For me, maps are the perfect fusion of art, information, insight, and entertainment. They help us navigate both physically and in the realm of ideas. What separates a good map and a great one is that the latter doesn’t stop with just mapping the territory: it expands the borders of our imagination.

There’s hardly a better place to see original, unusual, and interesting maps than this subreddit right here. Though we can’t mention the name (thanks, internet police!), it’s a veritable treasure chamber for cartographers, amateur and professional alike! Having celebrated its 10th birthday this spring, the online group now boasts more than 1.6 million members, pulling in thousands of new ones on a steady basis. Content is king and these redditors, including the founder, land surveyor Patrick McGranaghan, make some marvelous maps.

Featured here you’ll find some of the freshest and greatest new maps. Pack your bags, put on your safari hats, and let’s go on an adventure, Pandas! Just remember to upvote the maps that you enjoyed the most, the ones that taught you something new, and the ones that gave you a fresh perspective on the world.

Hungry for more magnificent maps? Then you’ll want to have a scroll through Bored Panda’s previous articles about map-lovers and their creations here: [Unrolls 5 parchments with ancient symbols and drawings] Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, and Part 5.

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#1 No One Lives In The Green Part Of New Zealand,the Population Density There Is 0 People Per Km And That Is About 78% Of New Zealand Land

Image credits: Felixheifgwofbebrjwh

#2 The Longest Possible Train Travel In The World

Image credits: gutturalEland9936

#3 A Map Art Piece I'm Working On Of Paris' Latin Quarter

Image credits: CamTron89

Patrick, the founder of the subreddit, was kind enough to go into detail about the online group, map-making, and his passion for maps on a number of occasions.

“I've noticed, especially as I've gotten older, that you only have so much time on this planet and every day that is wasted is a day that you'll never get back. If you want to get out and explore the world you just have to do it,” Patrick told Bored Panda about seizing the day and starting your adventure today, instead of putting these things off indefinitely.

#4 Number Of Prisoners Per 100 000 People In European Countries

Image credits: theworldmaps

#5 Sun Tanning vs. Skin Whitening

Image credits: sam_3758

#6 Share Of Young People Aged 25 -34 Living With Parents

Image credits: silviucodreanu

“Some adventures will cost time and resources, but the real question I ask myself is can I afford not to do some goal I have my heart set on. There are so many opportunities in this world that it may be hard to choose, but if you wait too long those opportunities will be gone forever," Patrick said that we have to seize opportunities to live (really live) as they come.

Recently Patrick had been working on pixel maps that are bound to get the attention of anyone who’s got a penchant for video games, retro items, or pixel art. "This spring, I was making a lot of pixel maps that looked like old video game graphics. I picked some exotic places like Botswana and Mongolia to make these maps," he revealed a bit about his projects.

#7 Countries That Have Yet To See True Temperature Extremes

Image credits: jack_urian

#8 Languages Of Europe Using Lemon And Citrus

Image credits: Due-Fee-4521

#9 Number Of Cigarettes Smoked Per Person Per Day In European Countries

Image credits: NotTheThreeBit

"I think a great way to learn about an exotic place is to make a map of it and really give some hours and care into making the map look as good as possible. You really get a connection for a place as you're putting labels on and making decisions about what to include and where to lay everything out,” the founder told Bored Panda.

#10 Reported UFO Sightings Map. Last 115 Years

Image credits: Sketchder

#11 The Easternmost Point Of Brazil Is Closer To Africa Than To Its Westernmost Point

Image credits: Thessiz

#12 Variations Of The Given Name “Paul”

Image credits: PaulOshanter

According to Patrick, moderating the subreddit is all about keeping a delicate balance and staying realistic: the fact is that you can’t keep everyone happy all the time. Nor should you try to when questions of quality are involved. “Moderating is always a delicate balance. It is impossible to please everybody. If you are too laissez-faire you get a lot of low effort and ugly submissions and the users complain,” he said.

#13 After Tokyo 2020 This Map Remains The Same. All Men’s Water Polo Gold Medal Winners Since 2000 Were Born Inside This Circle

Image credits: ASR004

#14 The Journey Of An Arctic Fox Who Walked From Norway To Canada In 2018

Image credits: oglach

#15 Countries That Are Obligated To Defend The United States And Vice Versa

Image credits: MeronDC

However, being too strict is also not an option. “If you are too strict, then you risk alienating those who supply the content for the sub. I try to find a balance between these two extremes. Overall, I'm satisfied with the moderating and I don't foresee any changes in the immediate future," Patrick explained.

#16 Traditional Hats Of Europe

Image credits: Xrodo33

#17 Rivers Of Italy

Image credits: JoeFalchetto

#18 Territories Where Married Gay Couples Can Buy Rifles To Protect Their Marijuana Plants

Image credits: born_in_cyberspace

Some people are naturally more skilled at navigation and using maps than others. Though, of course, navigation is a skill and you can get better at it so long as you’re patient, dedicated, and spend enough time honing it. “The older I get, the more I realize that spatial awareness just comes naturally to some people, and for others, it's a struggle," Patrick said. “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.”

#19 Existence Of Pangaea Proven With Evidence Of Similar Fossils Across Continents

Image credits: No_Woodpecker259

#20 Zealandia, The 8th Continent That's Almost Entirely Submerged

Image credits: JamesWinter83

#21 Butter Or Olive Oil? Based On Actual Per Capita Consumption

Image credits: Landgeist

The founder had some advice for everyone about how we can develop our navigation skills in our local area. It’s a great way to get your foot in the door before moving on to bigger adventures.

"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 hometown.”

#22 Europe If The Sea Level Rose 100m

Image credits: oneletterh

#23 What Percent Of People From Different European Countries Wash Their Hands After Going To The Toilet

Image credits: NotTheThreeBit

#24 Nearly Half Of American Will Have Obesity By 2030

Image credits: pouya02

Patrick continued: “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.”

#25 The Former Island Of Urk - The Netherlands

Image credits: MekhaDuk

#26 Wolf Distribution In Italy Since 1900

Image credits: d-williams

#27 Percentage Of People Who Trust Climate Scientists, 2020

Image credits: SkinlessFather

As for the idea that ‘everything has been mapped,’ Patrick thinks it’s a bunch of baloney. “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," he said that there will always be a need for new, fresh, updated maps.