Sunday, November 23, 2008

Atlas of The Real World


The map of the world above is what we are familiar with - the size of each country is correctly shaped as how we know it. With a whole bunch of things going on around us, it would be nice, in a way, if we are able to tell what happens where mostly or who is screwing it up for the world, etc. Well, now we can.

There is this new book titled Atlas of the Real World that has 366 digitally-modified maps depicting the nations of the world not by their physical size but by their demographic importance on a range of subjects. Basically mapping the way we live.

Below are a few interesting cartograms, as they are called. I'm surprised that Malaysia and Greece have been noted as countries with the most motorcycles and mopeds. Read on..


Mopeds and motorcycles
The size of each nation indicated the total number of motorcycles and mopeds there. The largest number of motorcycles per person is in Malaysia and Greece - where there are more than one for every five people - closely followed by Thailand, Cambodia and Italy.



Projected wealth in the year 2015
China seems set to come full circle from 2,000 years ago. If estimates are correct, by 2015 China will be producing 27 per cent of the world's wealth, up from just five per cent in 1960.



Housing prices
The size of each territory shows the total value of all housing, adjusted for local purchasing power. Western Europe contains the most expensive housing, while Africa and South Asia has the cheapest, even after allowing for the fact that money goes further here.



HIV prevalence
The size of each territory shows the number of people aged 15 to 49 with HIV. The highest prevalence exists in Swaziland, where 38 per cent of 15 to 49-year-olds carry the virus. More than a fifth of people in Botswana, Lesotho, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Namibia, within this age range, carry HIV.



Alcohol consumption
The size of each nation shows the total quantity of alcohol consumed. Per person, the world's heaviest drinkers are Ugandans, followed by people in Luxembourg, Czech Republic, Ireland, Moldova and France.



Nuclear weapons
As of 2002, eight countries are known or suspected to have strategic nuclear weapons: the United States, Russia, France, China, the United Kingdom, Israel, India and Pakistan.



Increase in emissions of carbon dioxide
Between 1980 and 2000, nearly three-quarters of all territories saw an increase in carbon dioxide emissions, with China, the United States and India leading the way.



Decrease in emissions of carbon dioxide
Between 1980 and 2000, 28 per cent of countries reduced their emissions. Almost half of reduction were made in territories of the former Soviet Union, while Germany (15 per cent), Poland (eight per cent) and France (six per cent) also made substantial cuts.


Source: Telegraph.co.uk

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