I’m a huge fan of Jay Foreman and Mark Cooper-Jones Map Men series.
You can watch their videos in chronological release order here on Youtube.
And buy a copy of their book: This Way Up: When Maps Go Wrong (And Why It Matters) here.
But which of their videos is the most popular?
Below we rank them from least to least popular (based on view count) with a brief summary of each video:
Twin Towns: What Went Wrong?
View Count: 1,315,890
Summary: Jay and Mark investigate the UK’s twin town system, exploring its surprisingly informal and illogical origins. Their analysis reveals unexpected global connections and humorous examples of town pairings. The presenters create a unique map highlighting these relationships, prompting fascinating questions about the practice’s evolution.
I also wrote about this episode here with the map.
Watch and comment on Youtube here.
Ordnance Survey let us change the map of Britain
View Count: 1,445,925
Summary: Part 2 of our adventures behind the scenes at the makers of Britain’s best maps, Ordnance Survey (see part 1 below)
Watch and comment on Youtube here.
The English divide nobody talks about
View Count: 1,504,948
Summary: Jay and Mark explore a surprising East-West divide in England, challenging the traditional North-South split. From ancient history to modern transport, they examine geographical, economic, and cultural factors. Using maps and historical context, they question whether this division is valid.
I’ve also written on this topic here: England and Wales East/West Divide By Population
Watch and comment on Youtube here.
We met Britain’s best map makers
View Count: 1,831,714
Summary: To celebrate Map Men’s 9th birthday, we went behind the scenes to meet the makers of Britain’s best maps – Ordnance Survey.
Watch and comment on Youtube here.
This country is 17% fake
View Count: 1,925,681
Summary: The Zuiderzee Works inadvertently created Flevoland, an entirely new province that became prime real estate during population growth and was officially recognized as the Netherlands’ 12th province in 1986, demonstrating how infrastructure projects can fundamentally reshape political geography.
Watch and comment on Youtube here.
Map Men vs. Geoguessr
View Count: 1,927,951
Summary: Mark and Jay go head-to-head on geoguessr.
Watch and comment on Youtube here.
Weird maps win elections – Gerrymandering explained
View Count: 2,022,175
Summary: Why does the USA draw district maps with absolutely bonkers shapes? And how do squiggly districts help the wrong politicians win elections? And have we been pronouncing “Gerrymandering” wrong for 200 years?
Watch and comment on Youtube here.
The map that saved the most lives
View Count: 2,438,409
Summary: This Map Men episode explores a map that combatted a deadly 19th-century disease. Data journalism, visualized on a map, reveals a surprising source of the outbreak. The presenters investigate the historical context and impact of this crucial discovery.
Watch and comment on Youtube here.
You’ll never guess the most popular internet country code
View Count: 2,757,268
Summary: Have you ever stopped to think why the two-letter country codes in the world’s websites are what they are? We have*, and it turns out it’s a fascinating tale with a lovely detailed map to stare at.
Watch and comment on Youtube here.
The Phantom Island of Google Maps
View Count: 2,777,886
Summary: Why did Google Maps have a big black smudge before 2012? And why did it disappear? And what does it have to do with Captain Cook? And what is a phantom island?
Watch and comment on Youtube here.
The longitude problem: history’s deadliest riddle
View Count: 2,790,836
Summary: Unravel the historical mystery of longitude! This Map Men episode explores the challenges of calculating longitude at sea, and the ingenious solution that saved thousands of lives. A fascinating journey through time and ingenuity.
Watch and comment on Youtube here.
Who Owns the South China Sea?
View Count: 2,825,163
Summary: There’s a bit of the sea claimed by Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines, and China. But especially China. Why do they want it? And how do they stake their claims? Especially China. More in the video.
Watch and comment on Youtube here.
Mappa Mundi – the worst world map?
View Count: 2,952,534
Summary: Map Men’s second ever video, which I have previously written about. In the 13th Century, some people made this world map, and it was rubbish. Were they bad at geography? Or is there an intriguing reason behind the map’s odd shapes and images? Find out by watching the video.
Watch and comment on Youtube here.
Internet Vs Ocean: the essential wires we never think about
View Count: 3,013,461
Summary: Did you know that the internet is held together by a network of undersea cables? And did you also know that these cables can trace their origin back to 1850s? What has and hasn’t changed in the last 150 years may surprise you.
Watch and comment on Youtube here.
Who Owns Antarctica?
View Count: 3,207,160
Summary: Looks at the various claims to Antarctica.
Watch and comment on Youtube here.
Where is America?
View Count: 3,213,952
Summary: The United States appropriated “America” as its shortened name after gaining independence in 1776 (before other American nations), causing ongoing controversy since “America” refers to the entire continent in the Spanish-speaking world, not just one country, annoying Latin Americans, Canadians, and British people who view this as linguistic imperialism.
This post here sums up the different meanings: What Is America? 11 Maps Show The Different Americas That Exist
Watch and comment on Youtube here.
There are NOT 195 countries
View Count: 3,223,810
Summary: How many countries are there? Does the UN’s official list of 195 include them all? Which ones are missing? Does Sealand count? Does England count for that matter? And why are Mark and Jay up a tree?
Watch and comment on Youtube here.
Why is North up?
View Count: 3,414,318
Summary: Why is north up? Has north always been up? What used to be up before north was up? Does it matter if a direction other than north is up? And have you ever been on a year five geography trip where you got lost in the woods and wet yourself in front of Mr. Dugdale?
Watch and comment on Youtube here.
Why is there a BLANK space in this map of East Berlin?
View Count: 3,496,666
Summary: This video talks about my all time favourite map. The 1988 East German map displayed West Berlin as a blank space not as a cartographic error but as an accurate representation of East Germans’ reality. Find out why by watching the video.
Watch and comment on Youtube here.
How do you start a new country?
View Count: 3,613,540
Summary: Country-ness exists as a grey area where entities like Palestine, Taiwan, and Kosovo operate with passports, governments, and currencies but lack UN seats, proving no official definition exists and world maps vary by the country viewing them based on political alliances rather than objective criteria.
Watch and comment on Youtube here.
Why do maps show places that don’t exist?
View Count: 3,631,837
Summary: Why do map makers publish mistakes on purpose? Map Men Jay Foreman and Mark Cooper-Jones use a car and a magnifying glass to investigate!
Watch and comment on Youtube here.
Why does Russia have the best maps of Britain?
View Count: 4,036,985
Summary: Soviet maps from the Cold War included critical operational details like mountain road passability at different times of year, which proved valuable enough that the US military used them for the 2001 Afghanistan invasion because they contained more detail than American versions. Watch the video to find out why.
Watch and comment on Youtube here.
How many continents are there?
View Count: 4,074,918
Summary: How many continents are there? This video playfully explores varying definitions of “continent,” examining geographical, tectonic, and cultural perspectives. The hosts use maps and examples from the Olympics and Eurovision to illustrate the complexities of continental classifications.
Watch and comment on Youtube here.
What will the world look like in 250 million years?
View Count: 4,074,933
Summary: I’ve previously made a post about this topic here. Explore where countries might be in 250 million years! This Map Men episode uses plate tectonics to predict future continental arrangements. Discover multiple possible future world maps, based on current scientific understanding.
Watch and comment on Youtube here.
Why British cities make no sense
View Count: 4,153,976
Summary: Why is Reading, a massive settlement of 170,000 people, NOT a city, while the tiny Welsh village of St Davids IS a city? Is it something to do with cathedrals? Or universities? Or is it a surprisingly simple answer which only raises more questions about how city status works in the UK, and merits a ten minute video? (No, no, and yes.)
Watch and comment on Youtube here.
How did triangles shrink France?
View Count: 4,227,283
Summary: The Cassini family’s triangulation-based map (1670-1793, 120 years, four generations) became France’s first modern map with unprecedented detail of churches, farms, and police stations, but revealed France was 20% smaller than previously believed.
Watch and comment on Youtube here.
Bir Tawil – the land that nobody wants
View Count: 4,388,796
Summary: The very first Map Men video! I actually wrote a summary of this video years ago here. Bir Tawil remains unclaimed because both Egypt and Sudan reject it to strengthen their claims over the Hala’ib Triangle, a more valuable territory. Find out why in the video.
Watch and comment on Youtube here.
The world’s oldest border?
View Count: 4,476,137
Summary: The England-Scotland border was geologically established 400 million years ago when mega continents Avalonia and Laurentia collided, creating the Scottish Highlands (once as tall as the Himalayas) and producing underlying rock formations that still influence local plants, animals, building materials, and tap water quality on each side today.
Watch and comment on Youtube here.
Why every world map is wrong
View Count: 4,624,544
Summary: How do you show a round earth on a flat map? Is it possible? Jay and Mark find out using an orange and a rolling pin.
Watch and comment on Youtube here.
The mystery of the squarest country
View Count: 4,761,381
Summary: The video systematically eliminates over 190 countries as non-square candidates, including major nations like USA, China, Russia, Australia, and Canada, as well as smaller states like Vatican, Monaco, and Singapore, demonstrating that geometric squareness in national borders is an exceptionally rare characteristic achieved through deliberate boundary design rather than natural geography.
Watch and comment on Youtube here.
India/Bangladesh – The world’s worst border
View Count: 5,081,701
Summary: The border between India and Bangladesh is extremely messy and complicated. Why is this? And what’s it like living there? (Until last year when they fixed it) Wacth to find out.
Watch and comment on Youtube here.
The world’s silliest time zones
View Count: 5,204,265
Summary: Explore the bizarre world of time zones! This video examines how the global system evolved, from sun-based timekeeping to the complexities of the International Date Line. Prepare for unexpected time-related oddities across various countries.
Watch and comment on Youtube here.
Where is the north/south divide?
View Count: 5,620,872
Summary: Another video I have written about previously. The north and south of England are culturally, economically, historically and accently different. But where exactly is the line that splits the country?
Professor Danny Dorling’s 2007 academic study produced a squiggly line dividing England by analysing cultural and economic factors, counterintuitively placing Leicester in the south and Coventry in the north. Find out why by watching the video.
Watch and comment on Youtube here.
English counties explained
View Count: 5,903,969
Summary: Explore the surprisingly complex history of English counties. This video delves into the origins, evolving borders, and numerous confusing iterations of these geographical units. Prepare for a journey through centuries of administrative changes and unexpected map discrepancies.
Watch and comment on Youtube here.
Why are British place names so hard to pronounce?
View Count: 6,291,045
Summary: British place names present unexpected phonetic challenges. This video explores why some names, seemingly simple, are surprisingly difficult to pronounce correctly for non-native speakers. The presenters investigate the linguistic origins of these tricky names, revealing the history behind their unusual sounds.
Watch and comment on Youtube here.
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