30 Unusual Maps That Might Change How You See The World, As Shared On This Instagram Account
Interview With Artist
You’d be surprised how many map enthusiasts there are, if you’re not already one of them. And to those who think that cartography is a legacy from an ancient world, let me tell you, it’s exactly the opposite.
Think of it as a mode of information telling, quite like story-telling, but with its own subtle rules and features. Today, maps can tell us all kinds of miscellaneous things you had no clue existed and the “Lover Of Geography” Instagram page is a perfect online source for that. Followed by 58.3k followers, the page is dedicated to sharing “high quality posts about interesting topics.” They also promise “you won't get bored here,” and they deliver.
Below we collected some of the most entertaining entries from the page, so scroll down and upvote your favorites as you go. After you’re done, make sure to check out our previous posts with unusual maps that may change how you see the world here, here and here.
This post may include affiliate links.
This Post Shows What Traditional Houses Look Like In Different Countries
This Post Shows Some Cities From Different Countries From Above
This Post Shows The Legal Status Of Homosexuality Around The World In 2022
To find out more about the creator behind the Lover Of Geography Instagram page, Bored Panda reached out to 20-year-old content creator from the Netherlands Melih Orkun Köksal, also known by his Instagram handle @melykoksal. Melih told us that he started this page in December 2019 when he was only 17 years old. “I currently study Earth Sciences at the College of Rotterdam. Other than geography my hobbies are going to the gym and hanging out with friends, not very different from a normal 20-year-old,” he said.
When asked about his interest in cartography, Melih told us that this fascination began in his childhood. “As a little kid as young as 5 years old, I always had a little bit of passion for world maps or countries. I had a huge world map in my room. Every day when I came back home from school I kept staring at the world map in my room because of how fascinating it was to me while most other kids just wouldn't care. I was playing games with myself trying to find all the countries and cities on the map. Or I played geography games on my PC after school.”
This Post Shows Which One Was Searched More In 2021 In Each Country
This Post Shows Which Country Europeans Think Has On Average The Most Attractive Citizens. Based On Polls On 1000 People Per Country
This Post Shows The Countries That Have Taken "Eat The Rich" Very Seriously
In 1672 The Dutch crowds did what crowds do best, namely lose all semblance of sense or sanity. The prime minister of the country was stripped naked, mutilated, and according to some reports, had their livers removed and eaten by the crowds. “C’est la vie, c’est la guerre,” as the French say.
Moreover, the creator of the Lover Of Geography page recounted that he always wanted to know where the countries are located as a child. “I often asked my parents questions like 'Dad, where is this country located' because I was simply so interested in locations. My parents would notice this weird obsession and in a matter of time, when I was 6 years old, I knew all countries and their capital cities,” he said. Throughout his childhood, Melih said, his knowledge of maps grew “so much to the point that teachers in elementary school or my own parents had to ask me for extra information when we were going on vacation to a different country. Kids in school I was asked me to help them with their geography assignments.”
This Post Shows When Women Were Allowed To Vote In Europe
This Post Shows What The French Language Sounds Like According To Europeans Based On A Pollhow Is The Test Done
This Post Shows Where Americans Pressed
Years later, when Melih was 16 or 17, he saw all these mappers on Instagram and he thought he could do that too, but better. So he wanted a page to share his “own map style and not just stolen maps from Reddit. I wanted to entertain people and educate them at the same time by making maps more fun.”
Recently, Melih has noticed maps popping up everywhere online since 2016. He believes that now younger folks are being targeted with cartography.“I am trying to select maps people will look at without just scrolling. It needs to be interesting and fun but it also needs to be based on reliable sources. So I try to share maps with the combination of these 2 things, the maps that are fun and come from reliable sources.”
This Post Shows The Countries That Are The Opposite Of Each Other When It Comes To Random Aspects In 2021
What is the secret the netherlands hold when it comes to good sleep?
This Post Shows Some Controversial Statistic In Europe And It's Surrounding Areas
This Post Shows The Conflict Between Ukraine And Russia Which We Of Course All Have Heard About Recently
Hungary is not absolutely correct. Yet. We, Hungarians think that Viktor Orban actually supports Putin, that's why he acts like that, but he still wants to get money from EU. We hope this will change in 2 days finally, because Hungarian people stand with Ukraine <3
I think, from i've gathered, that Hungrary kinda supports Russia too. I apologise if I'm wrong.
Actually it's our prime minister and the government that supports Russia, even if they don't outright say it. Most of the hungarian citizens support Ukraine and absolutely hate Orbán's relationship to Putin.
Load More Replies...
The people of Belarus do not support the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Their crazy president does and has dragged the citizens into the mess.
I'm originally from Serbia but I don't live there anymore. Nobody that I know from Belgrade (lot of friends and family) supports Russia. Nobody from their surrounding, either. Nobody supports the psycho president and he still "won" the elections yesterday. There ARE normal people there but you get shut down if you're thinking differently.
Serbia doesn't support anyone in this conflict. We are neutral. We want the war to end. We just refused to sanction Russia. That doesn't mean we are on Russia side.
Switzerland stepped out of its sacred neutral position but you do you.
Load More Replies...
Belarus... It's complicated. Ones who is aware of the actual situation is with Ukraine... Obviously the "government" is with Russia.
Hungarian government doesnt support Ukraine. Government balances between East and West.
There is a difference between Serbian politics, which is usually corrupted, radical and pro Russian, and people living there. I lived there and have a lot of friends, some of my favourite people, and non of them support Putin. Same goes for Russians. My Russian friends don't support Putin, and some even flee Russia because they are discussed.
Why is Russia not labeled or color coded according to whom they support? Is it because large parts of the Russian people do not support the "special operation"?
Ok but Ukarine has taken over our country I know we should help them but really? 300€ per Ukraine person? That's almost 1000€ for family of three and we aren't even that rich
You can dye Hungary dark red as well. Sadly. Our effin PM has been a long-term Putin supporter.
It's Russia and the small bit is Kaliningrad Oblast, a kind of piece of Russia that got lost away from it ^^
Load More Replies...
Most of the people in Hungary supports Russia. Which is really a shame. The state-owned hungarian media (above 90% of all media is controlled by the state) spreading the translation of russian propaganda.
Well,Lukashenko has been a president for quite awhile,there is no doubt that Belarus is helping russia .There’s surely plenty great folks over there antiwar and all that,but when reality sinks in ,that’s a quite an accurate map.
Load More Replies...
I see support in blue. I see Ukraine in Yellow. I see Russian support in Red. WTF is Pink?
Melih also added that sometimes he uses hot topics to gain more audience, “For example, during the World Cup, I made more football-related posts.”When asked whether he ever experiments with the design and style of his maps, Melih said that he indeed has done multiple experiments with the design but he prefers to stick with one style. “So my page will be more recognizable as if it's my own brand,” he said and added that “I tend to go for a minimalist look because it's easier to look at and understand what's going on on the map.”
This Post Shows What Was Searched More In 2021
Pardon me but i had to google search what is Hentai, now I regret it. Dont do it if you are at office or a public place.
This Post Shows The Countries That Are The Most Willing To Fight For Their Own Country In A War
This Post Shows The Average Age Women Get Married In Europe. Based On Data From 2019-2021
This Post Shows The Countries With The Highest Quality Of Life In 2021
Is it really the flag of USA? I would like to know who they get this results
This Post Shows The Scariest Things In European Countries Obviously It's Not Meant To Be Taken Serious
This Post Shows Which Countries Europeans Joke The Most About. The Flag On The Country Shows The Country They Joke The Most About
This Post Shows What Traditional Breakfasts Around The World Typically Are Sweet vs. Salty
Sweet breakfast seems to be only popular in countries that speak a Romance language.
This Post Shows Which Specific Group Faces The Most Discrimination In Different Countries In Europe
This Post Shows The Estimated Percentage Of The Population Of Countries That Are Identified As An Atheist Or Agnostic
This Post Shows At What Age Europeans Leave Their Nest On Average In 2021
This Post Shows The Air Quality Of Europe In From Statistics Based On 2010-2021
This Post Shows Countries That Have Never Reached 45 50 Or 55 Degrees
This Post Shows How Much Snow Does It Take For Schools To Be Cancelled Estimated
Haha they don't even need sweden on this map, I've never ever been excused from school or work due to snow, and we've definitely had worse than 40+ cm
This Post Shows The Sport People Do The Most For Fun Or Basically Is One The Most Popular Sports To Do In That Country (Football/Soccer Not Included) Otherwise This Would Be A Boring
This Post Shows The Average Price In Euros Of The Monthly Rent Of A 1 Bedroom Apartment Located In The City Centre Of Each Capital City Of The Countries On This Map
Now do one comparing those figures with the average salary and see the map change. *Cries in Spain*
This Post Shows How People Around The World Prefer Their French Fries To Be Eaten
I think the countries colored black have it RIGHT YO! And I'm American!
This Post Shows The Literal Meaning Of Country Names
What does that even mean? France is named that way because it was the"land of the Franks". Franks were the tribes that were there so long ago.
This Post Shows The Coldest Temperatures In Celsius That Have Ever Been Measured. Note That The Russian Temperature Was Measured In Siberia Asia
This Post Shows The Amount Of School Shootings In Europe vs. USA Based From 1970-2021
This Post Shows The 2nd Most Spoken Language In European Countries If English Is Not Counted. Most Countries Have English As The Most Spoken 2nd Language So That Would Be A Boring Post So I Left English Out
I take it that this is being actively spoken in conversation, rather than learnt. Most Brits will have learnt a second language to some degree at school, and for a long time that was predominantly French, but we also learn German, Spanish and Mandarin, we just don't tend to use them!
This Post Shows The Countries In The World Where It Is Legal To Smack Your Kids As A Form Of Discipline
This Post Shows What Is Searched More Around The World
This Post Shows A Perspective Of How Tall People On Average Are Around The World The Taller Being The Darker Colors
This Post Shows Famous Things Some Countries Have Invented
This Post Shows What The Dutch Language Sounds Like According To Europeans Based On A Poll
How is the test done. Each individuals from different European countries listened to the same audio from the Dutch language. Based on that audio they have their opinion. These are the average answers each country gave. Some are also mixed on opinions based on when they visited a country that spoke this specific language
This Post Shows Where School Uniforms Are Prevalent. Ins Ome Countries It Could Be Different Per School. We Are Talking About Public Schools Here
This Post Shows The Global Opinions On The Chinese Government In 2021
Everyone should dislike the Chinese government. They have concentra- sorry, “re-education” camps for the Uighurs.
This Post Shows The Countries Where You Don't Need To Self Isolate Anymore If You Happen To Have Corona
This Post Shows Between What Time People On Average Typically Tend To Eat Dinner
This is very wrong cause of translation and cultural context. In US there is a breakfast, lunch and dinner. In Poland we eat breakfast too, so called "second breakfast" (smaller than lunch, usually), dinner (ofter 3-5 PM, most important meal) and supper (7-8 PM).
This Post Shows Typical Masculine Faces Morphed Into Each Other Into 1 Face. Neighboring Countries Compared To Each Other
This Post Shows The Countries Where Sam Sex Marriage Is Fully Legal And Regocnized And The Dates When It Was Legalized. Black Are Countries Where It's Not Legal Or Not Fully Regocnized
This Post Shows A Stereotypical Way Of How Americans Tend To See Europenot Meant To Be Taken Very Serious
This Post Shows What An Average Neighborhood Somewhat Looks Like Around The World According To Google Maps
This Post Shows How To Say Shut Up In Europe. Of Course There Will Be More Ways Of Saying This In Many Languages But These Are Most Likely The Most Common
This Post Shows The Taking Shoes Off Or Keeping Them On Culture In Europe When You Visit Someone Or When You Enter Your Own House
This Post Shows How Safe Countries Currently Are To Visit Based On The Safety Index Of Countries
This Post Shows What Spain Thinks Of Europe In A Stereotypical Way Not Meant To Be Take Very Serious
This Post Shows What Got Searched More In 2021
This Post Shows Light Pollution Map In Europe
This Post Puts Somewhat In Perspective How Many People Live On Average On 1 Square Km In 2021 In Some Countries
This Post Shows How Countries Voted On This Topic
This Post Shows The Gas/Petrol Prices As Of November First In Us Dollars Per Gallon. Each Price Is The Average In The Entire Country
This Post Shows The Drama Queen Map Of Europe
This Post Shows What The German Language Sounds Like According To Europeans Based On A Poll
This Post Shows What Women In General Wear When Going Out
Err what? There are only sneakers, high heels and doc marten sin this world? I guess my entire shoe cabinet is an abberation then. I don't own either of the three.
This Post Shows What Music Genre Europe Mostly Has Used So Far From 2000 To 2021 For The Eurovision Song Contest
This Post Shows Some Unique Things About Cities Based On Stats From 2021
This Post Shows The Percentages Of The Populations Of Countries That Are Able To Fluently Speak English
This Post Shows The Countries Where Prostitution Is Legal And Regulated
This Post Shows Where In Europe They Mostly Have Self Service Gas Station Or Gas Stations With Workers Who Pump Gas For You Some Countries Have Both. The Post Is Based On The Majority
This Post Shows The Average Percentage Of Native People Covered In Body Hair
Technically, all humans, men and women, have hair follicles over almost their entire body - the whole world should be red 😉
This Post Shows What The Netherlands Thinks Of Europe In A Stereotypical Way Not Meant To Be Take Very Serious
This Post Shows The Percentages Of People Willingly To Fight For Their Own People And Country In Different Continents
This Post Shows What Countries Consume The Per Capita In The World
UK- Biggest cocaine snorters. Netherlands- Biggest ecstasy consumers. Lol
This Post Shows The Most Studied Language On Duolingo In 2021 Around The World
This Post Shows A Poll Where 300 People Each Country Answered Which Country Irritates Them The Most When It Comes To Their People, Culture Or Politics
This Post Shows The Countries Where Honking With Cars During A Wedding Is Common In Their Own Culture
This Post Shows The Percentages Of The Population That Naturally Have Blonde Hair. Keep In Mind That Lets Say If An Area Is Brown That Could Mean That That Area Maybe Only Has A Population That Has 1% Blonde Hair But It Could Also Mean 29%. The Differences May Be Big
This Post Shows The Average Penis Size In Europe In Cm In Erect Modes
This Post Shows The Largest Spoken Asian Language In Europe 2022
This Post Shows The Current Payment Situation In Europe Cash vs. Cashless Or Basically Card/Mobile Payment
This Post Shows Countries In Europe That Have A Lower Or Higher Crime Index In 2022
This Post Shows A Way Of Dividing Europe Based On The Amount Of Sunshine Hours Per Year
This Post Shows The Difference Between Guilt Fear And Shame Cultures Around The World. You Need To Swipe To Understand What It Is About
This Post Shows Which Of The 3 Is Consumed The Most In European Countries
This Post Shows The Average Male Height In Europe In Cm According To The Latest Measurements
This Post Shows The Areas In Europe That Are Wetter Or Drier Than London And The Driest And Wettest Place On This Map Based On The Total Amount Of Mm That Falls Out Of The Sky Per Year
This Post Shows The Hijab Situation In Public Schools In Europe 2021
This Post Shows Map Of Europe With Individual Countries Grouped By Preferred Type Of Alcoholic Drink, Based On Recorded Alcohol Per Capita (Age 15+) Consumption (In Litres Of Pure Alcohol)
I wonder how many vomiting pub crawlers they had to observe for this data.
This Post Shows Countries That Have A Higher It Lower Crime Rate Than USA In 2022 According To The Crime Rate Index
This Post Shows Where Military Conscription Is Forced
This Post Shows The Global Opinions On Turkey In 2021
This Post Shows Which Country Is More Popular In The World Spain vs. Italy
This Post Shows The Estimated Percentage Of Teens Under 18 That Have A Partime Job
This Post Shows The Average Amount Of Rainy Days Per Year Taking The Average From 1980-2021 Europe vs. USA In The Capital Citiesred Is The Driest Blue Is The Wettest
This Post Shows The Countries In Europe With An Higher Average Iq Than USA Or Basically Higher Than 98
This Post Shows The Height In Cm Of European Presidents/Prime Ministers
Can confirm. From left to right: Dutch Prime Minister, Dutch Minister of Foreign Affairs, Zelenski. 1240-62473...1-jpeg.jpg 
This Post Shows The Coldest Temperatures Recorded In The Middle East
This Post Shows The Most Dominant Religion In January 2022 In The World With The Exception Of No Religion
This Post Shows Some Uninteresting Fact About This Winter In Europe
This Post Shows 50 Dots Of Germans (Yellow) And Americans (Red) Based On Where They Thought Afghanistan Was i Did This Test Online In September 2020
This Post Shows Where Shooting With Guns Is Sometimes Done At Rural Weddings. In Black Countries It Very Rarely Happens
This Post Shows The Countries In Europe Where Diesel Cars Still Outsell Petrol Cars
This Post Shows How To Say Mother Or Mum In Europe
This Post Shows The Countries That Do And Do Not Recognize Kosovo As An Independent State In 2021
This Post Shows The Chances Of Having A White Christmas In Eurasia
This Post Shows The Average Male Weight In 2021 In Europe According To The Most Recent Sources all Numbers Are Put Into An Even Number So For Example 87.8 Becomes 88
This Post Shows The Estimated Snow Coverage Map In Europe Of January 25th 2022 According To Windy.com
I feel many of those maps are inaccurate or partial. It would be much better with their sources.
same. Most of these are based on polls on reddit. 5 people reply - "condiment of choice with fries". Yeah sure, those are not even sold together with fries, but whatevah.
Load More Replies...
Aotearoa doesn't appear on many, and where it's present it's in the wrong place. Not sure of this geographer...
I skip reading through after couple of maps since it seems inaccurate or false
I feel many of those maps are inaccurate or partial. It would be much better with their sources.
same. Most of these are based on polls on reddit. 5 people reply - "condiment of choice with fries". Yeah sure, those are not even sold together with fries, but whatevah.
Load More Replies... Aotearoa doesn't appear on many, and where it's present it's in the wrong place. Not sure of this geographer...
I skip reading through after couple of maps since it seems inaccurate or false
