Infographic Maps
September 14, 2013 6:15 PM   Subscribe

Where in the world are you most likely to be hit by lightening? Where's the best place to go to totally escape from the Internet? Which countries has Britain *not* invaded?

This collection of maps ranges from silly (the area codes of Ludacris' hoes) to sad (highest-paid public employees by state) to literally and figuratively illuminating.

Like infographic maps? Here, in a smaller and more US-centric collection, you can find out where the most Native Americans currently live in the US, where in the US all the jobs have been hiding, and see the world's resources by country.
posted by cairdeas (61 comments total) 45 users marked this as a favorite
 
To say that America has "no paid maternity leave" is simply not true. Some states require paid maternity leave, so it's false to color those states (which are bigger than many countries) red. (And if they wanted to refer only to federal law, they should have specified that. Most of the law in America is state law, not federal.)

Also, whoever wrote this means to say there's no legally required paid maternity leave. Once you start noticing it, you'll see this rhetorical sleight of hand all over the place: the assumption that if government doesn't compel something, it doesn't exist. It's like saying all employees in America earn $7.25 an hour — false! That's just the minimum legal requirement under federal law.
posted by John Cohen at 6:33 PM on September 14, 2013


I think it is plainly obvious that stating the country does not offer paid maternity leave is pretty clearly indicating that the highest law in the land does not guarantee it, unlike the law of the governments of the countries in comparison.
posted by griphus at 6:39 PM on September 14, 2013 [15 favorites]


griphus: you're clearly overlooking how very exceptional the US is, so every state in it deserves the same attention and visibility as the rest of the world's countries.
posted by signal at 6:42 PM on September 14, 2013 [25 favorites]


The British invasion map looks a bit more sparse than it should, I feel. They left out Ireland for one.

I'm suprised to learn that most people in the world drive on the right side of the road. (You weirdos.)
posted by billiebee at 6:50 PM on September 14, 2013


I got hit by lightning at a climbing trip on Mt Yonah during a Boy Scout summer camp organized by the Army Rangers.

We got knocked down, came to, looked around, and went back to playing Go Fish, but the rest of the camp went ape shit and ran around creating real injuries, like clotheslining themselves on tent lines.

Our scoutmasters never sent any troop members back to that camp. I doubt they blamed the rangers for not pulling us down off the mountain, despite one or two having been struck up there before. It's more the myriad other safety issues, like giving kids one non-locking carabiner to use as a repel device. Yeah, don't put that on backwards folks.

There was a burger joint nearby called Yonah Burger, which is a great name.
posted by jeffburdges at 6:50 PM on September 14, 2013 [1 favorite]


I'd like to be able to pause that internet usage map and really take a look at it. Looks like internet activity in Italy, Poland, and China really heats up like crazy at the end of their daylight hours, but that doesn't really happen in North America. Wonder why.
posted by cairdeas at 6:56 PM on September 14, 2013


I'm suprised to learn that most people in the world drive on the right side of the road.

Why would you be surprised that we drive on the correct side of the road?
posted by nathancaswell at 7:01 PM on September 14, 2013 [8 favorites]


When I am Empress of the Universe, posting thematic maps without linking to the accompanying data source will be punishable by death.
posted by desjardins at 7:01 PM on September 14, 2013 [29 favorites]


Why is it the corruption map doesn't have big red zones in Chicago, New York, and especially Washington DC? How much did it cost? ;)
posted by MikeWarot at 7:01 PM on September 14, 2013 [3 favorites]


i support this imperial product and/or service
posted by elizardbits at 7:02 PM on September 14, 2013


When I am Empress of the Universe, posting thematic maps without linking to the accompanying data source will be punishable by death.

It irked me too! Next time I shall look for the data sources myself if they're not posted.
posted by cairdeas at 7:06 PM on September 14, 2013 [2 favorites]


I'd like to be able to pause that internet usage map and really take a look at it.

Here you go!
posted by motorcycles are jets at 7:20 PM on September 14, 2013 [1 favorite]


Wow thanks, motorcycles are jets! Very cool tool.
posted by cairdeas at 7:23 PM on September 14, 2013


That second batch of "info-graphics" (gawd what a name!) looks like a collection of eye-popping album covers from the psychedelic 60s.

This one in particular is such a riot of tangled colors, it makes me suspect that some 80s fast-food restaurant interior designer has escaped from the looney bin again.
posted by Twang at 7:25 PM on September 14, 2013


About that one, I just find it humorous that it's showing grapes as the significant crop of NorCal.
posted by cairdeas at 7:32 PM on September 14, 2013 [1 favorite]


Okay, Scandinavian countries, WE GET IT. Please stop rubbing in how awesome you are on every freakin' map.
posted by argonauta at 7:50 PM on September 14, 2013 [7 favorites]


Interesting to see Iceland existing on a map of Pangaea.
posted by mcoo at 7:57 PM on September 14, 2013 [2 favorites]


Please stop rubbing in how awesome you are on every freakin' map.

Hang on, hang on, I'm just putting the finishing touches on my "countries that see daylight during winter waking hours" map and guess who's not invited.
posted by griphus at 7:58 PM on September 14, 2013 [11 favorites]


And the Scandinavians certainly start rubbing young . . .
posted by nostrada at 7:58 PM on September 14, 2013 [1 favorite]


Interesting to see Iceland existing on a map of Pangaea.

I love it when people use sarcasm to point out things that the average person wouldn't notice.

Care to elaborate?
posted by crossoverman at 8:02 PM on September 14, 2013


USA, you know who else doesn't use metric?

Yeah, you're in fine company there.
posted by BlueHorse at 8:25 PM on September 14, 2013 [1 favorite]


Pangaea vs. Iceland

The super continent Pangaea broke up approximately 200 million years ago and Iceland was formed by volcanoes as the mid-Atlantic ridge spread apart approximately 25-20 million years ago.

The Atlantic Ocean made its appearance approximately 130 million years ago.

Oldest to Youngest
Pangaea > Atlantic Ocean > Iceland
posted by msjen at 8:25 PM on September 14, 2013 [4 favorites]


"Where in the world are you most likely to be hit by lightening?"

Hairdresser's?
posted by mr_crash_davis at 8:32 PM on September 14, 2013 [23 favorites]


I think that's the first time that I've really gotten a sense of the Moon's scale.
posted by Sreiny at 9:14 PM on September 14, 2013


"Goddammit, Brittan!"

Brittan??!!!

C'mon people!
posted by misterbee at 9:39 PM on September 14, 2013 [2 favorites]


I feel lighter already!
posted by Brocktoon at 10:06 PM on September 14, 2013


Where in the world are you most likely to be hit by lightening?

In the wallet.
posted by dirigibleman at 10:56 PM on September 14, 2013 [3 favorites]


Can someone explain the joke behind the 'highest paid public employees' in the US map?

The only thing I can think of is some legal quirk that means football coaches are considered public officials, even though they work for privately-owned teams/companies? (I can't believe I checked Wikipedia to make sure the NFL isn't a nationalised, taxpayer-funded concern, like a US version of the Mass Games in North Korea!)
posted by jack_mo at 11:39 PM on September 14, 2013


I assumed they were referring to college coaches in state universities.
posted by forza at 11:43 PM on September 14, 2013 [1 favorite]


Yes. State universities.
posted by nathancaswell at 11:52 PM on September 14, 2013


I assumed they were referring to college coaches in state universities.

Okay, but I'm still not sure I really get it - is it just a simple gag about university football coaches being paid too much/at all for teaching a non-academic subject, like we joke about dim PE teachers in the UK?
posted by jack_mo at 12:22 AM on September 15, 2013


There are no way a billion people in Australia and New Zealand, same as the whole of Europe and the Middle East? When I lived in Australia I seem to remember hearing the population of the entire landmass was about the same as the UK alone ...
posted by iotic at 12:36 AM on September 15, 2013


iotic: add all of N and S America.
posted by Meatbomb at 12:55 AM on September 15, 2013


Oh yes! Thanks MeatBomb. I must have been looking for adjacent regions.

Here's a nice animated political map of Europe over the last millennium, with suitably bombastic moody music.
posted by iotic at 1:17 AM on September 15, 2013 [1 favorite]


is it just a simple gag about university football coaches being paid too much

No. It's really actually true that the dudes who tell the ball-throwers how to throw the ball are the highest paid public employees in the United States. Ballthrowercoaching salaries range from low six figures to low seven figures.
posted by lastobelus at 1:24 AM on September 15, 2013 [4 favorites]


I was impressed with the longest route it's possible to sail in a straight line: from Siberia to Pakistan, 20 000 miles straight as the crow flies on the surface of a globe.
posted by justsomebodythatyouusedtoknow at 1:40 AM on September 15, 2013 [3 favorites]


I dunno, that line looks pretty curvy to me.
posted by scottymac at 1:49 AM on September 15, 2013


Wonder what the longest 'straight' land route would be?
posted by Segundus at 2:03 AM on September 15, 2013


I dunno, that line looks pretty curvy to me.

You're projecting your feelings again.
posted by radwolf76 at 2:14 AM on September 15, 2013 [5 favorites]


Wonder what the longest 'straight' land route would be?

Good question. This seems to be the answer.
posted by iotic at 2:16 AM on September 15, 2013 [4 favorites]


Rivers that empty into the Mississippi River

Incredible.
posted by chavenet at 3:09 AM on September 15, 2013 [4 favorites]


There may not be any McDonald's in Togo, but yesterday I saw an AlDonald's, with a single golden arch instead of two. It's probably just as good.
posted by theodolite at 3:13 AM on September 15, 2013


I'm actually surprised how many states outside of basketball crazy states like Indiana/Kansas/North Carolina had a basketball coach as the highest paid public employee.
posted by kmz at 3:37 AM on September 15, 2013


I was impressed with the longest route it's possible to sail in a straight line: from Siberia to Pakistan, 20 000 miles straight as the crow flies on the surface of a globe.
As a miserablist I was thinking would be terrible luck to be adrift and that's the line your raft took.
posted by Abiezer at 3:40 AM on September 15, 2013


While the highest-paid positions in coaching may endure, they need to factor in the longevity average of each coach. Not worth quite so much when you're only there for one season, or two.

I assume they are including those salaries enhanced by product endorsement deals.
posted by halfbuckaroo at 3:49 AM on September 15, 2013


Note to the rest of the world. Next time you say 'but Australia could support lots more people', please refer to Map 31.
posted by Kerasia at 4:16 AM on September 15, 2013 [2 favorites]


The British invasion map looks a bit more sparse than it should, I feel. They left out Ireland for one.
Let's all try to imagine a history of Britain in which they invaded precisely those countries in white.
posted by Wolfdog at 4:28 AM on September 15, 2013 [1 favorite]


I dunno, that line looks pretty curvy to me.

The line is a great circle, if you looked at it on a physical globe it would be straight, now take the paper off the globe and flatten it (projection) and the line is now curved.
posted by sammyo at 5:44 AM on September 15, 2013


I assume they are including those salaries enhanced by product endorsement deals.

In Texas it's straight salary excluding bonuses and incentives:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mack_Brown#Salary_controversy
posted by jim in austin at 7:41 AM on September 15, 2013


I'm actually surprised how many states outside of basketball crazy states like Indiana/Kansas/North Carolina had a basketball coach as the highest paid public employee.

Well in Connecticut, which I think in another version of this map specifies women's basketball coach (the only one, btw), it's Geno Auriemma.
posted by toodleydoodley at 7:47 AM on September 15, 2013


is it just a simple gag about university football coaches being paid too much

The crucial piece of information you might be missing is that in America, college football and basketball are enormously popular spectator sports. College football is a bigger deal than the NFL.

And no, the players don't get paid. It's perverse.
posted by my favorite orange at 8:02 AM on September 15, 2013


Here's a nice animated political map of Europe over the last millennium, with suitably bombastic moody music.

This deserves to be an FPP by itself.
posted by griphus at 9:00 AM on September 15, 2013 [1 favorite]


I know how metafilter feels about reddit in general, but lots of this appears to be harvested from the mapporn subreddit, not a bad place to check out if you like these sorts of things. Usually there is also a bit more context there (but not always, being reddit).
posted by what of it at 9:41 AM on September 15, 2013 [1 favorite]


I am completely ignorant of Chinese, but just on too-funny-to-be-plausible principles the Literal Chinese Translations For European Country Names map pings my [citation needed] alarm. "Very Lucky Soldiers"? "Braveland"? "Meaning Big Profit"? "Russia"?

In addition to that the whole blog pings my GODDAMN IT IF YOU'RE GOING TO STEAL AGGREGATE 100% OF YOUR CONTENT THE LEAST YOU CAN DO IS INCLUDE LINKS TO THE ORIGINAL SOURCES, GODDAMMIT alarm. But that one goes off all the time and I've learned to mostly tune it out.
posted by ook at 11:03 AM on September 15, 2013


Note to the rest of the world. Next time you say 'but Australia could support lots more people', please refer to Map 31.
posted by Kerasia


Ha! I looked at that map and thought, "And what exactly is wrong with that nice looking, gently curved stretch of coastline right in the middle of the southern coast? Maybe I should move there!" Annnnd that's how this American found out about the Great Victoria Desert and the Nullarbor Plain... The satellite image of the region pretty much sums it up. Gotta say though, I love the road signs.
posted by cairdeas at 3:02 PM on September 15, 2013 [1 favorite]


There are no way a billion people in Australia and New Zealand, same as the whole of Europe and the Middle East? When I lived in Australia I seem to remember hearing the population of the entire landmass was about the same as the UK alone ...
posted by iotic at 12:36 AM on September 15 [+] [!]

Whut?

The current population of Australia is about 23 million, and New Zealand about 4.5 million. The population of the UK is 63 million. At no time has the combined population of Aus/NZ been anywhere near the population of the UK.
posted by Salamander at 3:09 PM on September 15, 2013


Where in the world are you most likely to be hit by lightening?

Michael Jackson's personal make-up artist?
posted by Grangousier at 3:12 PM on September 15, 2013



This is slightly misleading, all of the countries have names which are phonetically similar to the names in their native languages. The translation here translates character-by-character the phonetic names assigned to each country


Ah so this is "literal translation" in the same way that Cockney rhyming slang is literal description that clears it up thank you I will now go bite a wax tadpole

(Srsly thank you Bwithh)
posted by ook at 5:34 PM on September 15, 2013


No. It's really actually true that the dudes who tell the ball-throwers how to throw the ball are the highest paid public employees in the United States.

Thanks lastobelus, and everyone else! I knew University sport was a thing in the US, but had absolutely no idea of the scale. Just in case anyone is confused by my confusion: in the UK no one other than the participants cares about University sport at all, with the admittedly peculiar exception of an annual rowing race between Oxford and Cambridge (which is mostly an excuse to get drunk and laugh at posh people).

One more for the list of transatlantic cultural differences that I'll never truly grasp, like keeping eggs in the fridge or believing in God.
posted by jack_mo at 4:05 AM on September 16, 2013


There are no way a billion people in Australia and New Zealand, same as the whole of Europe and the Middle East? When I lived in Australia I seem to remember hearing the population of the entire landmass was about the same as the UK alone ...

I think Australia/NZ are included with North & South America (they're all green) on that "each region contains 1 billion people" map.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 6:15 AM on September 16, 2013


jack_mo - they also have sports scholarships in the US, where your tuition (and board?) is paid in exchange for your skills at basketball. It does seem odd when literally nobody could give a shit about school or university sport here, but it also means that there;s another route for poor kids to gain access to higher education. Over here, a kid showing promise at football/soccer would get signed at fifteen and probably never go back to education - and not all of them end up earning £140k a week like Owen and Rooney.
posted by mippy at 6:26 AM on September 17, 2013


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