We reached out to the creator of Map Central on Instagram, and they gave us a bit of background on the page. "I created my account in 2017 because I wanted to make a collection of maps I saw across the Internet and enjoyed. Eventually other people saw my page and enjoyed the content, and I grew an audience." We also asked them about some of their favorite parts of the page. "My favorite post type are carousels I do on geopolitical stories, like how the Gambia became a country and how World War II hasn't technically ended. It's incredible to learn and teach others about unknown stories in history regarding geopolitics. I want to create more long-form content in which I explain the context behind a map or story."

Next, they explained why maps are so great for making information accessible. "Maps are a visual representation of data that can be difficult to understand. With a map, anyone can understand important data about the world. Maps are both great to look at and easy to understand, and that's why they are so popular." Lastly, they added, "If you are looking to map makes of your own, Canva and MapChart are great resources to start." While I personally will leave the map-making to the professionals, I'm very thankful that they run this account and that I'm now able to learn so much about the world from easily digestible graphics.

Learning facts and statistics can be pretty dry, but having visual aids in the form of bright maps is a great way to help retain information. Studies show that visual explanations yield greater benefits than relying solely on verbal explanations. Words are processed by our short term memory, which can only retain about seven bits of information, but images are directly processed by our long-term memory, according to eLearning Industry. In fact, about 65% of the population classifies themselves as “visual learners”. While all learning styles are beneficial to varying degrees, the general consensus is that images trump books, audio lessons and more.

Along with being easier to recall, visual information is also simpler to process. Images are processed in our brains 60,000 times faster than text, and 90% of information transmitted to the brain is visual. According to MIT News, our brains can even identify images after seeing them for as little as 13 milliseconds. It’s no wonder we love seeing these brightly colored, fascinating maps. Our brains are immediately stimulated and able to comprehend data much faster than if we read it in a book.

Not just any visual will do the trick, however. While captivating images such as the maps from Map Central are likely to catch our eyes, “boring” graphics will lead to a lack of motivation in learning the information presented. eLearning Industry’s website is careful to note that “the quality and relevance of visuals matters a lot”. Graphics to aid learning should simplify complex topics, be easy to digest visually and help readers “connect familiar materials with the unfamiliar”. The goal is to learn something new, so if an image is not serving that purpose, the material might as well be presented through another medium.

One of the best parts of the Map Central page is how it allows people to better understand their place in this massive world. As humans, we tend to have a hard time conceptualizing what we cannot see. I mean, seeing is believing. So Map Central is a great way to bridge the gap between knowing you’re from a massive country or state to actually seeing on a map how many other countries could fit inside of yours. We can get so caught up in our own little worlds that we forget how vast the planet actually is. Did you know that the Mediterranean Sea could fit perfectly inside of Australia? I didn’t either, but knowing this now makes me feel like I have a better understanding of geography!  

Aside from the geography facts we can harness from Map Central, we can learn plenty of information through the demographics of other nations, or our own, as well. Gaining a better understanding of other cultures helps us feel connected to the world, minimize the spread of stereotypes, have more sympathy for global issues and enhance communication between nations. Do you ever go on business trips to other parts of the world? It’s great to have some knowledge about the culture you’re stepping into. Understanding a country's history provides some insight into why the people are the way they are. How common is alcohol consumption there? Has the nation ever had a female leader? These tiny tidbits of information are fun to learn and can be very beneficial when traveling.