Interesting Maps That Won’t Be Found In Any Textbooks

Maps found in an atlas only really tell us a couple of things. The first is where a country or continent is located, the second is some of the provinces or states, and cities found in specific countries. While these are important, there are other maps out there that tell us about all sorts of interesting things that were never taught in school. Here are some of the most fascinating maps ever made, that provide a whole new perspective on the world that was never featured in the textbooks.

Where Are The Most Photographed Places On The Entire Planet?

The world is full of beautiful cities, islands, and so much more. Every town, city, and country has something beautiful that is worth capturing on film, but there are some places that are better known than others. This map details the places in the world that get the most photos taken each year. It is important to understand that some of these places have a lot of photography because they possess UNESCO World Heritage sites and are areas where a lot of newsworthy events happen. 

If you look closely, there is one area that sees a lot of photographic traffic and that is the entire continent of Europe. 

These Are The Happiest And Unhappiest Places On The Planet

Every year some news service or magazine comes out with their happiest and unhappiest places on Earth. Sometimes these lists are broken down by country and sometimes by city. The metrics for how happiness and unhappiness are measured are never crystal clear, which means this map should be taken with a grain of salt. The one place that seems to be happy overall, is North America which consists of Canada and the USA. 

The island nation of Australia also seems to be a happy place to live, as well as the Scandinavian countries. 

Seasonal Weather Patterns Vary By Northern And Southern Hemispheres

Weather and its seasonal changes are not the same on every corner of the Earth. For example, most of North America experiences a cold winter with lots of snow, and a nice summer season that doesn’t experience heat waves unless you are in the Southern USA. This map shows how snowfalls across the Northern Hemisphere which is the upper half of this map. It should be noted that the seasons are flipped. 

This means that summer in the Northern Hemisphere is when winter occurs in the Southern Hemisphere and vice versa. Summer in the Southern Hemisphere typically means very high temperatures and little rainfall.

Where The Most Conventionally ‘Attractive’ Women Are Found By Country

The world is full of beautiful people. What one person finds attractive can be vastly different from what another person sees as beautiful. It is important to remember when looking at a map that displays the most attractive women by country, that beauty is completely subjective and the standards found in one country may be completely different from another. According to this map, all of the countries highlighted in green are where the most attractive women are found. 

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so don’t let this map influence how you look at the people around you in your own country. 

Red Hair Is Rare According To This Map Of Europe

Red hair comes in a variety of shades ranging from a dark auburn to a strawberry blonde. Most of the population on the planet has some variation of brown or black hair, which is one of the reasons red hair is special. In Europe, there are a number of countries where red hair is more common, and this map details where the red hair hotspots are. Most of these are in Western Europe. 

The United Kingdom also has a number of red hair hot spots where more than 10 percent of the population has some shade of red hair. 

An Analysis Of Bra Sizes Across The Globe

Everyone’s body is built differently, and for women, that means different bra sizes. There are a number of factors that affect this, and this map may not be as representative of those as one might think. For example, countries that have an increased level of obesity may report on average, larger bra sizes. It’s still fascinating, though! One part of the world, in particular, seems to have won the prize for the buxomest population and that is Eastern Europe which includes Russia. 

We would really love to know what metrics were used to create this map. What kind of research was done and how to arrive at these conclusions?

Good Things Come In All Different Sizes And Packages Worldwide

With this map here, we head to the nether regions of the male population. Apparently, no list would be complete without taking a look at the size of men’s packages across the globe. The dark green countries are the ones that have the larges packages, and the red countries have the smallest. Like everything though, there are exceptions to the rules and in this case, the statistics for anyone that is wondering. 

The grey countries are ones that don’t have any data, which may make them ones to watch out for in the future once that data has been collected. 

How Many Beers Can Minimum Wage Buy In Different Parts Of Europe?

Most countries in Europe have a minimum wage that all workers in legal jobs must make. Going off of that minimum wage, which does vary by country, this map was created to show roughly how many beers could be bought with a monthly minimum wage. Some countries certainly have more bang for their buck. Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands appear to have the most beers available which makes us think they might pay a higher minimum wage. 

The cost of beer also plays a factor here, with beer being much cheaper in certain countries, which means more can be bought if the minimum wage is decent.

The World’s Population Is Mainly Concentrated In This One Circle

With nearly 7 billion people on the planet, you would think that the population might be evenly dispersed across the seven continents but it most definitely is not. According to the Washington Post, “There are more people living inside this circle than outside of it.” That means there is a large concentration of the world’s population in this one corner of the world, which is mainly comprised of Southeast Asian countries. 

Many parts of the world remain sparsely populated due to a lack of food sources, extreme weather conditions, and lack of infrastructure in the form of roads, airports, and railways. 

Heavy Metal Bands Per 100,000 People Are Concentrated In Scandinavia

Metal music is one of those genres that is very much an acquired taste. The music tends to be pretty loud and full of lyrics that are a tad hard to make out. Many people consider Black Sabbath to be one of the earliest examples of a metal band having gotten its start in the 1960s. Since then, a number of metal bands have popped up and it has become a popular genre in the music world. 

This map shows which countries have the highest concentration of metal bands per 100,000 people and Scandinavia, including Greenland have some of the most bands. Is it the weather there? 

Finish The Question, Why Is [Insert Country] So [Adjective]?

Google Autocomplete for questions might just be one of the best inventions of all time. As soon as the question, “Why is [a country of your choosing] so ___?” is typed in, an adjective will pop up to fill in the blank for the country Googled. The adjective provided is usually the one most commonly associated with the country, and it provides a good indication of what that country is like, or at least, the stereotype associated with it. 

This map of Europe accurately sums up how many of these countries are viewed and all in one word which is pretty amazing.

It Is Time To Finish The Google Autocomplete Question For America

As one of the largest countries in the world, each state found within the United States of America, is almost a country unto itself. These states have their own culture, food, and of course, a word that sums them up perfectly. The same Google Autocomplete question can be asked like the country one above, but instead, the focus is specifically on an American state. For example, Alaska, which is next to Canada is known for being expensive. 

Other states, like those found on the border with Canada, are known for being cold, while some in the Midwest are known for being very flat.

The Google Autocomplete Question For Asia Has Multiple Word Answers

Another Google Autocomplete search was done for the countries in Asia, but the results are a tad different. It would appear, judging by this map, that Asian countries cannot be summed up in one word, and instead need a couple or a whole phrase. For example, Russia is “so big” which is pretty accurate considering Russia is the largest country by landmass in the world, followed closely by Canada and China.

Other countries in Asia aren’t known for their size, but instead for their political situation or how they may be affected by climate change. 

Countries With The Most Emotional Populations Ranked Around The Globe

Humans in general tend to be pretty emotional, at least when you compare us to animals. We are able to articulate our emotions and share what we are feeling right as it is happening. How we share emotions, and what emotions are shared can depend on the culture in which you reside. This has led to some countries being considered as ‘very emotional’ and other countries being considered as ‘less emotional.’

It may come as a bit of a surprise but the Americas as a whole were ranked as being more emotional than many other parts of the world. 

Young People In The European Union Who Still Live At Home

Living at home with your parents in your 20s to 30s is becoming more and more common, and this map of young people aged 25-34 in the European Union only highlights this even more. Renting an apartment is expensive, and many young people live at home to save so that they can eventually own. Central Europe and Scandinavia seem to have the lowest concentration of young people living at home, which may be due to higher wages in their home countries. 

Other countries, such as those in Eastern Europe, have a might higher concentration of young people living with their parents. 

Countries Where Being LGBTQ+ Has Extreme Legislation Around It

While we would all like to imagine that we live in a world full of equality, this is simply not the case for LGBTQ+ communities in certain countries. This map highlights the countries where it is still considered a crime to practice homosexuality. These laws are in place for a number of reasons, and many advocates around the globe continue to try and change these to reflect other countries that have different legislation. 

Anyone who wants to travel, and wants to know which countries are friendly to LGBTQ+ people should do their research before traveling to these places.