out, he works as a land surveyor in Colorado and is a devoted member of several map societies across the nation, including the North American Cartographic Information Society, Charles Close Society for the Study of Ordnance Survey Maps, and Rocky Mountain Map Society, to name just a few.

#4

Tracking Of An Eagle Over A 20 Year Period

Tracking Of An Eagle Over A 20 Year Period

HDeo950 Report

#5

When A Band Announces A World Tour

When A Band Announces A World Tour

esloubro Report

#6

Japan, How Big It Is In Reality?

Japan, How Big It Is In Reality?

c0urso Report

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Theodore Theodora
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Okay, mind blown; it's literally twice as big as I'd imagined given typical maps. Thank you, person who made it!

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The creator said that the title r/MapP**n followed the trend on Reddit at the time when “there were a lot of subreddits with a *-porn suffix.” He explained further: “This refers to pictures of innocuous things like nature, architecture, or engineering marvels in a beautiful way. It was not meant to be sexual. The internet at the time was a lot more relaxed and using that term was funny.”

“In the years since the culture on the internet has taken a much more puritan bias and some people don't like that name,” Patrick said.

However, he assured us that “the goal of the brand has not changed, though: it's a place to share and discuss beautiful maps.”

#7

The Earth Being Centered On Great Britain Is Arbitrary, So Here's A Map Centered On New Zealand

The Earth Being Centered On Great Britain Is Arbitrary, So Here's A Map Centered On New Zealand

ParadoxicalCabbage Report

#8

Cheese Map Of Europe

Cheese Map Of Europe

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#9

The United States Of America: Alaskan Perspective

The United States Of America: Alaskan Perspective

Pariahdog119 Report

When it comes to submissions, they come in every form and style. “From historical maps showing ancient borders, to funny memes and transit maps. People also post imaginary maps of places that they create in their minds.”

In fact, every kind of map imaginable has been posted to this subreddit. Patrick said that linguistic maps are popular, as well as maps that re-imagine state and national borders. There are also maps of asteroids and maps of routes of famous explorers.

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“One of my favorite interactions is when a map is posted of an obscure place and someone in the comments says they live there or has a story about that place.”

#10

50 Percent Of Canadians Live South Of The Red Line

50 Percent Of Canadians Live South Of The Red Line

midlleeastcelts Report

#11

Each Section Has 10% Of The World's Population

Each Section Has 10% Of The World's Population

AppleBiryani Report

#12

List Of Countries Mentioned Or Referred In The Bible

List Of Countries Mentioned Or Referred In The Bible

Erik_John09 Report

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Nicola Roberts
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wow, I never knew this. Unlikely Jesus was fair skinned, blond and blue eyed....

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Patrick concluded that “Maps are a way to visualize the world in a way that is easy to grasp. They are an aid in learning about new lands and faraway places. They help us find our way when we are lost.”

Especially in a time like now, “when the pandemic prevents us from traveling, maps are a way that we can travel without leaving our home,” the map enthusiast said.

#15

Size Comparison Between Australia And The United States

Size Comparison Between Australia And The United States

AJgloe Report

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#16

3D Render Topographic Map Of Europe

3D Render Topographic Map Of Europe

reddit.com Report

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Linus Nilsson
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I didn't know there was an ice-wall between Finland and Russia!?! (Do I need to write 'Sarkasm'?)

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#17

North America Animal Migration Routes

North America Animal Migration Routes

expatdoctor Report

#18

A Europe–U.S. Superhighway Proposed By The Former President Of Russian Railways

A Europe–U.S. Superhighway Proposed By The Former President Of Russian Railways

emilylikesredditalot Report

#19

The Surface Of Mars: If, Like Earth, 71% Of Its Surface Area Was Covered With Water

The Surface Of Mars: If, Like Earth, 71% Of Its Surface Area Was Covered With Water

crukey Report

#20

World's Smallest Country vs. Largest Building

World's Smallest Country vs. Largest Building

neilrkaye Report

#21

The Decline Of Our Native Tongue Over The Last 2 Centuries, I Find The Maps Rather Than The Reciting Of Statistics, Gives A Far Better Impression On The Overall Erosion Of One Of The Biggest Aspects Of Our Culture, Irish Itself

The Decline Of Our Native Tongue Over The Last 2 Centuries, I Find The Maps Rather Than The Reciting Of Statistics, Gives A Far Better Impression On The Overall Erosion Of One Of The Biggest Aspects Of Our Culture, Irish Itself

dumbcrow123 Report

#23

Locations Johnny Cash Claims To Have Been In "Ive Been Everywhere"

Locations Johnny Cash Claims To Have Been In "Ive Been Everywhere"

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#24

The Countries That Got Tea Via China Through The Silk Road (Land) Referred To It In Various Forms Of The Word "Cha". On The Other Hand, The Countries That Traded With China Via Sea - Through The Min Tan Port Called It In Different Forms Of "Te"

The Countries That Got Tea Via China Through The Silk Road (Land) Referred To It In Various Forms Of The Word "Cha". On The Other Hand, The Countries That Traded With China Via Sea - Through The Min Tan Port Called It In Different Forms Of "Te"

reddit.com Report

#25

Passenger Railway Network 2020

Passenger Railway Network 2020

TraveGeo Report

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Pseudo Puppy
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In the "australia" map.... that little pink line above the "L", is actually New Zealand - a totally separate country to "Australia" (although the Aussies & Kiwis do consider themselves like "siblings" ie we are staunch rivals within sports, but stick together in defense of eachother).

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#26

What Pedestrians Look Like Across Europe

What Pedestrians Look Like Across Europe

3OxenABunchofOnions Report

#27

The Topologist's Map Of The World - A Map Showing International Borders, And Nothing Else

The Topologist's Map Of The World - A Map Showing International Borders, And Nothing Else

xilefakamot Report

#28

These Two Areas Of Africa Have Roughly Equal Populations

These Two Areas Of Africa Have Roughly Equal Populations

LlNES653 Report

#29

Roads Either Side Of The Border: Finland vs. Russia

Roads Either Side Of The Border: Finland vs. Russia

AJgloe Report

#30

Syria Before And After Civil War

Syria Before And After Civil War

atharva321 Report

Note: this post originally had 75 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.