Actually, New York is half socialist already

1895 map of New York City shows 'concrete socialism' in red, 'private enterprises' in white

A map of 'socialist' New York (in red)

Credit: PJ Mode Collection of Persuasive Maps – public domain
  • As this 1895 map proves, the political argument about socialism in the United States is not new at all.
  • The map makes the point that socialism isn't foreign or alien, but as American as the pavements (and parks) of New York.
  • It shows 'concrete socialism' in red, and 'private enterprises' in white - both each make up about half of the city.
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A normal tourist map, "but everything is negative"

'Critical Tourist Map of Oslo' offers uniquely dark perspective on Norway's capital.

Some of the places around Oslo linked to the city's dark and shameful past—and present. Click here to zoom on the map.

Credit: Markus Moestue
  • Your standard tourist map is irrepressibly positive about its location—but not this one.
  • Norwegian activist/artist Markus Moestue reveals the dark and shameful sides of Oslo.
  • He hopes his 'Critical Tourist Map' will inspire others to reveal the dark side of their cities.
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One century ago, women's suffrage swept America

In this 1915 map, Lady Liberty shines her light in the West on women in the East, still in electoral darkness

Lady Liberty carrying the torch of women's suffrage from West to East.

Image: Library of Congress, public domain
  • One century ago, the main electoral issue moving public opinion was women's suffrage.
  • This 1915 map shows how votes for women were won in the West, and yearned for in the East.
  • In 1920, the 19th Amendment granted 26 million women the vote, just in time for that year's presidential elections.
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End gerrymandering? Here’s a radical solution

Why not just divide the United States in slices of equal population?

The contiguous U.S., horizontally divided into deciles (ten bands of equal population).

Image: u/curiouskip, reproduced with kind permission.
Strange Maps
  • Slicing up the country in 10 strips of equal population produces two bizarre maps.
  • Seattle is the biggest city in the emptiest longitudinal band, San Antonio rules the largest north-south slice.
  • Curiously, six cities are the 'capitals' of both their horizontal and vertical deciles.
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Finland is the 'most sustainable' country, say expats

India finishes last of 60 countries in environment and sustainability, as ranked by the expats who work there.

Orange is best, blue is worst on this world map for the 'sustainable expat'.

Image: Environment & Sustainability Ranking, an Expat Insider topical report published by InterNations
Strange Maps
  • How 'green' is life in your work country?
  • That's the question InterNations asked its network of expats.
  • The United States ended 30th out of 60 countries.
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Housebound? This map lets you travel through time

Interactive globe shows where your hometown was at various stages of Earth's deep geological past.

Moscow-by-the-Sea: in the Permian Period (280 million years ago), the location of Russia's future capital was on the coast. Oceans teemed with fish and invertebrates. On land, reptiles and amphibians were thriving, but it would be millions of years yet before grass and flowers evolved.

Image: Ancient Earth Globe, reproduced with kind permission.
Strange Maps
  • If you love travelling, a pandemic like this is not the greatest of times.
  • But here's a way to go somewhere else without even leaving the house.
  • This interactive tool lets you travel up to 750 million years back in time.
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