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Most of us, if not all, are aware of what a typical map looks like. It usually represents a part of the Earth, showing the locations of countries, cities, and natural landmarks like rivers and mountains, as well as man-made features like roads and buildings. 

However, some cartographers try to mix it up and stray from the norm, creating not-so-conventional maps that, at first glance, have no usefulness at all. How many Switzerlands fit in Brazil and tomato Europe vs. potato Europe are just a few examples awaiting you on the best-of-all-time list of Terrible Maps. Scroll down to find them, and don’t forget to upvote the ones you think failed at geography the most!

Bored Panda also reached out to cartographer and designer Liz Cox, who kindly agreed to answer a few questions about all things maps.

#1

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james stevenson
Community Member
3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Fun fact: Much of the southern states of the united states of america used to be part of Mexico. So Texans complaining about foreigners in "their" country are really misinformed

tresgatos72
Community Member
3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes, but Mexico was originally part of Spain, who stole the land from the Aztec Empire and the other native tribes there

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LaserBrain
Community Member
3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's a very valid concept, but unfortunately those borders are not at all accurate. And it wouldn't be called "illegal immigration" technically unless they had laws prohibiting foreigners from arriving.

sofacushionfort
Community Member
3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A lot of those boundaries were established by merciless warfare between tribes.

Justin Tyme
Community Member
3 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

But all of those indigenous nations were invading each other and fighting and taking over territories for hundreds of years before Europeans arrived. So illegal immigration is not new.

David
Community Member
3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

except this is not accurate one bit, they took a few select tribes or tribal coalitions and ignored many others. Further they have wrong boundaries and some like the Iroquois Confederation didnt exist until after Europeans came. This is just really bad White-Centric naive view of Native Americans

HolyDiver
Community Member
3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This applies to every piece of land in the world. Everything used to belong to someone else before it was taken by force.

Luis Hernandez Dauajare
Community Member
3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

To be fair, XIX c. Mexican governments did not give a flipping duck about Texas. They had enough fighting each other: liberals, conservatives, monarchists, federalists, centralists and other factions. There were no communications, constant attacks by Comanche and Apache native and no support for settlers. When American illegally settled there, Mexican President Santa Anna first resorted to tax them, and when they rebelled his repression was brutal.

Roland C.
Community Member
3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Please tell us what law at the time made immigration illegal.

axle f
Community Member
3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

...I agree. everything after this....was all illegal immigration.

Andy Frobig
Community Member
3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This seems to leave out a lot of pretty well known groups like Navajo and Lenape

Felix Quinones
Community Member
3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Funny how everyone argues about how great their country is, but don't want to talk about the acquisition of the land. Here's a clue, the Europeans had better weapons.

Bitters Hogwhallop III
Community Member
3 months ago

This comment has been deleted.

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El Jordo Mac
Community Member
3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Had enough of being ashamed of my ancestors. It's time to be proud of our past again. It took tlstrong people to come here and change the world forever.

Max Fox
Community Member
3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This changed a lot, since the indigenous people were no different from their European peers when it came to warfare and conquest. In fact, the Aztec Empire was created by invasion, conquest, and colonization.

Aine
Community Member
3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Where are the Anishinabeg? The Dene? The Innu? The Atikamekw? The Wolastoqiyik?…

Der Kommissar
Community Member
3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The only "territory" in the USA that is not "occupied" is Alaska, which was bought from Russia

Layla Layla
Community Member
3 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

North America is the first version of Israel and Zionism

Wolf princess quinn
Community Member
3 months ago

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Texas, Florida. Why do any of us expect more from. THEM? The d**k and balls of the country

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When asked what inspired her to become a cartographer, Liz told us, “I have always been a right-brained, creative person and was set on pursuing music and creative writing. I was also obsessed with geography, memorizing random facts about different countries and learning about new cultures around the world was my nerdy fun (I used to even paint teeny flags on my toenails).”

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“Undiagnosed ADHD had me bouncing around from interest to interest most of my life. Cartography was never something I planned to get into, but it was the perfect fit for my neuro-spicy brain. I get to continually learn about new places, use a ton of creativity and love of graphic design, and challenge myself with analytical skills. It's really the perfect fit for me,” Liz fondly shared.

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#9

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It turns out the terrible maps with a pinch of humor are not only enjoyed by an occasional passerby but also by the specialists themselves. “I LOVE the Terrible Maps account and am so excited to buy the book,” Liz tells us.

#10

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#12

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That's going to look stupid in 60 million years

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“After stressful days digging through unorganized data for mapping, sending co-workers some of these map memes is the best way to lighten up the environment. I am never disappointed with the newest "Terrible Map." I love seeing the dad-humor-infused maps and think we could all use a LOT more giggling in our lives!”

#13

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taarna23
Community Member
3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Still accurate but messes with my head. But, now it looks like a map in a JRPG.

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#14

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Jeff White
Community Member
3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is closer. For a non-U.S. person, Florida and Disney World are one in the same.

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#15

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Pandemonium
Community Member
3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And like, all rivers eventually flow into the ocean, man, so like, all the waters of this big blue marble are connected. Whooooooaaaa.

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The book Liz talks about is Terrible Maps: Hilarious Maps for a Ridiculous World. It’s Michael Howe’s child of labor—the guy behind the Terrible Maps social media project. Online, it's described as the ultimate gift book for budding geographers or anyone who wants to have a laugh.

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#16

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Parmeisan
Community Member
3 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

All of my efforts in learning geography have paid off in immediately understanding this joke rather than looking at it for 2 seconds and then deciding "that country must be called Togo". Worth it!!

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So if you prefer having a physical book related to your interests it might be worth checking out. “Ever wondered about the average jean colour across the United States? Or what ‘pedestrians’ look like in Denmark? What unites Brokenwind, Upton Snodsbury and Crackpot? And have you ever tried to take a train in Antarctica? Well, Terrible Maps is the book for you!” the description further reads.

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Liz describes these particular maps by saying, “I think a terrible map that fits into this specific realm is all about the factual display of data with the perfect twist of wit and absurdity.”

But if we’re talking about a terrible map intended for actual professional use, Liz believes that incorrect information, bad data, poor analysis, and horrid design skills can greatly contribute to a map becoming user-unfriendly and even unusable.

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To check out how the opposite of terrible maps looks, make sure to check out our previous publications about the most informative maps that weren’t taught in schools.

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#37

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MathIsLife
Community Member
3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Can we all just agree to adopt YYYY-MM-DD? It's good for computer files

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#47

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Jessica S
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3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not true. Japan, France and others lost conflicts with those "farmers". The Vietnamese were well conditioned to war by the time America stepped in.

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#49

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What pedestrians look like across Europe

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#50

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Note: this post originally had 64 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.