maps

A map showing gender inequality around the world

By using data pulled from the United Nations Development Program, Time has compiled a map showing just how far the world has to go to reach gender equality. The numbers on the map correspond to each country’s Gender Inequality Index (GII), a figure derived from a number of factors, including the maternal mortality rate, the…

6 P.M. is the most dangerous time of day to be a pedestrian

At least in the winter. As the days get longer, the risk tapers off slowly, or gets pushed back an hour or two, as you can see in this chart of pedestrian risk over time. But, it’s not just a chart — it’s also a map. It’s the work of John Nelson, who has previously…

Each State’s Biggest Stereotype, According to Google

Everybody knows that Arizona is hot and Minnesota is cold. But what does Google autocomplete have to say about each state’s defining stereotype? Over the weekend, the Twitter account @Amazing_Maps ran a simple test involving each of the 50 states and autocomplete. They simply queried the search engine: “Why is [X state] so…” and recorded…

This visualization shows how fast you’re spinning around Earth’s axis

Ever wonder how fast you’re spinning around the imaginary rod connecting the North and South Poles? Wonder no more. By finding your location on this map and searching for where your line of latitude intersects with the bold, black curve, you can determine the speed at which you’re currently zipping around Earth’s axis. “I was…

Here are the most and least “Bible-minded” cities in America!

Oh, so close, Vegas. You just missed cracking the top ten of “Least Bible-Minded.” Better luck next year! The recent results of seven years of phone and web interviews by the American Bible Society have revealed the most and least “Bible-minded” cities in America. The obvious and stereotyped cities didn’t take top honors in either…

Autocomplete map of the U.S. asks why your state is so ___________

As of January, 2014 only 18 states in the union have unique autocomplete-descriptions for the search query “Why is [state] so…”. They are as follows: Nevada: Empty Wyoming: Windy Utah: Mormon Colorado: Fit Kansas: Flat Texas: Big Iowa: Democratic Missouri: Conservative Illinois: Corrupt Georgia: Backwards Ohio: Important Maine: White Massachusetts: Smart Rhode Island: Small New…

Where Homelessness Is Getting Worse (It’s Not the Places You’d Think)

Overall, homelessness seems to be on the decline in the U.S. Since 2007, the rate of homelessness for all Americans declined nine percent; however, for about half of the states in the country, homelessness is still getting worse. ThinkProgress compared datasets from the Department of Housing and Urban Development in 2008 and 2013 to see…

All the strange climate events in 2013 on one map

Last year saw a number of alarming climate events, from a jump in “superstorms” to a rapidly greening Arctic. Now, all the strange and significant climate events of last year have been gathered together on one map. https://gizmodo.com/welcome-to-the-age-of-the-superstorm-1460773814 https://gizmodo.com/welcome-to-the-new-green-arctic-1482162380 The National Climatic Data Center put together this map of the biggest climate events and anomalies…

The World’s Biggest Tea Drinkers, Visualized

While everyone drinks coffee, tea is a beverage for the more discerning drinker. But where in the world do people drink the most? Last week, Quartz published a visualization of the world’s biggest coffee drinkers; now it’s time to fort tea. Stereotypes might suggest the UK would come top, but that’s not quite right. In…

An interactive map of every plane in the air right now

It’s the 100-years anniversary of commercial flight travel. To celebrate, let’s all check out this lovely interactive map, that shows the flight paths and times of all the planes currently in the air. The interactive map was created by The Guardian, using data on both the times and routes taken by all the commercially-flown planes…

All of these outbreaks could have been prevented with vaccines

Vaccines are something most of us take for granted, but as these maps compiled by the Council on Foreign Relations show, we’re still a long way from ensuring everyone’s safe from some of the world’s most dreaded — and preventable — diseases. The CFR is a nonpartisan think tank that’s been tracking news mentions of…

A Map of Each State’s Deepest Desires, According to Google

What do states want, deep down inside? What to they yearn for in the dead of night? According to this delightful map from Mashable—with a little help from Google autocomplete—the answer is mostly secession. But also some pretty freaky stuff! A whopping 11 states—including Maryland?—would like to break off from the Union, while Hawaii wants…

This so-called Manatus map, originally drawn in 1639, is the oldest map of New York City in the New York Public Library’s Digital Gallery. The prominence offered to Brooklyn, that massive land mass in the bottom middle, ought to please the hipster types. Manhattan is that little nub above it. [Untapped Cities]

Interactive heat map shows off the most photographed sightseeing spots

Wish Google Maps’ photographs of the world’s most stunning places were better composed than what you see on Street View? Sightsmap lets you take virtual trips of the parts of the world that people love to photograph. As an infographic, Sightsmap is far from a perfect representation of the most photographed places on Earth. Created…

The World’s Biggest Coffee Drinkers, Visualized

If you think you drink a lot of coffee, think again. While the US might pride itself as being a nation fuelled by the stuff, it turns out that other countries beat it hands down. This map, created by Quartz using data from Euromonitor, reveals that the US doesn’t even make into the top 15…

A map showing just how freaky this winter really is

Weather-wise, this has been a rather strange and memorable winter. A North American polar vortex and frigid Mars-like temperatures will do that. As this new NASA Earth Observatory map beautifully illustrates, it has been an anomalous winter, indeed. The map above shows land surface temperature anomalies in North America for January 1 to 7, 2014.…

Watch the ENTIRE history of Europe unfold before your very eyes

Perhaps no other landmass in the world has undergone as many political changes during the past 5,500 years than Europe. Thanks to the work of Groovy Historian, we can now visualize this evolution. Groovy Historian required 20 maps to chart this cartographic history; here’s a sampling: Circa 3,500 B.C Circa 500 BC: Circa 1,000 AD:…

A Tie with a Hidden Tokyo Subway Map is Nerdy and Brilliant

Nobody likes looking like a tourist, especially in their hometown—but with a public transportation system as complex as Tokyo’s, sometimes a map is entirely necessary. Need a simple solution to avoid getting lost while looking like a native? Wear your map in a hidden place. That’s exactly what this Bluebelland brand necktie offers. It looks…

This is how map projections warp your understanding of geography

How distorting are map projections? Here’s what four commonly used systems of projection do to a human head. From the 1921 publication Elements in Map Projection comes this striking demonstration of “the distortion and exaggeration inherent in various systems of projection.” Preserving the relative size and shape of the globe’s assorted land masses on a…

Here’s the Most Popular Movie Set in Each U.S. State

Here’s a fun idea for Friday night: Pick your favorite state and watch the best movie set there—while drinking beer from a local brewery, of course. Reddit user Jakubisko made it easy to find the right flick with this map of the best movies set in every state, according to its IMDB rating. Now you…