The Bad Maps Thread

[Kyng]

As you may be aware, a lot of people accidentally leave New Zealand off their maps - and it's something of a running joke. 

The latest victims (or, perhaps, perpetrators?) are Ikea:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-trending-47171599

[Kyng]

In my opening post of the thread on the old forum, I started with an Emperor Tigerstar video about some horrible maps from an old history book.

Turns out he's done a sequel:



Gave me a good laugh !

[Kyng]

And another one, from the same channel:



If you're curious about the second one, it comes from an alternate history timeline called "A World of Difference". However, it seems that somebody somehow mistook it for a real-world 2012 map !

[Kyng]

Here's a horrible map from Ethiopia's foreign ministry:


(Source: The Somalia Star)

First of all, showing the Western Sahara as part of Morocco is pretty contentious - although, since some countries recognise it as such, I'm willing to let that slide. Secondly, it shows Somaliland as an independent nation - which no country recognises, but since Somaliland is de facto independent, I'm even willing to let that slide.

What I'm not willing to let slide, however, are the following omissions:

• Ethiopia got its own border wrong . They show the non-Somaliland parts of Somalia as part of Ethiopia!
  
• South Sudan is still shown as part of Sudan. This isn't 2011, is it?
  
• The two Congos are merged together (and, surprisingly, the smaller Republic of the Congo has annexed the larger Democratic Republic of the Congo )
  
• South Africa has swallowed Eswatini and Lesotho.

Back to the drawing board, I think!

[Kyng]

Next up, we have this beauty, put together by hotel search site Trivago:


(Source: Trivago / Huffington Post Life)

A couple of problems I have with this map:

• While the blue signs with the city names are pointing to approximately the correct locations, the bubbles with the country flags are not centred on the corresponding cities. The bubbles for Las Vegas look like they're centred on Phoenix; the bubbles for Orlando look like they're centered on Mobile; and the bubbles for New York City look like they're centred on Virginia Beach. This is all messy and confusing .
  
  
• Worse still, the sizes of some of the bubbles make no sense. For example, for Chicago, the 12% for 'Spanish' is around the same size as the 19% for 'Other'. Las Vegas is pretty bad too: the 17% for 'Other' is around the same size as the 8% for 'French'. But I think New York is worst of all, because the 22% for 'German' is clearly larger than the 23% for 'Other' !!!

What's wrong with a simple bar graph or pie chart? Either would have been much better for presenting this data...

[Lurkerish Allsorts]

Next up, we have this beauty, put together by hotel search site Trivago:


(Source: Trivago / Huffington Post Life)

A couple of problems I have with this map:

• While the blue signs with the city names are pointing to approximately the correct locations, the bubbles with the country flags are not centred on the corresponding cities. The bubbles for Las Vegas look like they're centred on Phoenix; the bubbles for Orlando look like they're centered on Mobile; and the bubbles for New York City look like they're centred on Virginia Beach. This is all messy and confusing .
  
  
• Worse still, the sizes of some of the bubbles make no sense. For example, for Chicago, the 12% for 'Spanish' is around the same size as the 19% for 'Other'. Las Vegas is pretty bad too: the 17% for 'Other' is around the same size as the 8% for 'French'. But I think New York is worst of all, because the 22% for 'German' is clearly larger than the 23% for 'Other' !!!

What's wrong with a simple bar graph or pie chart? Either would have been much better for presenting this data...

At lease they have the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in the map.



credit to: https://www.reddit.com/r/MapsWithoutUP/

[Kyng]

Next up, we have this beauty, put together by hotel search site Trivago:


(Source: Trivago / Huffington Post Life)

A couple of problems I have with this map:

• While the blue signs with the city names are pointing to approximately the correct locations, the bubbles with the country flags are not centred on the corresponding cities. The bubbles for Las Vegas look like they're centred on Phoenix; the bubbles for Orlando look like they're centered on Mobile; and the bubbles for New York City look like they're centred on Virginia Beach. This is all messy and confusing .
  
  
• Worse still, the sizes of some of the bubbles make no sense. For example, for Chicago, the 12% for 'Spanish' is around the same size as the 19% for 'Other'. Las Vegas is pretty bad too: the 17% for 'Other' is around the same size as the 8% for 'French'. But I think New York is worst of all, because the 22% for 'German' is clearly larger than the 23% for 'Other' !!!

What's wrong with a simple bar graph or pie chart? Either would have been much better for presenting this data...

At lease they have the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in the map.



credit to: https://www.reddit.com/r/MapsWithoutUP/

Wow .

It doesn't surprise me that some maps show it as part of Canada, or part of Wisconsin - but I am shocked to see so many missing it off altogether!!!

[Lurkerish Allsorts]

Next up, we have this beauty, put together by hotel search site Trivago:


(Source: Trivago / Huffington Post Life)

A couple of problems I have with this map:

• While the blue signs with the city names are pointing to approximately the correct locations, the bubbles with the country flags are not centred on the corresponding cities. The bubbles for Las Vegas look like they're centred on Phoenix; the bubbles for Orlando look like they're centered on Mobile; and the bubbles for New York City look like they're centred on Virginia Beach. This is all messy and confusing .
  
  
• Worse still, the sizes of some of the bubbles make no sense. For example, for Chicago, the 12% for 'Spanish' is around the same size as the 19% for 'Other'. Las Vegas is pretty bad too: the 17% for 'Other' is around the same size as the 8% for 'French'. But I think New York is worst of all, because the 22% for 'German' is clearly larger than the 23% for 'Other' !!!

What's wrong with a simple bar graph or pie chart? Either would have been much better for presenting this data...

At lease they have the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in the map.



credit to: https://www.reddit.com/r/MapsWithoutUP/

Wow .

It doesn't surprise me that some maps show it as part of Canada, or part of Wisconsin - but I am shocked to see so many missing it off altogether!!!

I have seen maps just merge MI and Canada and take out the great lakes.

But this is from a team of French storm chasers who came to the US to storm chase.

Before you see the map, storm cashing requires the ability to read maps and radars (with maps on them).




They are Calming that Chicago, IL, USA is in Moosonee, Ontario, Canada.

Moosonee has no roads leading out of it, it is totally isolated from the rest of Canada.

[Lurkerish Allsorts]

[Kyng]

Wow... what's going on there ?

North America is okay (apart from the fact that Mexico has invaded the Deep South), and South America is wonky but recognizable. East Asia has plenty wrong with it: why's China expanded so much; why has Kyrgyzstan swallowed all its neighbours; and why has India moved so far to the west? As for Africa and Europe... I don't even know where to start. Is this some bizarre alternate history or something ?