River Basins as Countries: A New World Map

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As a geography enthusiast and cartographer, I’ve always been fascinated by the way we represent our world through maps. Recently, I embarked on an exciting project to reimagine the world map based on river basins rather than political boundaries. The result is a captivating series of world map posters that offer a fresh perspective on our planet’s geography. But beyond their visual appeal, these maps highlight a crucial concept: the potential benefits of aligning our political boundaries with natural watersheds.

Why River Basins Matter

Before we dive into the maps, let’s consider why river basins are so important. A drainage basin is an open system that constantly exchanges matter and energy with its surroundings. This natural division of land has been crucial to human civilization since its inception.

Rivers have been a prime source of sustenance throughout history. River systems form the basis for agriculture, transport, water supply, and various domestic, commercial, and industrial activities, fostering economic prosperity. Each river basin is a unique geographical and climatological unit, responding to natural processes in its own way.

If our political boundaries aligned with these natural divisions, we could potentially see numerous benefits:

• Improved Water Management: Water doesn’t stop at administrative borders. Managing entire watersheds as single units could lead to more efficient and equitable water use.
• Enhanced Environmental Protection: Ecosystems often span multiple countries. Basin-based management could lead to more cohesive conservation efforts.
• Better Disaster Mitigation: Floods and droughts affect entire basins. Unified management could improve prediction and response to these events.
• Sustainable Development: As each basin is unique, development and conservation efforts could be tailored to each basin’s specific characteristics.
• Conflict Resolution: Many international conflicts arise from water disputes. Basin-based borders could potentially reduce these conflicts.

With these potential benefits in mind, let’s explore what our world might look like if we redrew the world political map based on river basins.

A New World Order: Countries Defined by Watersheds

The first world map I created showcases a political landscape where national borders follow the watersheds of major river basins. This unique approach to cartography reveals a drastically different global layout compared to the traditional world maps we’re accustomed to seeing.

River basin spatial data used to create the world maps were obtained from the HydroSHEDS project, initiated in 2006 by the World Wildlife Fund US. The project’s goal is to create free digital data layers to support large-scale hydro-ecological research and applications worldwide.

In this reimagined world, countries are named after their dominant rivers. For example:

• Amazonia (Amazon River)
• Congolia (Congo River)
• Mississippia (Mississippi River)
• Obistan (Ob River)
• Nilotic (Nile River)
• Paranáland (Paraná River)
• Yeniseiland (Yenisei River)
• Lenaria (Lena River)
• Amuria (Amur River)
• Nigerland (Niger River)

This perspective highlights the natural divisions of our planet based on water flow, emphasizing the interconnectedness of ecosystems within each basin.

The World’s Largest Basin Countries

The second world map poster in this series illustrates the world’s basins by area. This visualization helps us understand which “countries” would be the largest if we based our borders on watersheds. I calculated the basin areas using the Calculate Geometry tool and the Miller Cylindrical (World) projected coordinate system in ArcGIS.

According to my calculations, the ten largest countries in our river basin world would be:

Country Name	Area (km²)	Area (sq mi)	Current Basin Name
Amazonia	5,888,270	2,273,470	Amazon
Congolia	3,705,240	1,430,600	Congo
Mississippia	3,240,630	1,251,210	Mississippi
Obistan	3,088,720	1,192,560	Ob
Nilotic	3,057,780	1,180,610	Nile
Paranáland	2,646,310	1,021,740	Paraná
Yeniseiland	2,505,680	967,450	Yenisei
Lenaria	2,453,660	947,360	Lena
Amuria	2,238,980	864,470	Amur
Nigerland	2,123,000	819,690	Niger

This table showcases the vast territories these river systems encompass, often spanning multiple countries in our current geopolitical landscape.

Climate Characteristics of Basin Countries

To further explore the nature of these basin-defined nations, I created two additional world map posters focusing on climatic conditions.

Temperature Distribution

To create this world map, I used the bioclimatic variable BIO1 (Annual Mean Temperature), which is one of the 19 WorldClim variables represented by raster images. Using the Zonal Statistics tool in ArcGIS, I calculated the median annual mean temperature for each basin.

The world map reveals fascinating insights:

• The top 10 warmest countries, each with a median annual temperature of 31°C (87.8°F), are represented by 10 tiny watersheds in East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula
• In contrast, the coldest countries, with an average median temperature of -26°C (-14.8°F), are tiny basins in Greenland.
• Interestingly, Yanaland (the Yana River basin, containing Verkhoyansk, often considered the coldest city in the world) has a median annual temperature of -15°C (5°F).

Precipitation Patterns

I calculated the annual precipitation for each river basin by using the bioclimatic variable BIO12 from the WorldClim dataset, which provides data on annual precipitation. By applying the Zonal Statistics tool in ArcGIS, I summarized all cell values within each basin to determine the total rainfall. For example, in the Amazonia basin, this calculation shows that it receives 12,884 km³ (3,090 cubic miles) of rainfall annually. However, according to Wikipedia, the average annual water flow of the Amazon River is only about 7,280 km³ (1,746 cubic miles), accounting for approximately 17% of the total riverine discharge into the world’s oceans. Evidently, a significant amount of precipitation falling in the river basin evaporates, accumulates in soils and living organisms, or is used in human activities.

Country	River Basin	Annual Precipitation (km³)	Annual Precipitation (cubic miles)
Amazonia	Amazon	12,884	3,090
Congolia	Congo	5,638	1,352
Paranáland	Paraná	3,351	804
Mississippia	Mississippi	3,171	761
Obistan	Ob	2,506	601
Yangzonia	Yangtze	2,271	545
Orinocia	Orinoco	2,139	513
Yeniseiland	Yenisei	2,118	508
Gangetia	Ganges	2,118	508
Nilotic	Nile	1,962	471

This data underscores the importance of watershed management. In countries like India, where about 70% of the population depends on agriculture, effective watershed development can mitigate the impacts of water scarcity and drought. Proper watershed management can control runoff, reduce soil erosion, increase groundwater recharge, and improve overall water quality.

Population Distribution in Basin Countries

Using the same Zonal Statistics tool in ArcGIS and raster data from the Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC), I created two more world map posters illustrating population and population density in each river basin.

The most populous basin countries are:

Country	River Basin	Population
Gangetia	Ganges	752,847,000
Yangzonia	Yangtze	488,390,000
Industan	Indus	240,040,000
Nilotic	Nile	239,592,000
Nigerland	Niger	140,466,000
Congolia	Congo	138,283,000
Huangland	Huang	137,219,000
Duliujianstan	Duliujian	122,545,000
Krishnaland	Krishna	94,072,000
Paranáland	Paraná	93,252,200

Interestingly, the highest population densities are found in tiny basin countries along the coasts of Africa and Asia. This population distribution highlights the challenge of watershed management in densely populated areas, where human activities can significantly impact water resources and ecosystem health.

Economic Landscape of Basin Countries

Finally, I explored the economic potential of our basin countries using the Zonal Statistics tool and GDP raster data for 2025 (in millions of US dollars) from SEDAC.

Country	River Basin	GDP (millions USD)
Mississippia	Mississippi	2,027,780
Rhineland	Rhine	1,465,420
Yangzonia	Yangtze	1,366,450
Laurentia	St. Lawrence	1,366,110
Danubia	Danube	751,730
Kamtinland	Kam Tin	699,610
Elbeland	Elbe	572,320
Hanland	Han	451,490
Seinia	Seine	422,530
Povia	Po	399,230

This data reveals that some of the most economically powerful countries in our basin world are not necessarily the largest or most populous.

When analyzing GDP per capita, some surprising results emerge:

• The Aloh Besar River basin in Bahrain: 464 inhabitants, GDP of 2,260 million USD ($4,866,030 per capita)
• Crystal River basin in Florida: 191 residents, GDP of 910 million USD ($4,757,180 per capita)
• River Mite basin in the UK: 263 inhabitants, GDP of 1,000 million USD ($3,605,710 per capita)

The Potential of Watershed-Based Management

Imagining a world divided by watersheds isn’t just an interesting cartographic exercise. It points to the potential benefits of managing our resources on a basin-wide scale. Here are some key principles of watershed management that could be applied more effectively if our political boundaries aligned with natural watersheds:

• Utilizing land according to its capacity
• Maintaining adequate vegetation cover on the soil
• Conserving rainwater where it falls through in-situ conservation
• Managing excess water to prevent erosion and recharge groundwater
• Maximizing productivity per unit of area, time, and water
• Increasing cropping intensity through intercropping and sequence cropping
• Safely utilizing marginal lands through alternative land use systems
• Ensuring ecosystem sustainability within the watershed
• Maximizing income from the interrelated crop-livestock-tree-labor complex over time

By adhering to these principles on a basin-wide scale, we could potentially see significant improvements in water management, environmental protection, and sustainable development.

Conclusion

This project of reimagining world maps based on river basins offers a unique perspective on our planet’s geography, climate, population distribution, and economic landscape. It reminds us that water doesn’t adhere to political boundaries and that our world is interconnected in ways that often transcend the lines we draw on maps.

While it’s unlikely that we’ll redraw our political boundaries to match watersheds anytime soon, this exercise highlights the importance of international cooperation in managing our shared water resources. As we face global challenges like climate change and water scarcity, thinking in terms of watersheds rather than countries could lead to more effective and sustainable solutions.

I hope these world map posters inspire you to think differently about our planet and the natural systems that shape it. What are your thoughts on this river basin-based world? How do you think it might change our approach to global issues like water management, climate change, and international cooperation? Do you see potential benefits or challenges in managing resources on a watershed basis? Share your ideas in the comments below!

If you’re interested in exploring more traditional world maps, check out these highly-rated options available on Amazon:

• National Geographic World Map (Classic Style)
• Antique-Style World Map Poster
• Scratch-Off World Map