The World From Antarctica
The Mercator Projection is the world map we’re all used to. It allows us to view the world with the North considered “up”
and the South considered “down.” But the world doesn’t have to be seen that way.
Have you ever considered that there technically is no “up” and “down” when you think of the globe?
Looking at the world centered on Antarctica, everything here would technically be “up” as we know it.
This is also a glimpse of the future where emperor penguins live up to their name.
They Were Doing Something Right Back Then
We often see heat maps or statistical maps online and in the news, showing the spread of specific statistics across an area.
Whether it’s about voting or what you call a carbonated beverage, it’s sure to raise an eyebrow.
In this case, however, it’s a bit less important. For those that haven’t entirely caught onto the joke, there were never any fatalities related to texting and driving in the ’60s since there were no cellphones with which to text.
What you can do with statistics is amazing.
Some Comparisons Can Be Both Funny and Interesting
Between Europe and North and South America, it’s sometimes easy to forget just how small the entirety of Europe can be.
With such a comparatively large population crammed into a comparatively small place, sometimes an entire country can compare.
While it may be the longest country in the world, knowing just how long Chile is can sometimes be surprising.
It’s pretty impressive that most of the Baltic countries and some other parts of Europe can fit in the entirety of Chile, with some room to spare.
The Classic Accidental Swap
We’ve all seen someone accidentally swap Australia and Austria around. Many countries with similar names also get swapped around accidentally, like Slovenia and Slovakia or Taiwan and Thailand.
So, this map goes out to those who continue to make that mistake.
Of course, Austria is nowhere near Australia; only one has kangaroos, while the other has schnitzels.
Don’t let the map further confuse you and make you think Austria is in northern Australia. At least both countries are known for their love of drinking.
Ew Mexico
For no particular reason other than a quick chuckle, here’s a map of the United States, but every state has had the first letter of its name dropped.
We get classics like Ew Mexico, Ew York, and Ew Jersey.
Other people’s favorites are Tah, Hio, Owa, and the state with the most charisma, Rizona. Just be careful when looking for your favorite state names here, as you might be met with some Issouri.
And it would probably be best to avoid Alabama, too.
There’s a Few Different Entendres Here
Depending on your views on the British, maybe it would be for the best that the naughty bits were censored here.
After all, it’s not like they’re considered to be a part of Europe anymore, and many would consider Brexit to have been quite naughty.
Discounting the obvious shape that everyone thought of when first seeing this map, let’s not discount everything the United Kingdom has been responsible for in the past.
Given history, they might just be the naughtiest bits of all of Europe.
The Longest Shared Borders Between These Countries Is Surprising
When you think about where countries are and who they share their borders with, it’s easy to forget who their neighbors are and just how big some countries are.
For example, we all know Russia as the biggest country in the world, but to see it visualized as sharing a border with most of Eastern Europe is something.
Perhaps the most surprising thing about this map of countries and their longest border neighbors is France, which has the longest border shared with Brazil.
People often forget that France still has some territories in South America bordering Brazil, so they technically are neighbors.
The Most Successful Artists From Every European Country
Europe has made many fantastic contributions to the world of music. With easily recognizable classics like The Beatles from the UK, ABBA from Sweden, and Aqua from Denmark, every country has a famous face or name you’ll likely recognize and sing along with.
While many of these artists are icons from decades ago, there are still many modern musicians to rise to fame.
Among the many European artists are Enrique Iglesias from Spain and U2 from Ireland, and many of these artists could change with the rise of the likes of Dua Lipa from Albania.
Coca-Cola Doesn’t Rule All of Europe… Yet
Coca-Cola is the most dominant soft drink brand in the world, making everyone’s favorite eponymous drink.
It’s pleasantly surprising to see many options sticking it out against the megacorporation. However, Pepsi still takes the trophy in Norway and Iceland.
The Czech Republic and Slovakia both call Kofola their favorite drink, and the brand is incredibly popular in central and eastern Europe.
Other popular drinks that have managed to rise above Coke are Loux, Cockta, Compal, and Rivella. Of course, Russia has resisted the popularity of Coca-Cola for its own brands.
The Battle of Butter and Olive Oil
Europe is well-known for its contributions to the culinary world. With France, Italy, and Greece in particular coming to mind, the difference between Butter Europe and Olive Oil Europe is quite interesting.
Which side of the argument are you taking, or will you remain in the middle?
While the majority of Europe uses butter, the further south you go, the more likely you are to find cooking preferring olive oil.
While the statistics are certainly interesting, they do speak to the popularity of Mediterranean cuisine, so maybe olive oil is just the superior choice.
We’re all used to the classic world map we’ve seen in classes since we were kids. With Europe and Africa in the center and the clear divide between the East and West, the image has likely been so burned into our brains by our teachers.
This may be why we’ve never considered how the world map might look from a different angle. Here are some funny “maps”
that’ll make the world a bit different and give you a chuckle.