Here are a few maps to make you stop and ponder our globe
By Eric Berger on August 23, 2013 at 10:56 AM
We humans get so locked into our day-to-day lives that it's sometimes hard to see the bigger picture.
But a little perspective on the larger world around us never hurt anyone, which is why I really liked a recent post at Twisted Sifter on 40 maps that will help one make better sense of the world.
So here's a few of the best.
First up is a reversed map with the Southern Hemisphere at the top. In the Northern Hemisphere the ratio of land to ocean is about 1 to 1.5, whereas the ratio of land to ocean in the Southern Hemisphere is 1 to 4. The abundance of ocean leads to a generally more moderate climate in the Southern Hemisphere.
Reversed map with Southern Hemisphere at the top. (nnm.me)
Next up is a map showing that more than half of the world's population lives in a corner of Asia than the rest of the world. This, of course, has important implications for the 21st century.
Asian population cluster. (valeriepieris on Reddit)
The next map, showing recorded earthquakes during the last century, shows the world's major fault lines. It's also worth noting that some of the most active faults are near the population centers shown above.
Earthquakes since 1898. (John M Nelson)
Our country's use of the English system of feet and pounds, baffles me to this day. We are almost alone in the world in this (see map below), and it's just wrong. Meters, people.
Countries that do not use the metric system. (Wikimedia)
Finally, here's one showing the variance in annual alcohol consumption around the globe. The effects of Islamic beliefs can certainly be seen in northern Africa and the Middle East.
Alcohol consumption per capita. (World Health Organization)
In any case, there's a big world out there. It's refreshing to pause and ponder it every once in awhile.
Eric Berger
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