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While most of us use Google Maps and GPS on a daily basis, it’s pretty rare to find real fans of cartography, the study and practice of making and using maps. If you were ever into geography or history as a kid, the chances are you’re not much of a map person.

But today, we’re going to turn this around. Combining science, aesthetics and technique, cartography builds on the premise that reality can be modeled in ways that communicate spatial information effectively. And below we collected some of the most unusual, intriguing and informative examples of maps that will put our reality in a whole new realm.

Thanks to this awesome corner of Reddit (whose name we cannot mention thanks to the notorious internet police), there’s a LOT to uncover! Get ready to boost that inner adventurer of yours since we’re about to go places you’ve never even known existed. Psst! More awesome maps can be found in our previous posts here, here and here.

#2

Made An Ink Map Of The Grand Canyon!

Made An Ink Map Of The Grand Canyon!

_Triangulum Report

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Lauren Caswell
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That is so pleasing to the eye, easy to understand the land formations and elevations, nice!

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#3

Countries That Have Had Female Heads Of State Or Government In The Last Century

Countries That Have Had Female Heads Of State Or Government In The Last Century

marrow_monkey Report

Previously, Bored Panda spoke with the founder of the subreddit named Patrick, who shared some very interesting insights into the wondrous world of maps. According to him, there are many different reasons one chooses to make a map. “Sometimes for navigation, sometimes for showing statistical phenomena, and sometimes for fantasy. While artistic skill helps, it is not absolutely necessary. The important thing is to make it easy for users to glean useful information. Most maps should have a thesis or a story it is going to tell and this needs to be told through the map.”

#4

15th October 2019 - 1st November 2021: Indian Households With A Tap Water Connection (Data: Jal Jeevan Mission)

15th October 2019 - 1st November 2021: Indian Households With A Tap Water Connection (Data: Jal Jeevan Mission)

FrozenJalapeno Report

#5

This Map Of All Of The Sunken Japanese Ships Of Wwii Is Mind Blowing!

This Map Of All Of The Sunken Japanese Ships Of Wwii Is Mind Blowing!

Disastrous_Ratio7510 Report

Today, the subreddit of maps is home to 1.7 million devoted members, making it a Reddit powerhouse. But just like any other online community on the platform, changes are inevitable. Patrick told us that the subreddit is doing well, but “Reddit overall over the last few years has shifted towards mobile-friendly content. Reddit used to be only for desktop users. In the early days, the content was mostly large files that were wallpaper-sized. They were great for zooming in and exploring in detail." Those days are now gone.

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The moderator also said that nowadays, "Reddit is overwhelmed" with users who only use it on their smartphones and other mobile devices. "For better or worse, that is how it is and that's the trend for the future. The subreddit contains a lot of bite-size Instagram-style statistical maps. The community upvotes this content and if that's what they want, that's the direction the sub will take," Patrick told us some time ago.

#7

The New Longest Possible Train Journey In The World

The New Longest Possible Train Journey In The World

htGoSEVe Report

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#9

Odd Places In The UK

Odd Places In The UK

behrkon Report

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

In my country there is a town named "Hühnergeschrei" which means "Crying of hens"!

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#10

Atheists Are Prohibited From Holding Public Office In 8 Us States

Atheists Are Prohibited From Holding Public Office In 8 Us States

clayagds99 Report

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laurencaswell4 avatar
Lauren Caswell
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Are you KIDDING me? Is this why I get weird reactions online sometimes when I mention how I was atheist and now agnostic (agnosticism is basically a fancy was of saying 'we have no way of knowing'). I cannot imagine how atheism is a threat, but only from my perspective. If someone knows about this or lives in these areas I would love to hear what you have to share

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#11

Canada, But Its Just Roads

Canada, But Its Just Roads

burgerking_foot Report

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

It’s always surprising how little of Canada is populated and how the roads don’t go that far up north.

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#12

A Map Visualizing The Armenian Genocide - Started 106 Years Ago

A Map Visualizing The Armenian Genocide - Started 106 Years Ago

roiaumedejherusalem Report

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#14

America’s Beautiful Weather Zones By Mattie Lubchansky

America’s Beautiful Weather Zones By Mattie Lubchansky

Yosemite_Scott Report

#17

The World If The Sea Level Decreased By 1000 Meters

The World If The Sea Level Decreased By 1000 Meters

burgerking_foot Report

#18

Is Escape A Crime?

Is Escape A Crime?

Mmaps_interlude Report

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ps421 avatar
Guy MacGregor
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Because being free is considered a natural human aspiration. You cannot blame someone who wants to be free. Just a side note: The police will obviously try to catch you, but no extra time will be added to your sentence for the escape.

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#20

This Road Trip Will Be The Same Temperature Year-Round

This Road Trip Will Be The Same Temperature Year-Round

burgerking_foot Report

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

My idea of the perfect temperature. All you need is a light jacket👑👑👑

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#21

Innocent Opinions That Divide Nations

Innocent Opinions That Divide Nations

atlasova Report

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

the question about le Mont St. Michel is only a debate between Normandy and Brittany. (And it is Normandy) The real question in France: "Pain au chocolat" or "chocolatine"?

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#22

The World's Longest Non-Stop Flights

The World's Longest Non-Stop Flights

behrkon Report

#23

Most Common Means Of Transportation To Work By County. [usa] Acs Survey

Most Common Means Of Transportation To Work By County. [usa] Acs Survey

railrod7 Report

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

Of course that tiny red dot of New York counts for 18-20 million people, the United States is huge. If you wanted to connect every county with transit, it would cost about $20 Trillion.

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#25

Each Star Represents A Capital City Of A Country

Each Star Represents A Capital City Of A Country

XtremeBurrito Report

#26

European Cultural Superiority

European Cultural Superiority

SpartanKing76 Report

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christian-crisetig avatar
ADHORTATOR
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Modern Greek think that everything has ben invented by their ancestors....

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

Italy and France should be higher. but at least it shows some humility because i'd expect to be more than that

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Mat O'Dowd
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

As a Fench person, I'm actually shocked. I' would've thought we'd be at the top.. So our reputation for snobiness is just a reputation then !

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

I can't believe that England (and I mean England alone, not the UK) doesn't score higher here. The English sense of superiority and dreams of the old "good old days of Empire" are renowned, and increasingly led by the government. I speak as an English person, living in England. I

wh4ok avatar
Jon S.
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I suppose there are still a decent number of people who are permanently embarrassed to be English balancing it all out. I shudder every time Boris Johnson says something jingoistic.

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

It depends. Not for food or social life for sure but most spanianrds seem to believe that the west/north european countries are wonderful utopias compared to spain.

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

Yay Sweden! The country of low self esteem! Only beaten by Spain (seriously?), and then Belgium and Estonia.

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

I think us Swedes are just very humble and we really REALLY don't brag about ourselves and our country. It's like we all wanna be equal so you just don't need to feel superior to anyone else.

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

"Give me a word, any word, and I show you that the root of that word is Greek."

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

Most of Europe are on their high horses, then there’s Spain and Belgium with low self esteem. But seriously Greece, those days are long gone!

kostaspar62 avatar
Kostas Parastatidis
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

As long thousands of Greek words exist and are spoken every day in English spoken countries Hellenic culture will triumph every day. The base of any western world culture is the Hellenic culture and that is something nobody can change! It's not gone it is there in many aspects of Western world life and a lot of Hellenic culture is stolen by cultivated English or German spoken thieves and exhibited in museums around the world!

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

imagine the Germans stating they are superior to others. the backslash xD ... we are, with beer and cars, though..

asibassey avatar
Asi Bassey
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There is still a lot of ignorance in the world, despite widespread education. *deep sigh*

vickyz avatar
Vicky Z
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

🤣🤣🤣🤣 absolutely no surprise for my country! We are the best anyway (kidding)

dmarsh avatar
Daniel Marsh
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Who'd've thought that former-Soviet Georgia would score even higher than American Georgia? 85%? Really? That's pretty high for a country whose name needs to be prefaced by "former-Soviet" so Americans don't think you're talking about rednecks! Also: 36%? The French don't even like the French. (Just a joke! I'm half French, and I think France is awesome!)

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

In your last sentence, I was expecting you to say that you don't like France and I was about to show you how 36 % works 😄 Kidding of course.

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ps421 avatar
Guy MacGregor
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well.. Greece is not wrong. Greek culture modeled civilization. But nowadays they are just the shadow of what they used to be.

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PADNA
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Lithuanian should be aroud 70%. We're very proud of our ancestors

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

Portugal is a tad lower than I was imagining. To this day you can find loads of Portuguese who believe that everything that their ancestors did to the places they colonized was wonderfully generous and good for the colonized. Which seems to be somewhat rare for European Nations nowadays. Most British, French and Belgian citizens I've known are more clear-eyed about their nation's past.

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

Woow! we are very modest! I guess we care about other things rather important than that one :)

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

Hey mister, I think you forgot to add a zero to the end of France! (Just a joke no offense)

ava-norris avatar
leia's emotional cupcake
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

lol the Belgians giving up on their country... jk and Spain is just good-natured. I love Spanish people!

oht_89 avatar
Olof T
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Greece is f****d up but they have a glorious past. The state of a country is, however, a result of its contemporary culture.

itsjustme223 avatar
Shane S
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Americans can’t say anything here. I think many of our citizens forget that other cultures even exist. But love the Greeks and their culture. Athens could use a cleanup though. I was so disheartened to see all the graffiti everywhere.

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

As an American, I'm assuming our score is somewhere along 2K%. However I agree other places are better

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

I wonder what the US percentage is. Probably higher than Greece. Or tied.

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Jovan Kkastumuren (Pride rights in Greece!)
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yhere is no fking way that 89% of my beautiful country genuinely belive that. That poll was prob taken by the government, who in turn only interview racist homophobics because they consider everyone else "Non-greeks". actually why i live in the US now, the people are great but the government isn't

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Gustaf Adolf Reqinald Okk
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There is a very interesting and weird occurrence- 49% Finns think that their “culture” is superior to others but their “culture” is probably the most underdeveloped “culture “ in the whole Europe

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

So apparently My Big, Fat, Greek Wedding is more based on truth than not!

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

Well considering they gave us a lot of the Western Tradition, rightly so.

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Got Myself 4 Dwarves
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The uk one should be split into Scottish, English and Welsh - I think here in Scotland we feel, not superior as such, but our parliament has made decisions that have improved peoples quality of life for so many people like free prescriptions for everyone and they’ve given extra payments to carers twice a year on top of the monthly amount, even as much as bus travel for anyone under 22 will be free from January - that’s going to save my kids a fortune! And give them more of an incentive to go places. I’m sure wales has similar things in place too that just makes life that bit easier. I love living here and don’t think I’ll ever move even if I won the lottery and had millions at my disposal, I’d be still here, it’s my home and always will be

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

I would say the UK is higher, and was higher around the Brexit vote.

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

There was a good percentage of us that were definitely not feeling superior at the time of the brexit vote as well 😞

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Daniel Marsh
Community Member
2 years ago

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Brits be like: Oh, I wouldn't say we're the greatest civilization on Earth. Of course, Europe is. And we're better than Europe.

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#27

Government Request To Remove Content (Google) Since 2011

Government Request To Remove Content (Google) Since 2011

latecomer11 Report

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

Hmmmm Russia and Turkey .... Probably content about LGBTQ removed and of course freedom of speech.

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#28

Olympus Mons Compared To France

Olympus Mons Compared To France

burgerking_foot Report

#29

Europe And North America At The Same Latitude

Europe And North America At The Same Latitude

burgerking_foot Report

#30

“Lgbtq+ Free” Zones In Poland

“Lgbtq+ Free” Zones In Poland

roiaumedejherusalem Report

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

Hint: LGBTQ folks still live there. I say this as a queer person. Also, you have LGBTQ folks in your family, school, religious spaces, neighborhoods, etc. We exist. Pushing us into the closet doesn't change that fact.

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Note: this post originally had 128 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.