Norway isn’t just fjords and Vikings. This map shows how people describe their own regions—with pride, teasing, and plenty of humor. It’s a down-to-earth look at local life that goes beyond scenery and history.
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China is the biggest of all Asian nations and has the largest population of any country globally. Occupying almost the entire East Asian landmass, it comprises about 1/14 of the land area of Earth. Among the world’s influential nations, China is exceeded in size by only Russia and Canada, and it is approximately as big as the entire of Europe.
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The United States is home to more than 1,100 bird species. Many states have chosen one of these birds as their official symbol. See the complete list of state birds and how they reflect the country’s rich wildlife.
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Alcohol consumption looks completely different depending on where you live. Using UNECE data, I mapped how much people drink across countries and tracked changes over the past decade. Romania leads at 17.1 litres of pure alcohol per person, but tourism can inflate small countries’ numbers. The global average has been dropping since 2010, though individual countries show all kinds of patterns.
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A readable guide to Europe’s capital emblems: when heraldry started, why cities use these symbols, and notes on a few well-known arms.
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California has about the same population as Tokyo’s entire metro area—40 million people. The difference? California spreads them across a territory 30 times larger. On the flip side, Wyoming has roughly as many residents as Manchester, UK. When you match every U.S. state to a global city with similar population, the results are eye-opening. Texas mirrors China’s Chongqing, Vermont matches Helsinki, and New Jersey equals London.
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A Eurostat survey asked Europeans how satisfied they are with their personal finances. The results vary sharply across the continent, with northern countries rating their situations higher than many in the south and east. What drives these differences, and how does income distribution play a role?
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Who comes first in a country’s Wikipedia intro – a legendary founder, a classical author, or a living politician?
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A look at the runner-up religious affiliations in each U.S. county, from Black Protestant churches in the South to Catholic and non-denominational growth in the West and cities, based on official census data.
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Top 20 maps on various topics, from climate to politics, that were popular in 2017.
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