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30 Interesting Maps That Might Change Your Perspective, As Shared On This Instagram Account
A good map is worth a thousand words. A bad one, on the other hand, is just one, and usually a pretty ugly one.
If you've been on Bored Panda long enough, you probably know that we have a soft spot for cartography. After all, we've already covered it here, here, and here.
So when we discovered the social media project 'A Map A Day', we knew we had to make a publication about it too. Run by a cultural geography and tourism student, it regularly shares all sorts of geographical oddities that challenge the way you see the world.
Continue scrolling and see for yourself!
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Visual Guide To Geographic Terms
Most-Used Word In Each State
The map reads left to right, "you can make these maps say whatever you want by adjusting the methodology, half the time your just amplifying random noise because the underlying data doesn't vary that much from one state to another. But whatever no body checks this stuff. just pick whatever normalization let's you make fun of Florida." lol
The evolution of maps has taken a long road. We, humans, have documented our surroundings for thousands of years, in the form of cave paintings, stone tablets, religious maps, printed maps, and the multi-layered digital maps of modern day.
From ancient Babylon, through the Renaissance, and into the present, mapping history offers a fascinating look into the collective psyche of each period.
Closeness Over Time
This so so true and some are so sad. The ones with the parents and dogs really make my heart ache.
Victoria Peak (Hong Kong), Carved Onto A Roll Of Tape
Never finding the end on that tape now! Was hard enough already
The Imago Mundi (more commonly known as the Babylonian Map of the World) is considered the oldest surviving world map.
It is currently on display at the British Museum in London and dates back to between 700 and 500 BC. It was found in a town called Sippar in Iraq. The carved map depicts Babylon in the center with places like Assyria and Elam nearby, all surrounded by a “Salt Sea” forming a ring around the cities.
Outside the ring, eight islands or regions are carved into the tablet. The map is accompanied by a cuneiform text describing Babylonian mythology in the regions depicted on the stone.
Sharks vs. Humans (2014)
This is heartbreaking! I watched a documentary during Shark Week and it stated that most of the sharks killed are just for their fins. The fins are made into Shark Fin soup. I hope we can make it illegal world wide to kill sharks. The are beautiful and amazing creatures.
Clouds Flow Past Mt. Fuji, Japan
A Chart Illustrating Gerrymandering In Its Most Basic Form
The medieval maps, on the other hand, seem to have been dominated by the church, reflecting the ecclesiastical dogmas and interpretations of Scripture
But during the late Middle Ages, a great deal of enthusiasm was generated by the travels of Marco Polo in the 1270s and 1280s.
New information about faraway places, and the stimulation of interest in world maps, promoted their sale and circulation and it was evident that Marco Polo’s experiences inspired the desire for exploration in many.
The Many Flags Inside Norway’s Flag
And take the blue away and you have Denmark - What country was they under to 1814!
Cause Of Death - Reality vs. Google vs. Media
Day And Night In Barcelona
Wind Blown Patches Of Snow Cause A 3D Effect In Eastern Colorado
Progress in other areas such as navigation, ship design and construction, instruments for observation and astronomy, and general use of the compass helped to improve existing map information, as well as to encourage further exploration.
Eventually, geographic knowledge was profoundly increased during the 15th and 16th centuries as Columbus, da Gama, Vespucci, Cabot, Magellan, and others made their discoveries, gradually transforming the world maps of those days.
A Bar In Dc Made A Us Map From One Summer's Confiscated Fake Id's
Land Use Comparison Of A Typical European City And A North American City
we might have apartments instead of houses in Europe, but also we can walk pretty much anywhere, totally worth it!
Countries in Europe tend to be a tad smaller than America, so we make the best use of the space we have
Exactly. It's like people forget exactly how large the landmass of the US is. There's a LOT of space between cities. I can drive for six hours and still be in the same state and see nothing but small towns and pine trees.
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We also have plenty of land and like our space and privacy. I am not dunking on people in Europe but we don't have to emulate their way of life.
We do have it too. It's a comparison of cities only. In smaller cities and in the countryside we have a lot of space and big houses! But even there it's at a smaller scale, personally I like it better. Also we don't have many areas with the same houses lined up, a lot are old and so have their own design.
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U.S. Citizen here. Until I traveled around England decades ago, I didn't really understand what was meant by "urban sprawl." This isn't a fight between house and apartment mentality. In most of Europe there are plenty of country houses, and tiny towns dotting countries where you can still have space and country living. The difference is really that most of their cities STOP, whereas American cities sprawl out ad nauseum from cities to suburbs to false-rural before you get to what would be considered genuinely rural. In Europe you often have densely populated citiesm but then they END. They STOP. You get kilometers of beautiful countryside, THEN your clusters of houses in a village, or rural lanes in farmland. They still have both. They just separate city from country much better than the U.S.
European cities/towns also ingeniously use underground parking a lot. The US should do it!
What's all this talk about "walking anywhere" in Europe? Like we can't here in America? We've got tons of bike lanes, sidewalks, nature trails, etc. Our neighborhoods vary from close nit houses to sprawling mansions to high rise apartments...it just depends on where the location is.
I assume they mean that everything is in walking distance, whereas in a city that sprawls over more land, it's not as easy to walk everywhere.
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And still European cities all have sidewalks and bike lanes, despite having less space. I can walk anywhere I want. I prefer that to super big roads and big houses.
Great. Glad you are happy! Some of us prefer a spacious house and comfortable car. I am much happier in my 2200 square foot home than I was in a cramped, 875 square foot apartment in our downtown area. Yeah, I could walk almost anywhere, but did not have the room for my kid to run around, yard for family fun, gardening interests and cook outs, and fence for my dog to play and run as much as he wants. I can blast my music while cleaning and have no neighbor issues to worry about. I can change the look of my home, expand it, add to it...be creative. It is ALL about what we value and preference. One is not, IMO, better than the other.
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A great deal of European cities were just piles of rubble in 1945, which allowed government to re-zone and re-plan their layout. US cities mostly grew and expanded organically in the post-war era, which is harder to control.
We didnt rebuild cities after war. We just built what was destroyed. We didnt change city maps and build on the green grass. Of course our cities grow since :) but other ways than yours.
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I bet Bolivia, Peru or Paraguay isn´t like this. Totally inaccurate.
Used to live in Europe and it totally depends on the area it's true for European cities but once you move from the metro area the sprawl is the same as the US and we need cars/buses/horses etc to get us around too. I prefer the ability to live in a large home and take advantage of the space to have family come and stay w us and throw family gatherings where we can all hang out because I have the space. Unlike when we lived in Europe 3 families w kids lived in a 1 bedroom apartment because there was no space for anyone to rent their own space.
I think the two illustrations show the wealth gap in the United States. There are few sky scrapers, i. e. the top earners and a lot more smaller buildings, i.e. poor earners. Compared to Europe, where the wage gap is more evenly spread across the board. Nothing definitive, just thought provoking.
It’s a huge country and we like our space and privacy. Our country was built on individualism and having one’s own property.
In another bored panda post it said, you aren't allowed to choose the flowers in your garden yourself? The Home Owner Club (?) decides, what your house and garden have to look like. Maybe you you want to share to which extend this is true?
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Detailed Replica Of Manhattan Carved Out In A 2.5 Tonne Block Of Marble
How The Solar System Travels Through The Galaxy
Arguably the most important aspect of postmedieval maps was their increasing accuracy. It was made possible by continuing exploration.
Another significant characteristic was a trend toward artistic and colorful rendition, for the maps still had many open areas in which their creators could indulge their imagination. Interestingly, many maps of this age have become sought out collectors' items.
When Two City Planners Hate Each Other (Missoula, Montana)
A Guide To Chicago Home Styles
Aerial View Of The Planned City Of La Plata, Argentina
The Timeline Of A Tree
Why are humans so ENDLESSLY destructive?! It makes me despair. So many things those of us alive right now have never seen and never will see - trees this size; huge flocks of birds; rivers silver with fish; endless waves of buffalo and bison on the prairies; truly clean air... all those things, and so much more, once existed. All gone now.
A reformation of cartography that evolved during the 18th century, however, popularized scientific trends and more accurate detail, thus replacing all the monsters, lions, and swash lines with factual content.
Soon the only decorative features were in the cartouche and around the borders. The map interiors contained all the increasing information available, often with explanatory notes and attempts to show the respective reliabilities of some portions.
Using The Statue Of Liberty To ‘Map’ How Copper Goes Through The Oxidation Process
Global Distribution Of Penguins
The Arc De Triomphe At The Center Of 12 Radiating Avenues In Paris, France
Eight Minimalist Maps
If earlier mapmakers chased quick, profitable output based on information obtained from reports of travelers and explorers, the new French cartographers were scientists, often men of rank and independent means.
For expensive ventures, such as the triangulation of two degrees of a meridian to determine the Earth’s size more accurately, they were even subsidized by the king or the French Academy. Similar trends were emerging across all over Europe.
States With A Smaller Population Than Los Angeles County
This shows how foolish those maps are that purport to show high Republican support across the country. Land doesn't vote, people do. But you take a sparsely populated state and color the whole thing red and it looks like this. PEOPLE need representation, not stretches of soil between arbitrary borders.
How To Read Tree Rings. The Color And Width Of Tree Rings Can Provide Snapshots Of Past Climate Conditions
Train Cars Filled With Coal On Lambert's Point Pier 6 In Norfolk, Virginia
‘Nobody Lives Here’, 1x1km Areas In The United Kingdom Where The Reported Population Equals Zero
During the past few decades, there has been a growing interest in the automation of mapping processes, and considerable progress was made in this area.
But as we can see from the pictures, there's still plenty of creativity going into making maps.
Everyone In The World Could Fit Into A 50km Diameter Circle
The North American Cryptid Map
I guess "Florida Man" is too scary to be included in this map.
The United Pixels Of America
If the USA was a game map? Where’s the boss fight and the loot locations?
Note: this post originally had 96 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.
I want to see the world divided so that every country has the same population - and that could be used for international competitions. Maybe also a map that allocates the same wealth to each country, for alternate years at those competitions, just to make it more fair.
Some of these are quite interesting, some I just got lost more than anything, and most are beautiful in colors. A few were hilarious.
What is Agony Island????? It's been on the header image all day but isn't on the list!!
This list actually made me realize how much I've learned in geography this year for some reason
I want to see the world divided so that every country has the same population - and that could be used for international competitions. Maybe also a map that allocates the same wealth to each country, for alternate years at those competitions, just to make it more fair.
Some of these are quite interesting, some I just got lost more than anything, and most are beautiful in colors. A few were hilarious.
What is Agony Island????? It's been on the header image all day but isn't on the list!!
This list actually made me realize how much I've learned in geography this year for some reason
