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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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elrettig avatar
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"!

s323788 avatar
ephemeral_mochi
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

how is Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiiogogogoch even pronounced???

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

As a Welsh speaker- we learnt how to pronounce it in school as a kind of party trick. But most people say things like "that gogogoch place?"

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

I don’t live very far from Moscow, in Scotland - which I always find amusing. But then we have places that look one way but are pronounced differently like strathaven which is pronounced straven or milngavie which is pronounced mulguy. You’ve missed some of the funniest place names though, like shittington, cockermouth, fudgepack….list could could go on

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

This is a small selection of the PG place names. Considering that we have a Twatt in Orkney (the one in Downing Street is spelt differently), a N*b End near Eccles and other such delights as Penistone and Scunthorpe. Somewhere on Facebook there is someone selling more detailed "rude" maps of Britain.

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klynch4 avatar
Loki’s Lil Butter Knife
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

How in the world did Orkney and Shetland not make this list? There are wonderful place names like Mount Misery, Thickbigging, Rotten Gutter, Twatt, Muckle Ocklester, Queenamoan, Cumminess, Flae-Ass...the list goes on.

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

As a list of odd names (and missing many) why should Orkney and Shetland be on here? I mean, what is weird about them? Genuine question.

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

There's a very small town in the Hebredian Islands in Scotland named Tongue. I've got a magnet from there that just says "I ❤ Tongue."

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

Should go to Canada and visit Dildo Island then get an I (heart) Dildo......

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

I drove through Cockadilly in Gloucestershire on my way back to Yorkshire from Wiltshire 👍 It had a row of about 10 small, pretty cottages and then a sign for the next village. I regretted not posing for a photo by the "Welcome to Cockadilly" sign.

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

No, we don't need a map to be insulting, we just are (but good at hiding insults and slights so that the other person doesn't feel insulted .... FYI, the 'upper' classes are absolutely the worst for this)

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

Well, not in UK, but in Ireland. Termonfeckin is my favourite place name - and Ireland had some funny names. Like Hollywood, with big white sign up on the hill.

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

Germany's gems of weird town-names: Spinnenhirn (spider's brain), Tuntenhausen (f****t's town), Petting, Kuhbier (Cow's beer), Busendorf (boobie-town), Sommerloch (summer slump), Hundeluft (dog's air), Alf, Pißdorf (pee town)... beneath others...

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

My grandma used to live in Stone and now lives in Thong. Two villages under the same town council. Shold have at least had Thong on here. Or Strawberry K*ob in Mansfield.

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

We live down the road from The Wallops. There's Upper Wallop, Middle Wallop, and Nether Wallop. Our area has a lot of MOD related stuff, and there used to be a business called 'Wallop Defences'. So British. "If Johnny Foreigner invades we'll wallop 'em, we will, we'll b.loody wallop 'em". Also been through Wet W**g, typical Yorkshire village with steep narrow windy streets and attractive stone housing".

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

They have a Catbrain too?(well it's called Katzenhirn in my language/country)

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

In Denmark we have a small town called Sæd which means seed but also means sperm.

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

they missed out the best ones. wheres twat? tongue?

pebs_1 avatar
pebs
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In my country there's town called Sesso (sex) and other funny town names are Femminamorta (dead woman), Omomorto (dead man), Poveromo (poor man), Paperino (duckling), Belsedere (nice butt), Casa del Diavolo (devil's house), Strangolagalli (strangle roosters) and many others. :)

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

The Llanfairpwllgw..... has to be on purpose. Did it started as a joke and they decided to insist it was real?

klynch4 avatar
Loki’s Lil Butter Knife
Community Member
2 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well, you are not wrong there. The name of the town was supposedly lengthened to it's full 58 characters (including 4 l's in a row) in a publicity stunt in order to help attract tourists in the 19th century. Here's a weatherman pronouncing the full name: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHxO0UdpoxM

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

I live near Besses o'th Barn and have been to a few of the other ones.

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

Wales, that name makes me feel worse than Icelandic place names.

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

There's Beer... and then there's Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch

markevans56 avatar
Mark Evans
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This looks fake. I live close to "Rest and be thankful" only it's not a town (It's a hill pass actually). Also it's at the wrong place.

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

Late comedian Rik Mayall came from "Matching Tye" on the map. I wish he came from "Loose Bottom" - down south!

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

Nomansland in Wiltshire is good ; nothing there but an interesting name ....

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

They forgot Shiny Row near Pity Me. Pity Me is actually from the French Petit Mere or small lake

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

They forgot about Mousehole, down in Cornwall. Always cracks me up when driving down that way. Makes me wonder if it was named after the hole where a mouse lives - or the mouse's bumhole. ;) There's also a place called Wookie Hole in Somerset...

carolhenderson2002 avatar
Carol Henderson
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The Rest and Be Thankful is very well known in Scotland. Unsurprisingly, It's a very long, very steep hill. I suppose it's really the top of the hill that's called Rest and Be Thankful!

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

This is just the tip of the iceberg, in Derbyshire there are the villages Dirty Gutter and Shatton!

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

I can’t get over the fact that Fattiehead is North and Loose Bottom is in the south makes me think the U.K. is based on a person just for those two place names alone.

dk_5 avatar
D K
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Won’t you take me to, DONKEY TOWN? 🎶💃🕺

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D K
Community Member
2 years ago

This comment has been deleted.

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

At least they have some chemistry and new invention happening in the middle. The rest is kind of pathetic.

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

Someone should do one of these for Pennsylvania. Blue Ball, Intercourse, Bird-in-Hand, just to name a few.

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

“Climax” and “Hell” are both in Michigan, USA. You go thru one to get to the other one.

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

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch definitely takes the cake

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

Think someone let a cat walk across the keyboard for llanfair

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

Not far from me, in Somerset, is a place called Butcombe, which has a brewery of the same name. When ordering a drink, you will literally have to say "A pint of butt cum please."

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

Where I live there's a town called Anta Gorda, means Fat Tapir.

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

The U.S. probably has more towns which make you ask, "Why? Why would you call it that?" But the British names just sound more fun. You can't compare Hell, Michigan or Intercourse, Pennsylvania to Blubberhouses, Giggleswick or Upton Snodsbury. Worse name in the states: Fauquier County, VA. Not quite pronounced "F!!K yer" but not far enough, either. (It's closer to Fawk" or "Foke"... but awkwardly somewhere in between) "Fauquier Public Schools!"

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

FATTIEHEAD AND LLANFAIRPWLLGWYNGYLLGOGERYCHWYRNDROBWLLLLANTYSILIOGOGOGOCH I CANT-

peitschen331 avatar
Gaby Almodovar
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Imagine answering "In Donkey Town", to a simple Where-are-ypu-living-? question.

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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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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....

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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.