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World Maps are a big part of the history and culture of our human civilization. It is because of the early mapping geographers that strategic wars, trade routes and efficient methods of transportation were developed. Over the years, we have seen a lot of advancement in technology that ultimately led us to depict the earth in a far more accurate mapping environment called the Atlas. As a kid I was very fond of turning the pages of my first atlas in class 6, trying to figure out neighboring countries, roads, streams etc. With the introduction of the internet and the social media boom that took place for the last couple of years, map makers were able to create some of the most aesthetic and unique world maps that were previously impossible to procreate. In this post we are going to see the top 5 world maps that provide us with valuable information (the easy way) instead of a good old atlas.
1. World Flag Inside Candies
This is a world map illustration by cooldesignvn (Deviant Art profile). He first stacked all the flags from every country and converted them into round bevel like icons. Then he referenced the atlas and created the entire earth using these bevels. Each bevel accurately represents the area covered by that particular country. For Example, you can see that USA has a lot of bevels on the left hand side depicting its geographic location. I think this is one of the most creative maps ever.
2. World Religion Map
This map showcases the different religions of the world. They are represented in circles spanning across different countries. I think some publisher from St. Petersburg published this graphic and it really looks cool. Below the map you will find some statistics and legends for the various colors. I did not understand the text out there because it is not written in English. But if you know the religion in your place then you can track the colors and find out its existence across the world.
3. Doctors of the World
This is a very important map that you must study in order to find out the number of doctors per inhabitant at various places across the earth. The study was conducted by some Dutch doctors and we can clearly see some coarsening ratios like 50000:1 in some parts of Africa. Use this world map to Find out how your country is doing when it comes to health.
4. Beer World Map
This map provides information for the most popular beer across all our countries. The logos and the names of the beer companies are masked on the respective countries making it easier to browse. I really love this one and I think it’s very helpful for alcohol friendly travellers. The illustration was done by Puretravel.com.
5. Small Towns World Map
The standard world atlas is great for searching popular destinations. However, when we are looking for a small town, village or district we often need to refer to a map of a specific location. Having said that I think the small town map is very useful for finding that uncommon place which is often missed by a conventional atlas. I also liked the design of the illustration where the towns are texted in black on top of a brownish earth background.