Since the last time we wrote about Terrible Maps, a project that is dedicated to sharing maps no one asked for or needs, they've kept themselves rather busy. So it's only natural we created a follow-up article about the cartographers who are so bad, they're actually good. After all, what is the Internet for if not to poke fun at politics and our geographical illiteracy?
From hilarious guides on how to find the state of Kentucky to showing how many Switzerlands fit in Brazil, continue scrolling and check out these gems and tell us which one would you hang on your office wall!
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OK. We can clearly see these are bad maps. But how to know you're looking at a good one? Brant Scheidecker, a sales engineer at Cartegraph, highlighted some of the main essentials for accurate and easily interpretable map use.
"Every map should have a title. It allows the user to assess the purpose of the map quickly; allowing them to determine if it meets their needs," Scheidecker wrote.
Next, origin. A fancy name for a compass or the North arrow. "This allows the user to determine the maps reference to the earth. While most maps these days have North being straight up, occasionally you will encounter a map that has a skewed orientation, perhaps to better fit it on the physical medium it's presented on (i.e. paper), or simply because it’s easier to interact with the map in that orientation."
When it comes to the source, it's a two-fold element. "It allows the map maker to provide the map viewer an idea where the data the map is representing is from; a necessity in determining the accuracy of a map. It also allows the map maker a way to cite the source of their data, avoiding all those pesky cries of plagiarism and the ensuing lawsuits," Scheidecker explained. "You have better uses for your time, like ensuring the rest of the T.O.S.S.L.A.D. elements are on your maps."
Let's not forget the legend (the area where a user can determine what a particular color or symbol represents on the map). "Without a legend, a user cannot successfully interpret what your map is trying to represent, 'Does the red skull and crossbones over my favorite restaurant mean what I think it means?'"
You should also know when was the map that you're analyzing made. If it was created in 1962 and shows commuter levels in Chicago—it might not be such a valid source for the traffic data you are looking for today, unless you are feeling nostalgic, Scheidecker joked.
There you have it. You may now have become a cartographic genius, but you should be able to tell if you're looking at a terrible map or not!
I don't understand why Iceland is not green, but Spitsbergen is
No surprise, if the person with this opinion is a believer, that the Earth is flat...
Nah. We see a giant a*s bible for most of those middle states. Oh and guns. Lots and lots of guns.
i don't even want to try saying that one. you know which one I'm talking about.
Check into how hummingbirds migrate. It is unbelievable.
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A ONE YEAR FLIGHT MAP: "A young man named Fahd Qash from Saudi Arabia stumbled upon something unusual while out on a walk. Strolling near a swamp, he spotted a dead eagle with a tracking device strapped to it. Curious, Qash noticed that the GPS tracker had an email address printed on it. It turns out that the device was fitted to the eagle in Kazakstan as part of a study of the flight paths of Steppe eagles. This particular eagle was one of 20 that had been tracked since 2018 and the resulting map of their travels is astonishing. Interestingly, they all appear to conspicuously avoid flying over water, as the Caspian Sea, Red Sea, and the Persian Gulf are all free from their trails. Earlier mistranslations of the news caused some outlets to report that the flight path was for one eagle over the course of 20 years, but experts have pointed out that this would be nearly impossible" ... more. https://mymodernmet.com/eagle-tracking-map/
What happens when I forget a map and try to figure out an alternate route (no GPS in the car).
poor eagle, imagine being on a period that lasts 20 years! Poor girl
This map shows the migration routes of 20 eagles that were tracked over the course of one year. NOT one eagle for 20 years! more: https://mymodernmet.com/eagle-tracking-map/
more about eagles and their keepers: https://mymodernmet.com/mongolian-eagle-keepers-daniel-kordan/
Load More Replies... This is not a terrible map; very poor choice for the headline. TERRIBLE HEADLINE, funny or fascinating maps.
And it took Moses 40 years to travel a tenth of that distance? I’m beginning to think the Bible might not be true ROFL.
The very case when the life of an eagle is much more interesting than the life of the majority of those present here.
This is actually a map of roughly 20 eagles over a one year period. https://www.boredpanda.com/gps-tracks-eagle-movement-over-twenty-years/
According to my dots in MS Paint over each: 132. Might be wrong, but I am not doing it again. EDIT: Did it again and Beto River is right, I missed 10 at some point. Thank you Beto!
I understand mistaking it with Iraq or Afghanistan, but how the f**k did they go to Africa and the Balkans? A couple are even in the UK, for crying out loud.
Note: this post originally had 150 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.
The main reason almost all of these maps are so terrible are the emoji, which (apart from they're extremely annoying) sometimes cover text.
I can now recognize Rokas Laurinavičius' posts after the first three entries.
Many of these maps would only be considered terrible from a geological point of view. A lot of them are demographic which, I find fascinating.
Found the anti-intellectual, liberal-hating conservative crusader who’s going to change us all by mocking us...
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The main reason almost all of these maps are so terrible are the emoji, which (apart from they're extremely annoying) sometimes cover text.
I can now recognize Rokas Laurinavičius' posts after the first three entries.
Many of these maps would only be considered terrible from a geological point of view. A lot of them are demographic which, I find fascinating.
Found the anti-intellectual, liberal-hating conservative crusader who’s going to change us all by mocking us...
Load More Replies...