Making Sense Of The World, One Map At A Time
The map shows the result of the UN’s November 20th, 2025 vote on “the tri-annual resolution on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment was adopted by a vote of 169 votes in favour, 3 against (Argentina, Israel, the United States) and 4 abstentions (Burundi, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, and Russia).”
Here’s an Explanation of The United States Vote on UNGA80 Third Committee Resolution: “Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment”
The two maps here both come from @Mapstream and show Pumpkin Pie’s attempt to take over the United States.
However, I think the data for some countries is rather suspect.
There is no way that 49% of people in France speak Arabic, or that 23% of people in the UK speak French (at least beyond ordering a pain au chocolat).
Similarly for Ireland, far more people know how to speak a few words in Irish than they do French. And if we’re going by native speakers then Polish has far more speakers than French.
That said many other countries do seem right.
Anyway here’s the data as reported:
The United States has been the world’s largest economy for well over a century.
However, if you go all the way back to 1820, the US economy was only ranked as the 8th largest in the world.
Using the Maddison Project Database for 1820 and the IMF data for 2025, we look at the size of the US economy relative to the other 7 economies which were larger in 1820 and what happened over the course of 200 years.
The maps below all show countries that were richer than the United States in inflation adjusts GDP per capita terms in 1980 based on the IMF’s Gross domestic product (GDP), Constant prices, Per capita, purchasing power parity (PPP) international dollar, ICP benchmark 2021.
More about it at the bottom of the page.
The year was rather unique due to the 1979-80 oil crisis.
This temporarily increased inflation adjusted GDP per capita in some countries such as the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Libya to levels higher than they are today.
Overall, in 1980 there were 15 countries that were richer than the US in $PPP inflation adjusted terms and today there are only 10.
The map above shows which states have more Jews than Muslims living in them and vice versa.
But, it should be noted that in absolute terms New York state has the most Jews and the most Muslims living there.
In total, 7.7 million Jews live in the United States (more than in Israel) compared to just 4.5 million Muslims (slightly less than in Palestine).
Below are the numbers for each state, the % of the state population that is Jewish or Muslim as well as the difference in numbers.
The map above shows how the richest, middle and poorest income countries have changed from 1950 until today.
And to be clear, the maps are not showing what was regarded as the First, Second & Third Worlds during the Cold War but instead split countries purely based on income.
Data, maps and explanation below:
Ok maybe the UK isn’t necessarily “obsessed,” but their plug-and-socket system is unusually robust, safe, and deeply embedded in the national psyche, which makes it look like an obsession from the outside.
Here’s why they’re so proud of them:
The map above shows the global change in world population between 1500 and 1600AD. Overall, world population increased by 13 million people (+3%) from 503 million to 516 million people. However, where those people lived radically changed.
The data comes from the HYDE database, which you learn more about from this post.
Here’s why:
