We can’t stop feasting our eyes on gorgeous and interesting maps, and we know that some of you Pandas can’t either. That’s why we’ve put together another list of the coolest content to come from this subreddit that has a dedicated community of nearly 1.4 million fans.
And while we can’t mention the full name of the subreddit (the internet’s gotten a lot stricter in recent years when it comes to certain words! Gosh darn you, internet censorship!), we can tell you all about the project that was started up way back in 2011 by map lover Patrick McGranaghan. What started out as a labor of love has since grown into a dedicated niche for map geeks the world over.
Patrick, the founder of the subreddit dedicated to maps told Bored Panda about how we can improve our spatial awareness and navigational skills. "The older I get, the more I realize that spatial awareness just comes naturally to some people, and for others, it's a struggle," he said, highlighting that practice and repetition are key to honing this skill.
However, just like spell check can make our grammar skills go numb, so can GPS and easily accessible digital maps harm our ability to orient ourselves. "In a way, reliance on Google Maps has made us dumber. We let the navigation app do all the work for us and don't engage with making the decisions," Patrick said. Be sure to read on for the rest of our latest interview with the subreddit's founder, Patrick, below.
In the mood for some more amazing maps? We know you are! When you’re done upvoting your fave maps in this list, check out Bored Panda’s previous posts about the cartography-loving community here, here, and here.
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#1 Europe In The Style Of Super Mario
Image credits: vladgrinch
#2 In Which State You Can Find The Highest Percentage Of People With Ancestry From Every European Country?
Image credits: ceskemapy
#3 Brazil Had Straight Borders In 1534
Image credits: TheOther36
"If you live in a place with a tall hill or some viewpoint, go up there some time and look around. Try to identify as many landmarks as you can. Notice where they are in relation to each other. Look for new landmarks that you've never noticed before and keep them in mind as you navigate your home town. If there are rivers or other features that cause chokepoints on bridges or highways, memorize all the bridges and where they go. In this way, you'll know the layout of your city and how to get around," Patrick gave us some awesome and practical advice on how to improve our navigation skills.
#4 Number Of Turists Per Capita Of Every European Country
Image credits: LEWKIK
#5 The Iberian Peninsula At Night By Nasa
Image credits: Homesanto
#6 The Roman Empire vs. The Mongol Empire At Their Peaks
Image credits: vladgrinch
Bored Panda also had a chat with Patrick about the current Covid-19 situation worldwide. Vaccines are being rolled out, plenty of map-lovers would love to visit the places they've been staring at on their maps for a long time, but is it safe to travel yet? Patrick was very upfront that you have to trust your local medical and scientific experts in these matters.
"I think we all have to take precautions, get vaccinated, and avoid risky behaviors. That said, I think we need to remember that we're fighting to eradicate this disease and get back to a normal state of affairs. I really miss the freedom of travel. We're losing years of potential happiness to the lockdowns and at some point, we need to open up. Those are issues above my pay grade though and I hope it's sooner rather than later," he shared his take on the current climate.
#7 1815 United States And Mexico
Image credits: YeastCartography
#8 Animals Of The World Map
Image credits: ShapeShiftingCats
#9 Abstract World Map
Image credits: CHWDP_2137
There are plenty of people out there who feel like everything's been mapped and Patrick's heard this response plenty of times when he's told then that he's a land surveyor and that he makes maps for a living. "People say, 'Hasn't everything been mapped?' The world is constantly changing and accurate spatial data is a fleeting thing. Google Maps certainly gives the impression that everything is mapped, but there is selection and generalization in their data," Patrick pointed out that there's a constant need to map and remap the world.
"Infrastructure is a key thing that we all rely on and don't realize it. The electricity to turn on your lights, the fiber that carries this message, the water that you drink. All those things are traveling to you above and below ground. Construction is constantly happening along this route. Knowing where to safely build is critical."
He continued: "There are other themes that have spatial data too. Municipalities pass zoning and other restrictions all the time. Cities like London have an umbrella of rules about the preservation of old buildings, view-lines, noise nuisances, and other regulations. Making accurate maps is a constant struggle that is going to stay with us for a long time. As more things get built, knowing where these are located is important. Maintain the world's databases of spatial information is the task of the modern map-maker."
#10 Nobody Lives Here - Norway: Green Blocks Of 25km2 Where Nobody Lives
Image credits: eauctomisho
#11 Oldest Still Open Universities In Europe (The Word University Is Omitted On The Map)
Image credits: efisha
#12 Most Common Car Brand In Each County In Europe
Image credits: Soapy_boi123
During my previous chat with the founder of the subreddit, Patrick, he told me all about what sparked his passion for maps and how amateur cartographers can learn to create better maps. For Patrick, his love of maps started very early on in his life, all thanks to his father.
“I developed my passion for maps very early. My family traveled and moved around a lot. My dad taught me how to read maps and I would help him navigate. I used to flip through our Rand McNally atlas to pass hours traveling across the countryside,” he shared earlier with Bored Panda.
#13 An Example Of World Exploration By Non-Europeans
Image credits: Norcan987
#14 Terminology Of The British And Irish Isles
Image credits: phantom_1c3man
#15 Map Of What Would Become Paris In 508
Image credits: 7LeagueBoots
“Maps are invitations to explore and visit new places. They give security in the knowledge that there's a way to get to your destination. If all else fails, a map will be your guide," Patrick opened up about the romantic side of his passion for all things related to cartography.
#16 Percentage Of People Living In Apartments In Europe
Image credits: UNC-Patriot
#17 Language Map Of China
Image credits: marofendre
#18 Literacy Rate By Age Group Map
Image credits: Mousa_m3
He actually came up with the idea to start the subreddit way back in 2011. At the time, he was living in a small flat in Taipei, in Taiwan. “I knew that I had a good idea and it felt almost electric. Like a fork in the road and your destiny is changing. When I moved back to the states I was able to find a career making maps (as a land surveyor) and I am grateful every day that I can do something that I love,” he shared how his excitement for the project grew from a single powerful idea that simply captivated him.
#19 People Employed In Science And Technology In Europe
Image credits: betoelpro
#20 Iceland In The Style Of Super Mario World
Image credits: tuafeconf
#21 World Map Mural
Image credits: eveildancer
Patrick was very friendly in sharing some tips and tricks on how we can all make our maps look better. For instance, he drew attention to the fact that plenty of amateurs have great ideas, are overflowing with creativity, but their execution needs a bit of work. That way, the maps can end up looking gorgeous and less “hasty and skeletal.”
"It is not that they are bad, it's just that they don't know that they can make their maps so much better. I'm talking about things like fonts and information boxes, detail and vicinity maps, adding gradients to water features, thoughtful color choices, shadows behind place markers. The subtleties are what make maps exquisite," the founder of the subreddit explained.
#22 A Map Of Google Street View Accessibility Across Europe
Image credits: Wlaths
#23 A Map Of All Of The World's Roads
Image credits: RossBoss31
#24 A Japanese Map Of European Stereotypes, 1932
Image credits: AnonAf21
"The best way to learn how to do these things is to look at lots of maps and see how other cartographers solve these problems. Imitate the masters. Read a few books on cartography and design. Some of the books that influenced me are 'Info We Trust' by RJ Andrews, 'Cartography' by Kenneth Field, and 'Things Maps Don't Tell Us' by Armin Lobeck. If you can integrate the ideas in these books you'll be a league above the average amateur cartographer."
Earlier, Patrick shared that he plans to start traveling again once the Covid-19 pandemic dies down a bit. On his bucket list is a trip to the Baltics, specifically, to the Soviet map store in Latvia.
#25 Topography Of Texas
Image credits: IPetFatTurkeys
#26 No Statistics, Just Coffee!
Image credits: inktrips
#27 When Did Interracial Marriage Become Legal In Each U.s State?
Image credits: BLAZENIOSZ
Meanwhile, keep an eye out for the subreddit’s upcoming 10th birthday. The community will be celebrating the anniversary on its founding day, May 21. We can’t wait for the big day!
Be sure to give the subreddit a follow to stay up to date with the community’s latest posts, dear Pandas. And we also can’t wait to hear which of the maps featured here were your favorite and why. Got any amateur maps to share with us? Post them in the comment section for everyone else to see.
#28 Interconnected Power Grids
Image credits: Grillos
#29 Syrian Civil War Map, February 2021
Image credits: KhitanMaps
#30 North America In 1830
Image credits: DrunkPropagandist
#31 The Topography Of Sweden
Image credits: boytutoy
#32 A Map Of My Family’s Escape Route From Crimean Tatar Genocide And Where They Lived
Image credits: flataleks
#33 The Topography Of Bangladesh
Image credits: boytutoy
#34 Oldest Companies Around The World That Are Still In Business
Image credits: PapaJoke64
#35 How Many People In The Eu Use Bicycles As Their Main Mode Of Transport?
Image credits: efisha
#36 Annual Tea Consumption
Image credits: jestorhastaken
#37 Average Elevation Above Sea Level Of European Countries
Image credits: casburism
#38 Since You All Liked My Great Grandpa’s Drawing Of Africa At Age 12, Here’s One He Did Of Asia (Ca. 1910’s)
Image credits: zherper
#39 I Made A Minimalist Map Of USA Based On The Colors Of Google Satellite Images
Image credits: bergluna
#40 Geological Map Of North America
Image credits: czn9001
#41 Here's A Hand-Drawn Map Of The Byzantine Empire I Made A Few Years Ago
Image credits: Pochel
#42 Here I Present To You The Worst Map Projection Ever: The Hotine Oblique Projection
Image credits: Pablo_BW
#43 Countries That Recognises The Uyghur Genocide As Of February 26, 2021
Image credits: Blulien
#44 Ottoman Empire 1587 - Murad III (Labeled)
Image credits: MidEastOfficial
#45 Huge Scale Model Of The Port Of Montreal At The Port Hq
Image credits: Bri-guy15
#46 West German School Map Of The Soviet Union (1961)
Image credits: adawkin
#47 The Topography Of Kyrgyzstan
Image credits: boytutoy
#48 Motorway Deaths Per Billion Vehicle Kilometers, 2018
Image credits: Proxima55
#49 What Would Happen If The Mouth Of The Congo River Were Dammed
Image credits: kernals12
#50 Actual Eez vs. Turkish Style Eez — Case Study: If Applied The Turkish Logic, The Eez (Exclusive Economic Zone) Of The USA Would Include Large Areas Of The Pacific Ocean, Contrary To International Law
Image credits: craoft
#51 Current Phone Codes Of The World
Image credits: katelnitsky
#52 Map Of The World's Subdivisions That Satisfies The Four Color Theorem
Image credits: DarkerThanAzure
#53 Relief Map Of India
Image credits: cabousetery
#54 American Territorial Acquisitions Sorted By President
Image credits: Motherdragon64
#55 Isochronic Map Of Travel Times Between Paris And The Main Cities Of France In 1700s (Map Made In 1898)
Image credits: Petrarch1603
#56 Hand-Drawn Map Of The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth In 1618, By Me
Image credits: Pochel
#57 The Pacific 'Ring Of Fire'
Image credits: oglach
#58 Ancient Lakes Of The Sahara
Image credits: ZOODUDE100
#59 The United States Redrawn As Fifty States With Equal Population, 2010 Census
Image credits: zver139
#60 Distribution Of Jewish Americans In 2020
Image credits: AAAbbasi786
#61 Mapping The Winter Storm’s Impact: Nytimes
Image credits: rosswi88
#62 Writing Direction By Countries
Image credits: mccheerr
#63 Satelitte Map Of The Island From The TV Show "Lost"
Image credits: Choekaas
#64 Population Density Of The Northeast Megalopolis, Home To 56 Million People
Image credits: cheeseface35
#65 The World Split Into 10,000 Equally Populated Regions
Image credits: Machetegun
#66 My Great Grandpa Drew This Map Of Africa In The 1910’s
Image credits: zherper
#67 Central Amsterdam In 3D, With Buildings Coloured By Age
Image credits: Litvi
#68 The British Empire At It's Territorial Peak
Image credits: freddyfredric
#69 World Map Resized According To Population
Image credits: fasterthanksi
#70 Suicide Rate Per 100,000 People
Image credits: GeographyView
#71 Most Popular Lastnames In Europe
Image credits: vitor350z
#72 ‘March’ In European Languages
Image credits: vladgrinch
#73 La Plata.. Buenas Aires.. Argentina
Image credits: mitozzzzzz
#74 Map Of European Heads Of States (Presidents, Kings, Ect.) In January 1930, This Time Also Including Governors Of Colonies. Yes, King Michael Of Romania Was Only 9 At This Point
Image credits: stanthefax
#75 Light Pollution In North Korea vs. South Korea
Image credits: cabousetery
#76 Road Distances Order In Europe
Image credits: ReinerBraunIsADILF
#77 Mediterranean Sea Overlaid Onto The Us
Image credits: primeBrahe92
#78 Birthplaces Of The 100 Fastest 1500m Runners Of All Time
Image credits: animbicile
#79 All Men's Olympic Gold Medal Winners Since 2000 In Water-Polo Were Born In This Area
Image credits: uscrewed38
#80 Malta vs. Iceland
Image credits: loliplip
#81 The Flags Of Every U.S. State Made Out Of Their County Lines
Image credits: Orthodoxghee966
#82 Second Largest Ethnicity In Each European Country
Image credits: Polaroid1999
#83 In A Straight Line You Can Go From Belguim To France 11 Times
Image credits: Percentagon
#84 Tour De France Without Leaving Paris
Image credits: Petrarch1603
#85 Morocco And The South Of Iberian Peninsula By Nasa
Image credits: Aelhas
#86 United States Elevation Map
Image credits: blntdfam
#87 Place Names That Contain The Word 'Peak', 'Mountain', 'Ridge', 'Plain' And 'Field' In The United States
Image credits: AJgloe
#88 Average Flag Color By Latitude
Image credits: ParadoxicalCabbage
#89 Singapore vs. Mongolia
Image credits: Cautious_Door2670
#90 The Longest Distance You Can Travel Between Two Points In Straight Line Without Crossing Any Ocean Or Any Major Water Bodies
Image credits: rmuradov
#91 Most Googled Countries By Us State (Except The Us Itself)
Image credits: GergoliShellos
#92 The Trade Routes Between China, India And Rome Around Year 100
Image credits: SteO153
#93 Capitol Riot: Which States Have Made The Most Arrests?
Image credits: tomydenger
#94 Newer Italian Id Cards Have A Tiny Holographic Relief Map Of Italy
Image credits: Dedekind19
#95 Braille Map Of Southern Us
Image credits: tomydenger
#96 I Intend To Draw All States And Regions With One Line And I Recently Finished South Carolina
Image credits: tfoust10
#97 Gender In European Languages
Image credits: northbynortheast31
#98 Where Each State's Largest Immigrant Population Was Born, 2010 vs. 1910
Image credits: redditmanagement_
#99 An Artists' Impression Of The Roman Port City Of Londinium, Established Between 47-50 Ad
Image credits: last_goodbye1
#100 Europe In 1914, Just Before Ww1 Began
Image credits: opxise5
#101 Where Fictional Characters Are From In The U.S.
Image credits: World-Tight
#102 Countries With The Highest Percentage Of Their Total Population Over The Age Of 100
Image credits: Nordisali
#103 Japanese Pictorial Map Of The World From 1933
Image credits: theonlynek
#104 My Covid Project: Travel As Many Roads As I Can In Minnesota
Image credits: sod_dos
#105 Map Of Most Photographed Places In The World
Image credits: the-70s-kid
#106 The Italy Referendum On Becoming A Republic Versus A Monarchy
Image credits: fmwb
#107 I Tracked Almost Every Day At My Home Ski Resort The Past Couple Years
Image credits: dcfam
#108 How Europe Is Classified By United Nations
Image credits: Arthur_Sebastian_703
#109 Places Where Johnny Cash Went In The Song "I've Been Everywhere"
Image credits: keith2301
#110 A French Map Showing Europe Compared To The Colonies Of Portugal
Image credits: Tauralandia
#111 Religion Map Of Germany
Image credits: Saptadvipamaps
#112 Map Of Traditional Naming Conventions In Eurasia
Image credits: DrudenSoap
#113 The Name For 'Germany' In European Languages
Image credits: CamR203
#114 Average Temperature By Countries
Image credits: Saptadvipamaps
#115 The Solar Systems Solid Surfaces Stitched Together
Image credits: therocketflyer
#116 Someone Joked That Instead Of Google Earth I Should Make Doodle Earth. I Liked The Idea So I Gave It A Shot
Image credits: tfoust10
#117 Parliament Seating Arrangements
Image credits: pastelitooo
#118 Un Member Country That Does Not Recognise China
Image credits: Indic_historie
#119 Purchased Territories Of The United States
Image credits: pastelitooo
#120 Every Roman Settlement, And Nothing Else
Image credits: ImUsingDaForce
#121 If You Connect The Easternmost Point With The Westernmost Point And The Northernmost With The Southernmost In Czechia, Prague Lies Almost Perfectly At The Intersection
Image credits: Aglaz
#122 Mexico City Engulfing Lake Texcoco , From 16th Century To 2000
Image credits: hconfiance
#123 Most Common Destination Of Emigrants In Europe
Image credits: atlasmapper
#124 The Strait Of Gibraltar (Stylized Multispectral Imagery)
Image credits: eastofnowhereco
#125 A World Map Centered On Argentina
Image credits: CDS_Virtual_Effects
#126 Leading Import Source Of Africa
Image credits: mapsgrey
#127 Countries That Dont Recognize Croatia
Image credits: neueszukunft00
#128 If You Draw "Straight" Lines Between The Northern And Southern Most Points In The Contiguous Us Along With The Eastern And Western Most Points The Two Lines Never Intersect
Image credits: DarkerThanAzure
#129 The Bay Area, California (Stylized Multispectral Imagery)
Image credits: eastofnowhereco
#130 41-State Mexico (If It Recovers Its Former Territories)
Image credits: Cautious_Door2670
#131 Early Islamic Expansion
Image credits: omar_hafez1508
#132 The Island Of Sardinia As Seen From The International Space Station
Image credits: MXN006
#133 If 100 People Lived In The UK, Where Would They Live?
Image credits: NationalFront_Disco
#134 Map Of Regional Rug Patterns Of Iran
Image credits: knownothingwiseguy
#135 Fasting Hours For Muslims During The Month Of Ramadan
Image credits: freshlaundrysniffer
#136 Made A Shaded Relief Map Of Italy
Image credits: visualgeomatics
#137 Floor Plan Of The World - Room Size According To Population
Image credits: frankenhip
#138 If 100 People Lived In The Arab League, Where Would They Live?
Image credits: NationalFront_Disco
#139 1000 Years Of National Borders In Europe, Overlaid On One Map
Image credits: Arthur_Sebastian_703
#140 Maps Of The Netherlands Between The 1st Century Ad (Left) And 10th Century Ad (Right) Showing The Effect Of The Constantly Sinking Coastline
Image credits: sylvyrfyre
#141 Some Alternate Maps Of Down Under
Image credits: UggBootPimpJuice
#142 If 100 People Lived In The Eu, Where Would They Live?
Image credits: NationalFront_Disco
#143 2020 European Union Flag Map
Image credits: Arthur_Sebastian_703
#144 What Canadians Call A Sweater With A Hood
Image credits: Pissmitts
#145 The Cyprus Dispute
Image credits: Eltirneyt_78
#146 High Resolution Satellite Map Of Tunisia
Image credits: Ogso06
#147 The Majority Of State Names Have Native American Origins
Image credits: FromThePeopleCo
#148 9 Ways To Divide Kazakhstan
Image credits: ShadowZ100
#149 Map Of Italy In The Style Of Mario World
Image credits: vladgrinch
#150 Earth In 250 Million Years With Current Borders
Image credits: dr_razi
#151 Oklahoma Man Hole Covers Have A City Map On, With A Blue Dot To Show Where You Are
Image credits: CatherineCortez
#152 European Countries By Most Produced Agricultural Product By Value
Image credits: visvis
#153 Value Of Private Land In The Contiguous United States
Image credits: KenFyr
#154 % Of Households Who Paid A Bribe When Accessing Basic Services - Transparency International
Image credits: avp1982
#155 What Do You Call The Night Before Halloween?
Image credits: Coldlymelt
#156 The Republic Of Texas, A Real Country That Lasted 10 Years
Image credits: cheeseface35
#157 The 2021 USPS Delivery Regions
Image credits: IcallOutTheBS
#158 Someone Told Me To Post My Cross Stitched Map Here
Image credits: TheDoltio
#159 USA Shaded Relief Map
Image credits: czn9001
#160 What Countries In The Americas Call Their Main First-Level Subdivisions
Image credits: RoyalFlushAKQJ10
#161 I Drove Across The USA Visiting A Sawmill In Every State And Made A Map Of Local Woods!
Image credits: Physical-Order
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