Most people drove. Cars were used for 63% of trips, planes for 20%, and trains for 9%. Thousands of GPS traces reveal the main corridors. Traffic concentrates heading east into Germany or south through Belgium toward France. You can see the patterns clearly when you map all those routes together.

Germany attracted 3.6 million Dutch visitors. Proximity helps, plus there’s variety from peaceful river areas to active city centers. France pulled in 2.9 million, Spain got 2.1 million. Looking at Germany specifically, about 1 million trips involved couples without children. Families accounted for 875,000 trips but typically returned a day sooner.

Trips abroad averaged 10.8 days. Domestic holidays were shorter at 5.5 days. Not everyone planned ahead either. Around 3.6 million holidays skipped advance bookings for lodging and ran roughly nine days. Germany received 256,000 of these unplanned trips.

The season mattered too. Summer meant more driving, winter meant more flights and train rides. Those GPS maps really do show how much people still prefer the car when the destination isn’t too far.

The post Where Dutch People Headed for Vacations Based on GPS Data appeared first on Vivid Maps.

As the world’s third-most famous country for international travelers, the U.S. has an enormous variety of tourist destinations.

But if online reviews are anything to go by, not everyone is a fan of America’s most iconic travel attractions. Some tourist spots are worth the ticket, and others, seemingly, are not.

Visitors to New York are welcomed by the Statue of Liberty, Washington’s National Mall is the nation’s soul, St. Louis has its Gateway Arch, and the Hollywood sign stands tall over Los Angeles.

Other attractions are hidden jewels. Alaska’s Gates of the Arctic National Park received less than 8 thousand visitors in 2021, yet the National Park Service defines it as “one of the last truly wild places on earth.” Every state has its concealed secret, from Illinois’ ‘world’s largest mailbox’ to Hawaii’s Lanai cat sanctuary.

But if online reviews are anything to go by, not everyone is a fan of the United States’ most iconic attractions. Some traveler places are worth the ticket, and others, seemingly, are not. One sightseer to the Rockies, considered one of the nation’s most beautiful National Parks, said they left feeling “super unimpressed.”

Choosing the correct destinations is key to getting the most out of your holiday. That’s why the Hawaiian Islands used TripAdvisor’s own reviews to find the most overrated and underrated tourist spots in the United States.

Key Findings

• Volcano Bay Water Park at Universal Studios in Orlando (Florida) is the most overrated attraction in the United States. 39 reviews out of every 1,000 are disappointed by their experience.
• 8 of the 20 most overrated tourist spots are theme parks, including Sea World in San Antonio (Texas) and both of America’s LEGOLAND parks–Winter Haven (Florida) and Carlsbad (California) primarily located in the most visited states in the United States.
• 7 of the 20 most underrated places are museums, including the Hillwood Estate Museum and Gardens in Washington, DC. It is the country’s most underrated sightseer spot, with 83 ‘underrated’ mentions in every 1,000 reviews.

Methodology

HawaiianIslands.com searched Tripadvisor using four keywords (“overrated,” “underrated,” “disappointing,” “hidden gem”), setting “United States,” and the U.S. states themselves as the location. The team categorized mentions of “overrated” and “disappointing” as “Overrated Mentions” and “underrated” or “hidden gem” as “Underrated Mentions.”

Eventually, they calculated the percentage of overrated and underrated mentions in all reviews and produced an underrated and overrated score per thousand reviews for each attraction. Then HawaiianIslands.com highlighted the top twenty overrated and underrated United States spots and the most overrated and underrated attraction in every U.S. state.

Most Overrated Tourist Spot By U.S. State

Amusement/theme parks and scenic railroads are the seven states’ most overrated tourist attractions. But another six states count casinos as their most disappointing spot. Despite the trend, Nevada’s most overrated is not a casino. CSI: The Experience is Las Vegas’s “interactive, hands-on, crime-solving” day out, but TripAdvisor reviewers were disappointed by the lack of realism and the ease of cracking the case.

The Top 20 the Most Underrated Tourist Spots in the United States

Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens is a diamond among gems. Some 83.2 out of 1,000 reviewers have tagged it ‘underrated’ – a significantly higher rate than any other American tourist spot.

The “majestic” estate of Marjorie Merriweather Post, once the country’s wealthiest woman, is studded with antique Russian and French decorative art, including Faberge eggs and a dressing chair used by Marie Antoinette.

Most Underrated Tourist Spot By U.S. State

Who knew old art could be a great day out? The most underrated attraction in 12 states is an art museum. Indigenous, ancient, and marine art are among the genres that tourists were surprised to enjoy.

Historic sites, history museums, and specialty museums are the most underrated tourist spot in five U.S. states each. The ancient Spitting Cave of Portlock is Hawaii’s. It still has the gusto to ‘spit’ waves up to 20 feet from its entrance.

The Top 20 the Most Underrated Tourist Spots in the United States

Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens is a diamond among gems. Some 83.2 out of 1,000 reviewers have tagged it ‘underrated’ – a significantly higher rate than any other U.S. tourist spot.

The “majestic” estate of Marjorie Merriweather Post, once the country’s wealthiest woman, is studded with antique Russian and French decorative art, including Faberge eggs and a dressing chair used by Marie Antoinette.

The post The Most Overrated and Underrated Tourists Spots in the United States appeared first on Vivid Maps.

Methodology

The data on search volumes for each “moving to… ” keyword term defines the average quantity of monthly searches and was got from Google Ads API using DataForSEO, with search volumes recorded with the location set to a given U.S. state or city. In situations where the average number of monthly searches bound multiple destinations, the destination with the highest total search volume over the past year was selected as the most searched.

According to Wikipedia, cities were chosen as the top 100 from the most populated list. Coordinates of cities were obtained from Simplemaps.com, while coordinates of nations were taken from Google’s Developer Guidelines. The distance between the origin city and the destination place was calculated as great-circle distance, i.e., the distance between 2 points on a sphere.

Which States Do U.S. Residents Want to Relocate To?

American Home Shield team discovered Florida is the top state that other U.S. residents want to move to, coming up as the most searched-for destination state in the majority (22) of states. One of the most fantastic attractions of Florida is its status as one of the warmest states all year round and as one of only nine states where residents don’t have to pay income tax.

Which U.S. States Do People Want to Move Out of the Most?

Alaskans are the most eager to move out of their U.S. state: every month in 2021, there were an average of 474.5 moving-related Google searches made in Alaska per 100,000 of the state’s population. Though the northernmost state is the largest in the nation, it’s also the loneliest, counting 1.3 residents per square mile. Alaska is also one of the most expensive states to live in.

Which Countries Do U.S. Residents from Each State Want to Move To?

Canada is the most popular international destination for U.S. residents to think about moving to, coming up as the most searched-for destination in 42 U.S. states. It’s no wonder Canada is so popular: based on factors like housing conditions and job security, Canada boasts some of the best living conditions for residents’ well-being worldwide.

Which U.S. City Do Residents From Other U.S. Cities Want to Move To?

New York City proves the dreamiest destination for city dwellers all over the U.S. looking to move. In the majority (52) of the most populated cities in the country, Google queries about moving to the Big Apple were more frequent than in any other city. NYC’s reputation as one of the world’s most important cultural capitals no doubts influences many of those looking to move to another town.

Which Country Do Residents From The Largest U.S. Cities Want to Move To?

In most (68) of the most populated U.S. cities, “moving to Canada” received more monthly Google hits on average in 2021 than in any other country. It’s easy to see why emigrating north is such an attractive prospect for residents in the states; in recent years, Canada has consistently ranked higher than the U.S. in the UN’s World Happiness Report.

Key findings

• The most typically searched relocation destination in 22 U.S. states is Florida, making it America’s most desirable state to move to.
• In Alaska, 474.5 searches out of every 100 thousand are relocation-themed–making it the U.S. state that residents most want to leave.
• On a city and state level, the country most Americans consider living in is Canada.
• Residents in 52 of the 100 largest U.S. cities search for information on relocating to NYC, making it America’s most desirable city.

The post Maps reveal the places that Americans want to move to the most appeared first on Vivid Maps.

Level 1 – Exercise Normal Precautions: The lowest advisory level for safety and security risk.
Level 2 – Exercise Increased Caution: Be aware of heightened risks to safety and security.
Level 3 – Reconsider Travel: Avoid travel because of serious risks to safety and security.
Level 4 – Do Not Travel: This is the highest advisory level because of a greater likelihood of life-threatening risks.

These levels of advice are intended to make it easier for American citizens to decide on their time overseas.

Almost every country in the world publishes similar ratings. But each nation often has opposed perceptions of the dangers of a particular country for traveling.

Interestingly, the travel advisory rating is often influenced by true-to-life reasons, such as pandemics, and less obvious ones, such as politics and economics.

Below are maps illustrating the safety of countries worldwide for traveling citizens of the two leading economies of the world, the U.S. and China, in September 2022. These maps illustrate the vast differences in perceptions of the safety of travel to different countries of the world. For instance, the U.S. authorities urge not to travel to their citizens in Russia, while China does not see any danger for its citizens in Russia.

These travel advisory world maps illustrate, to a certain extent, the civilizational divide between the “Western” and “Eastern” worlds, which became more apparent after February 24, when Russia attacked Ukraine.

Below are more maps of some countries, clearly illustrating the differences in assessing events taking place in the world.

The post Travel advisory world maps: U.S. vs. China appeared first on Vivid Maps.

That’s because sometimes the most-hyped places are more about the publicity machine behind them, and successful marketing just means you’ll be lost among an uncomfortable crowd. Delving into reviews can help somewhat, but analyzing the reviews can help even more. That’s why HawaiianIslands.com conducted a study to show some attractions are just a lot more fun for folks who don’t live in the area.

For example, while the over two million annual visitors to Mount Rushmore rate the monument 4.60/5 stars on average, locals give an average rating of 4.17/5 – the largest differential of any major U.S. attraction.

Methodology

To determine the U.S. attractions that tourists and locals disagree on the most, we ranked attractions by the difference in the average TripAdvisor rating among in-state locals and out-of-state tourists.

The team aggregated the average ratings of every attraction across reviews from local users whose locations are within the state of the attraction in question, as well as tourist users whose location is outside the state of the attraction in question. Only attractions with over 980 out-of-state tourist reviews and 20 in-state local reviews that were included in TripAdvisor’s list of the 20 most popular “Things to do” in a given state were considered in our analysis.

The data was collected in April 2022.

The Top Attraction in Every U.S. state According to Tourists

The wide range of attractions rated highest by travelers in every U.S. state highlight the rich diversity of America’s cultural offerings. In 16 states, the highest-rated attraction is a museum. Other popular attraction types include historic sites, parks, and zoos. Lambeau Field in Wisconsin, home to the Green Bay Packers, is the only stadium to rank as the most beloved tourist destination in a state.

The Top 10 Attractions in the United States According to Tourists

The ten attractions rated highest on TripAdvisor by tourists stretch from Maine to Hawaii and vary in type of activity. The most beloved attraction – the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force, with an average rating of 4.94/5 stars – is one of three military sites in the top 10. Art museums, natural sites, a church, and an island are also placed in the top 10.

The Top Attraction in Every U.S. States According to Locals

The attractions rated most highly by locals in every state include historical sites, art museums, nature parks, military memorials, cathedrals, zoos, and more. With an average rating by locals of 4.81/5 stars, the Maker’s Mark plant in Loretto, Kentucky, stands out as the only distillery to rank as the attraction most loved by locals within a state.

The Top 10 Attractions in the United States According to Locals

Over two million people visit Bryce Canyon annually, including locals and tourists. Locals may purchase an annual park pass for $70, just twice the one-time entry cost. Locals rate Bryce Canyon 4.96/5 stars on average on TripAdvisor, the most of any U.S. attraction. Other major attractions loved by locals include military memorials, other nature parks, and a lighthouse.

The Attraction in Every U.S. State That Tourists and Locals Disagree on the Most

While visitors to the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge in Omaha rate the attraction 4.50/5 stars on TripAdvisor, citing the scenic views and lovely walks it facilitates, locals rate it just 4.12/5 – decrying the “bridge to nowhere” as a waste of taxpayer money. Just as locals and visitors in Nebraska disagree about the Bob Kerrey Bridge, every state is home to at least one attraction that divides locals and tourists.

The U.S. Attractions That Tourists and Locals Disagree on the Most

While the over two million annual visitors to Mount Rushmore rate the monument 4.60/5 stars on average, locals give an average rating of 4.17/5 – the largest differential of any major U.S. attraction. On the other hand, LA locals rate Venice Beach an average of 3.95/5 stars, far more than the 3.63/5 star average among tourists – the most significant differential of any U.S. attraction favored by locals.

The post Locals vs Tourists: The most divisive attractions in the United States appeared first on Vivid Maps.

The NetCredit team went back through all the movie locations filmed from 1900 to 2020, using numbers from the IMDb database, and created the map of the most regularly filmed locations worldwide.

According to their verdicts, just 4 nations have a top location with more than 100 credits: The United States, Canada, The United Kingdom, and Afghanistan. The most filmed location in the world is Central Park in New York City.

World

Top 20 most-filmed locations in the world

1. United States – Central Park, Manhattan, New York City (532)
2. Canada – Niagara Falls, Ontario, (142)
3. United Kingdom – Trafalgar Square, St James’s, London, England (131)
4. Afghanistan – Kabul (113)
5. Poland – Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration 6. Camp, Oswiecim, Malopolskie (105)
6. Spain – Cabo de Gata, Almería, Andalucía (99)
7. France – Eiffel Tower, Paris (95)
8. Portugal – Tobis Portuguesa, Lumiar, Lisbon (76)
9. Senegal – Dakar (71)
10. Austria – Theater in der Josefstadt, Vienna (66)
11. Australia – Sydney Opera House – 2 Macquarie Street, Sydney, New South Wales (65)
12. Finland – Senaatintori, Helsinki (59)
13. Italy – St. Mark’s Square, Venice, Veneto (54)
14. Chile – Atacama Desert (50)
15. Denmark – Copenhagen Airport, Kastrup, Copenhagen (50)
16. Ecuador – Galapagos Islands (50)
17. Brazil – Amazon Rainforest (49)
18. Nepal – Mount Everest (49)
19. Russia – Red Square, Moscow (49)

North America

The most-filmed location in North America and around the world is Central Park in New York City, with 532 movie credits.

Top 10 most-filmed locations in North America

1. United States – Central Park, Manhattan, New York City (532)
2. Canada – Niagara Falls, Ontario (142)
3. Mexico – Sierra Madre Occidental, Sonora (34)
4. El Salvador – San Salvador (31)
5. Nicaragua – Managua (22)
6. Guatemala – Tikal (21)
7. Jamaica – Goldeneye Resort, Oracabessa (13)
8. Dominican Republic – Aeropuerto Internacional de Las Américas, Santo Domingo Este (10)
9. Bahamas – Atlantis Hotel and Resort, Nassau, Paradise Island (7)

It’s no wonder that the United States leads the location lists, seeing that the Unites States movie business is the most profitable on the planet.

Top 20 most-filmed locations in the United States

1. Central Park, Manhattan, New York City, New York (532)
2. Bronson Canyon, Griffith Park – 4730 Crystal Springs Drive, Los Angeles, California (285)
3. Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park – 10700 W. Escondido Canyon Rd., Agua Dulce, California (253)
4. The Mojave Desert, California (233)
5. Santa Catalina Island, Channel Islands, California (202)
6. Venice Beach, Venice, Los Angeles, California (200)
7. Times Square, Manhattan, New York City, New York (192)
8. Death Valley National Park, California (188)
9. Red Rock Canyon State Park – Highway 14, Cantil, California (154)
10. Santa Monica Pier, Santa Monica, California (143)
11. Yosemite National Park, California (142)
12. Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona (139)
13. Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California (134)
14. Los Angeles International Airport – 1 World Way, Los Angeles, California (129)
15. Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, California (128)
16. White House – 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, District of Columbia (125)
17. Sierrita Mountains, Arizona (117)
18. Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden – 301 N. Baldwin Avenue, Arcadia, California (116)
19. Niagara Falls, New York (107)
20. Los Angeles City Hall – 200 North Spring Street, Downtown, Los Angeles, California (104)
21. Ambassador Hotel – 3400 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, California (104)

South America

Chile and Ecuador are the most filmed locations in South America, with 50 credited publications on IMDb.

Top 10 most-filmed locations in South America

1. Chile – Atacama Desert (50)
2. Ecuador – Galapagos Islands (50)
3. Brazil – Amazon Rainforest (49)
4. Peru – Machu Picchu (40)
5. Argentina – Iguazú Waterfalls, Misiones (25)
6. Bolivia – Salar de Uyuni (16)
7. Venezuela – Canaima National Park, Estado Bolívar (11)
8. Paraguay – Paraná River (3)
9. Colombia – Palacio de San Carlos, Bogotá (2)
10. Guyana – Kaieteur Falls (2)
11. Uruguay – Casapueblo, Punta Ballena, Maldonado (2)

Europe

Trafalgar Square in London (the United Kingdom) is the number one movie location in Europe (131 credits).

Top 20 most-filmed locations in Europe

1. United Kingdom – Trafalgar Square, St James’s, London, England (131)
2. Poland – Auschwitz-Birkenau Concentration Camp, Oswiecim, Malopolskie (105)
3. Spain – Cabo de Gata, Almería, Andalucía, Spain (99)
4. France – Eiffel Tower, Paris (95)
5. Portugal – Tobis Portuguesa, Lumiar, Lisbon, Portugal (76)
6. Austria – Theater in der Josefstadt, Vienna (66)
7. Finland – Senaatintori, Helsinki (59)
8. Italy – St. Mark’s Square, Venice, Veneto (54)
9. Denmark – Copenhagen Airport, Kastrup, Copenhagen (50)
10. Russia – Red Square, Moscow (49)
11. Hungary – Lake Balaton (47)
12. Albania – Tirana (46)
13. Germany – Alexanderplatz, Mitte, Berlin (38)
14. Netherlands De Kleine Komedie, Amsterdam, Noord-Holland (37)
15. Romania – Danube Delta, Romania (37)
16. Czech Republic – Praha hlavni nadrazi, Wilsonova, Prague (35)
17. Greece – Acropolis, Athens (31)
18. Vatican City – St. Peter’s Basilica (27)
19. Ireland – Powerscourt Estate, Enniskerry, County Wicklow (26)
20. Belgium – Amerikaans Theater, Brussels, Brussels-Capital (22)
21. Sweden – Gamla Stan, Stockholm, Stockholms län (22)

Asia and Oceania

Kabul (Afganistan) is the most filmed location outside of Europe and America with 113 credits.

Australian Opera House is the most filmed location in Oceania.

Top 10 most-filmed locations in Asia

1. Afghanistan – Kabul (113)
2. Nepal – Mount Everest (49)
3. Syria – Damascus (45)
4. India – Taj Mahal, Agra, Uttar Pradesh (39)
5. Jordan – Petra (25)
6. Israel – Wailing Wall, Old City, Jerusalem (24)
7. Cambodia – Angkor Wat, Siem Reap (21)
8. Japan – Mount Fuji, Shizuoka (19)
9. Turkey – Hagia Sophia, Istanbul (19)
10. Kyrgyzstan – Bishkek (18)

Top 9 most-filmed locations in Oceania

1. Australia – Sydney Opera House – 2 Macquarie Street, Sydney, New South Wales (65)
2. Fiji – Suva (11)
3. New Zealand – Waitakere Ranges Regional Park, Waitakere, Auckland Region (10)
4. Vanuatu – Tanna (7)
5. Marshall Islands – Bikini Atoll (6)
6. Samoa – Upolu Island (4)
7. Palau – Koror (2)
8. Solomon Islands – Honiara (2)
9. Kiribati – Tarawa (1)

Africa

Dakar in Senegal is the most-filmed location in entire Africa. It still looks odd that it is the number one spot in Africa, especially with the giant movie industry of Nollywood in Nigeria.

Top 10 most-filmed locations in Africa

1. Senegal – Dakar (71)
2. Egypt – Karnak Temple, Luxor (29)
3. Kenya – Maasai Mara National Reserve (29)
4. Mali – Bamako (27)
5. Tanzania – Mount Kilimanjaro (24)
6. Morocco – Ait Benhaddou (21)
7. South Africa – Kruger National Park (20)
8. Zimbabwe – Victoria Falls (20)
9. The Republic of the Congo – Brazzaville (19)
10. Sudan – Khartoum (15)

The post The Most Filmed Movie Location In Every Nation, Mapped appeared first on Vivid Maps.

Global position and boundaries

Russia is the largest transcontinental country located in Eastern Europe and Asia. It covers over 1/8 of the Earth’s inhabited land area (17.1 million sq km or 6.6 million sq mi), extending 11 time zones, and bordering 16 sovereign countries.

A straight line connecting Russia’s Westernmost and Easternmost points passes through no Russian soil whatsoever!

Russia is the only one country separating Norway from North Korea! The map below shows the nearest country to different parts of Russia.

Russia has one of the longest international land borders. The Russian-Kazakh border stretches for more than 7.6 thousand kilometers (The U.S. and Canada have the longest border – 8.9 thousand km).

Due to the low population density and insignificant anthropogenic transformation of landscapes, Russia’s border with some countries can be seen even from space.

Climate

Most of Northern European Russia, Northern Siberia, and North of the Far East has a subarctic climate, with overly harsh winters.
The Northern Pole of Cold is located in the North Siberian Sakha Republic with a record low temperature of −71.2°C (−96.2°F).

Throughout much of Russia’s territory, there are four distinguished seasons: autumn, winter, spring, and summer. The coldest month is January (February on the coastland); the warmest month usually is July.

Few people know, but in Russia, there are territories with a subtropical climate. Subtropics are mainly located in the vicinity of Sochi, on the Black Sea coast of the Krasnodar Region.

You can compare the climate of most Russian cities with the climate of other cities in the world here.

Population geography

Although Russia is the 9th-most populous nation and the most populous country in Europe, the Russian Federation is one of the world’s most sparsely populated and urbanized. About 50% of the nation’s total area is forested, concentrating about 4/5 of its entire population of about 145 million on its smaller and dense western part than its larger and sparse eastern portion.

The map below shows Russia divided by population into 3 equal areas.

Russian forests and the Amazon rainforests are the planet’s lungs. About 66% of Russia’s territory is covered with forests, agricultural crops occupy 22% of the land. Almost 20% of Russian territory is deer pastures. That’s mainly the land of native Siberian deer hunters inside the Arctic circle.

Many Russians leave villages and small towns and move to big cities. Therefore, near cities, you can see many abandoned villages.

The three maps below illustrate the urban population, the average population of rural settlements, and the abandoned villages in Russia.

Moscow is the capital of Russia and the largest urban area in Europe, and among the largest in the world, with about 20 million inhabitants. Other major most populous cities include St. Petersburg (5.4 mln), Novosibirsk (1.6 mln), Yekaterinburg (1.5 mln), Kazan (1.3 mln), Nizhny Novgorod (1.3 mln), Chelyabinsk (1.2 mln), Samara (1.2 mln), Omsk (1.2 mln), and Rostov-on-Don (1.1 mln).

Moscow is the only capital in the world situated at a distance of over 1000 km from any mountain range (>700m). Tim Marshall’s book Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps That Explain Everything About the World explains why the Russian state expanded intensively, trying to take over the entire plain and mountain ranges to ensure the state’s security.

The most ancient cities in Russia are Suzdal (1024), Vladimir (1108), Bryansk (985), Uglich (937), Pskov (903), Smolensk (863), Rostov Veliky (862), Belozersk (862), Murom (862), Veliky Novgorod (859), Derbent (438). It should be noted that the city of Derbent was previously part of the Persian Empire.

The animated map below shows the foundation of 875 Russian cities.

Russia ranks fifth by total road network size (1.5 mln km), behind the U.S. (6.9 mln km), India (5.9 mln km), China (5.0 mln km), and Brazil (1.8 mln km). But because of the enormous size of the country, the density of the road network even in the European part of Russia, is considerably inferior to the density of the road network in other countries. The map below shows roads on either side of the Finland-Russian border.

Ethnic groups

Russia is a multinational country with almost 200 ethnic groups named as nationalities. These ethnic groups’ populations differ enormously, from millions (Russians, Tatars, Ukrainians) to under 100 (e.g., Kereks, Krymchaks, Ruthenians).

The map below shows the percentage of ethnic Russians in Russia.

In most parts of Russia, Tatar and Ukrainians are the second-largest ethnic groups in Russia. Before the collapse of the USSR, Ukrainians were the second largest ethnic group.

Religion

Christianity was the religious self-identification of about 47% of the Russian population. Most of them are Orthodox Cristian. Orthodox Christian believers made up 42.6% of the total population of Russia.

Islam is the second-largest religion in Russia after Orthodox Christianity. Nowadays, about 15 million Muslims live in Russia, or 10.3% of the total population.

Economy

Russia’s economy is the 5h-largest national economy in Europe, the 11th-largest on the planet in terms of nominal GDP, and the 6th-largest by purchasing power parity.

Russia’s enormous geography is a crucial determinant of its economic activity, with some experts predicting that Russia holds over 30% of the world’s natural resources (oil, natural gas, precious metals, etc.). In 2012, gas and oil exports accounted for 16% of the country’s GDP.

Russia’s economic development is uneven geographically, with the Moscow region providing a substantial GDP share.

The map below shows regions of Russia by GDP per capita.

Crime

Many people think Russia is dangerous, but this is not entirely true. In many American states, the murder rate is higher than in Russia. The map below shows U.S. states with higher (in red) and lower (in blue) murder rates than Russia.

The murder rate in Russia is about 6 per 100 thousand people, which depicts a notable drop over the past 15 years (in 2001, the homicide rate was about 30). The map below shows regions of Russia by murder rate.

But Russia has the highest suicide rates in Europe (26.5 suicides per 100,000 people), followed by Lithuania (25.7 suicides per 1000,000 people), and exceeds the world average suicide rates by 2.5 times. If we consider only male suicides, then Russia will become the absolute world leader. The suicide rate among Russian men is 48.3 per 100 thousand of the population. Half of all suicides are related to alcohol consumption.

The post 21 maps that explain Russia appeared first on Vivid Maps.

Nowadays, every fall, farms across the U.S. modify their cornfields into interactive mazes, ideal for a fall family vacation.

But unluckily, many people won’t be capable of traveling to visit their local mazes this year. That’s why the team at NetCredit decided to digitally replicate a selection of them so readers can find their way out of these beautiful mazes from the comfort of their homes.

To do this, NetCredit used the Corn Mazes America database to curate a selection of corn mazes that are challenging and unique-looking. They then worked with CG artists to render them at the perfect angle to be solved on screen.

The result? A slice of armchair travel, allowing you to solve America’s craziest mazes without even stepping foot in them. These are the selected seven mazes (plus the years and locations):

1. Treinen Farm’s Trilobite Maze // 2017 // Lodi, Wisconsin

Google Maps // Website

2. Treworgy Family Orchards’ Blueberries for Sal Maze // 2019 // Levant, Maine

Google Maps // Website

3. Gull Meadows Maze // Richland, Michigan

Google Maps // Website

4. Queens County Farm Maze // 2016 // Queens, New York

Google Maps // Website

5. Cherry Crest Adventure Farm Maze // 2018 // Ronks, Pennsylvania

Google Maps // Website

6. Davis Mega Maze’s Lost Vegas // 2007 // Sterling, Massachusetts

Google Maps // Website

7. Lentini Farms Maze // Fredon Township, New Jersey

Google Maps // Website

This project is part of a series of content campaigns commissioned by NetCredit focused on the United States’ history, culture, and nature.

These projects have the goal of shining a light on achievements and issues and celebrating the country, and educating readers on the history and unique culture of each state.

The post The Craziest Corn Mazes Across the U.S. appeared first on Vivid Maps.

1. California

California is the country’s most populated state and is a significant agricultural state, providing about 99% of some crops. 

About 50% of the state’s area is government-owned and committed to the conservation of nature. Millions of travelers crowd to California to visit the national monuments, historical places, parks, and beaches. California’s most popular tourist destinations are Disneyland, which is visited by almost 15 million people annually. Other popular attractions in the state are:

• Yosemite National park.
• Death Valley.
• Disneyland.
• The Golden Gate Bridge.
• The Hollywood sign.
• Yosemite National park.

2. Florida

Disney World is the most-visited theme park globally, so it isn’t unexpected that Florida would stand so high. There’s so much else to view in Florida, including great beach cities along the Mexican Gulf and Atlantic shores. Florida is scattered with traveler attractions and historical places, recreational facilities, and excellent picturesque spots for travelers to visit.

3. Nevada

Nevada is the place to one of the most visiting and entertaining centers globally, Las Vegas. In the city are located gambling and entertainment spots as well as the outstanding clubs in the U.S. Other famous attraction places include Lake Tahoe, Hoover Dam, Valley of Fire State Park.

4. Texas

Texas is the second-largest after Alaska state in the U.S. This state is genuinely distinct in all ways, shapes, and forms. Texas’s landscape varies from sands to stunning shores to mountain areas to dense woods.

5. New York

We are pretty astonished to observe New York come in as the 5th most visited state in the U.S., given how well-known its famous traveler attraction sites are. The most visited attractions of the world’s financial capital are the Empire State Building, Times Square, the National Monument of the Statue of Liberty, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

6. Virginia

From its gorgeous rolling hills to its vibrant colonial past, Virginia has much to offer everyone passing through. Virginia stretched from the Chesapeake Bay to the Appalachian Mounts. Whether you are a beach person or mount person, Virginia is your best choice.

Famous vacationist attractions include Busch Gardens, Luray Caverns, the Shenandoah National Park, Shenandoah Valley, and different historical monuments, including preserved colonies.

7. South Carolina

South Carolina is a U.S. state of forests, beaches, and beautiful parks and gardens. If you want a pleasant, quiet holiday, think of visiting the Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, Joe Riley Waterfront ParkSkywheel Myrtle Beach, Broadway at the Beach, the Congaree, and Brookgreen Gardens.

8. Arizona

Arizona waterfalls are at #8 in our listing of the most visited U.S states. One of the most famous tourist attraction scenes worldwide – Grand Canyon National Park, located in Arizona. Millions of tourists make their route to the state to tour this incredible natural formation. Other astonishing places such as Petrified Forest National Park, Antelope Canyon, Saguaro National Park, Monument Valley, and Petrified Forest bring millions of travelers worldwide.

9. Georgia

Visitors to Georgia adore many tourist attractions, including Lookout Mountain, Atlanta Botanical and Rock City Gardens, Carter Presidential Library, National Center for Civil and Human Rights. Moreover, Georgia is perceived as a peach state and is essential for being the prime raiser of pecans, peanuts, and Vidalia onions.

10. Hawaii

Hawaii is a unique U.S. state located in the tropics. The state is called by many a paradise on Earth because of the picturesque landscapes, lush rainforests, waterfalls, and world-class hotels dispersed throughout the islands. Besides the forests and beaches you can visit, a dormant volcano, and an iconic landmark, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Waimea Canyon State, and Na Pali Coast State Park.

The Most Visited U.S. States

The Least Visited U.S. States

Now that we know which U.S. states do the most visiting, it is interesting to find out which states did the least traveling. Whether they don’t have any promoted attractions or they favor spending their money on other tasks, or don’t have as much access to huge airports, these are the states who travel the least in America. Coming in at #51 is West Virginia, which is followed on the list by Vermont, Nebraska, New Hampshire, and rounding out the below five is Rhode Island. At #46, we have Kansas, then Arkansas at #44, preceded by Maine, North Dakota, and Connecticut.

Want to learn more about unique landmarks and various tourist attractions in every U.S. state? Then have a look at the following books:

• National Geographic Road Atlas
• Fodor’s Best Road Trips in the USA

The post The Most Visited States In The United States appeared first on Vivid Maps.

Website Reservations team aspired to take things to an extra level and had an exciting idea: what if you could travel the entire world for a year in ideal weather?

A map below shows a 52-week dream journey in perfect weather, between 70-75 °F, or 21-24 °C. It’s a comfort temperature amongst the majority of people.

Reservations.com thoroughly planned and mapped a single year that travels through 52 cities across the world resting at the perfect temperature.

Latin America

January 1 – Bariloche (Argentina)
January 8 – Valparaiso (Chili)
January 15 – Arequipa (Peru)
January 22 – Guatape (Colombia)
January 29 – Panajachel (Guatemala)
February 5 – La Paz (Mexico)
February 12 – Monterrey (Mexico)

North Africa

February 19 – La Palmas (Spain)
February 26 – Marrakesh (Morocco)
March 5 – Tozeur (Tunisia)
March 12 – Cairo (Egypt)

Middle East

March 19 – Tel Aviv (Israel)
March 26 – Haifa (Israel)
April 2 – Baalbek (Lebanon)
April 9 – Antalya (Turkey)

Europe

April 16 – Larnaca (Cyprus)
April 23 – Chania (Greece)
April 30 – Catania (Italy)
May 7 – Napoli (Italy)
May 14 – Split (Croatia)
May 21 – Rabat (Malta)
June 4 – Lisbon (Portugal)
June 11 – Bordeaux (France)
June 18 – Geneva (Switzerland)
June 25 – Berlin (Germany)

Africa

July 2 – Nairobi (Kenya)
July 9 – Monkey Bay (Malawi)
July 14 – Siavonga (Zambia)
July 19 – Hwange (Zimbabwe)
July 30 – Pretoria (South Africa)
August 6 – Baie du Tombeau (Mauritius Island)

Asia

August 13 – Darjeeling (India)
August 18 – Paro (Bhutan)
August 23 – Ulan-Ede (Russia)
September 1 – Mongolia (Ulaanbaatar)
September 8 – Sapporo (Japan)
September 15 – Sokcho (South Korea)
September 22 – Beijing (China)
September 29 – Tokyo (Japan)

Australia

October 6 – Adelaide (Australia)
October 13 – Perth (Australia)
October 20 – Sidney (Australia)

North America

October 27 – Napa (United States)
November 5 – Los Angeles (United States)
November 9 – Las Vegas (United States)
November 15 – Austin (United States)
November 22 – New Orleans (United States)
December 2 – Orlando (United States)
December 9 – Everglades (United States)
December 15 – Mount Pleasant (Bermuda)
December 25 – Freeport (Bahamas)

Approximately estimate that it would overall cost $26,000 – $52,000 USD ($500 – $1,000 per week) to do this journey.

The post Around the world in perfect weather appeared first on Vivid Maps.