15 Maps That Will Blow Your Mind

I’ve always loved maps. In fact, I learned how to read maps around the same time I learned how to read, when I was about 3 or so (I was a precocious little thing). Whenever we did a road trip, I was the navigator of the family, first with those fold-up maps that gas stations would give you (for free!), and later on with AAA’s triptychs.

With the advent of GPS, I don’t have as much opportunity to read maps on road trips anymore (except when I’m looking for these). But I still find some interesting maps and map info here and there:

• Why shipwrecks are included on planes’ in-flight maps
• Some of the funniest maps I’ve ever seen
• New map with every public restroom in New York City
• Why this airline’s seat map is missing a letter
• Map shows where you’d be if you dug straight through earth

But there are plenty of maps out there that are just as interesting as the ones above, but don’t necessarily deserve their own post. To give them their moment to shine, here are some of them:

Countries that don’t use the Metric System

Spoilers: It’s Myanmar, Liberia and us.

Worldwide Tipping

Map is from 2017. You can also use this international tipping guide to learn how much you should tip people in certain professions, depending upon where you are in the world. (Map: Wikimedia / CC BY-SA 4.0)
Countries that Britain has invaded

This map is apparently not complete. During its history, the United Kingdom’s forces (or forces with a British mandate) have invaded, had some control over or fought conflicts in 171 of the world’s 193 countries that are currently UN member states. That leaves 22 to go.

Map of the most common last names in Europe

(The map is admittedly 10 years old)

Alcohol Consumption Around the World in 2018 (most recent statistics)

The bigger drinkers are probably exactly who you’d think they’d be.

Rivers that flow into the Mississippi

Fun facts! The Mississippi River is 2.350 miles long and has more than 250 tributaries. The Mississippi River is 2,350 miles long, stretching from Minnesota to Louisiana. It is the country’s second-longest river. Mississippi’s 250 tributaries drain one-third of the nation’s landmass.

Predominant ancestry in the U.S. (as of the year 2000)

Might be easier to read on the original Wikimedia page

World Map of Billionaires

As of March 18, 2020, there were 2,095 billionaires around the world. Here’s where they live (as per Forbes).

World map of gun ownership

As of April 29, 2019. Number of guns per 100 people. Spoiler: we have the most.

What side of the road the world drives on

As of 2020. Red = right side, Blue = left side (PC: Public Domain)

Every European city, ever

This one has been around for a while…it always makes me giggle.

The most photographed places in the world

Europe wins!

NFL Fans (based on Facebook)

The statistics were taken in 2013. There’s no explanation of how they figured this out. But there ya go. It’s sportsing, so I don’t have a clue…

Every pub in the U.K. in 2020

In case you can’t count them all, it’s 46,800 +/-

Bigfoot sightings in North American

As of January, 2017. Darker shades indicate higher numbers of sightings, with the darkest shade indicating more than 400 reported sightings and the lightest indicating less than 10 reported sighting.

I’ll share some more maps another time.

Feature Photo: The most famous brands from each state in the U.S. / tumbler

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