Vivid maps - Vivid Maps

The 2020 U.S. presidential election revealed stark contrasts in how Americans vote based on where they live. These original maps show Biden’s urban archipelagos – centers of economic power generating 70% of U.S. GDP – scattered across Trump’s expansive heartland. From county-level analysis to population-weighted visualizations, these maps tell the story of two Americas: one concentrated in high-density cities, another spread across the rural landscape. Building on my viral 2016 electoral maps, this new series offers fresh insights into our nation’s deepening political geography.

News Vivid maps Water Bodies

December 7, 2020 Alex

Maps of the Great Lakes

The Great Lakes are the most extensive freshwater system globally (94,600 sq mi / 244,000 sq km). The Lakes contain 5,400 cu mi (22,500 cu km) of surface freshwater on earth or 6 quadrillion gallons of freshwater (22.7 quadrillion liters), accounting for about 21% of the world’s surface freshwater or 84% of North America’s surface freshwater.

Using Digital Elevation Model data, I made the map of the Great Lakes in watercolor style.

3D maps Climate News Vivid maps

December 1, 2020 Alex

3D Mapping of The Global Climate

Data analyst Alasdair Rae created unique 3D maps of the global population density. This idea inspired me to make three-dimensional maps depicting different climatic parameters. To create these maps, I used Worldclim data: average temperature (°C), precipitation (mm), solar radiation (kJ m-2 day-1), and wind speed (m s-1).

News Political maps Vivid maps

November 13, 2020 Alex

What if “Did Not Vote” were a candidate in the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election?

Joe Bide has been elected the 46th president of the U.S., In 2020, he has enlarged Hilary Clinton’s record from 51 to 162 electoral votes, while Donald Trump has raised from 16 to 98 votes. But many Americans still didn’t vote. What if “I didn’t vote” ran as a U.S. presidential candidate in the 2020 election?

Demography News Vivid maps World

November 6, 2020 Alex

The U.S. Archipelago

The U.S. population distribution is uneven. This uneven distribution of the population is due to historical and geophysical factors (climate, landforms, soil conditions). Approximately 40% of the U.S. population lived in counties on the shore. Nowadays, population decline hit most nonmetro U.S. counties in the Great Plains. Speedy population increases in nonmetro counties nearest to large-sized metro areas and recreation regions with beautiful landscapes.

Environment maps News Vivid maps World

September 2, 2020 Alex

The World’s Forests Mapped

A forest is an area of land covered by trees. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, forests cover some 3.9 billion hectares (or 9.6 billion acres), which is about 30% of the Earth’s land surface.

Map of happiest and unhappiest countries in the world

Economic maps News Political maps Vivid maps

May 7, 2020 Alex

The happiest countries in the world (2013 – 2020)

Happiness connects with many life factors: GDP per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom to make life choices, generosity, and the absence of corruption. Which country is the happiest?

The atlas of the United States in the style of Joy Division

News Vivid maps

April 3, 2020 Alex

The atlas of the United States in the style of Joy Division

The maps of the United States show elevation, precipitation, and population density in the style of Joy Division.

Ethnic maps News Vivid maps

February 3, 2020 Alex

Absence of Asians

The Asian population in the United States grew to almost 12 million by 2000 and approximately doubled to 22.5 million by 2019 (7% of the U.S. population). The Asian population in America is predicted to touch 46 million by 2060, outdoing Hispanics in 2055.

U.S. Hispanic Population: Percent Change by county

Demography Ethnic maps News Vivid maps

January 16, 2020 Alex

Absence of Hispanic

Hispanic are Americans who are the posterity of immigrants from Spain or Latin America. Hispanics generally are the leading minority ethnic group in the U.S., after non-Hispanic white Americans. According to U.S. Census Bureau data, in 2020, Hispanics made up 18.7% (62.1 million) of the U.S. population.