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We all have geography lessons in school. And while we learn many interesting things about the maps and geography in them, there's always room for improvement. 

So, today, let's look at these interesting maps of Europe that we picked and found online. After all, there's no wrong time to learn something new. And who knows, maybe you'll end up using these facts somewhere (maybe a trivia night?), unlike some things you were taught at school.

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    #2

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    Annik Perrot
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    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Mer..credi! in France because you start to say Merde! and realize there are kids around ;-))

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    Did I say that out loud? (he/him)cis/het
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    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This one is both fascinating and quite scary. The relatively mild climate in the British Isles is, as I understand it, heavily reliant on the Gulf Stream. If that gets messed up because of climate change, we're fűcked!

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    Maps are leading us in nearly every step of our way. They are reachable to everyone - just a few presses and you can see Google or Apple Maps. But that wasn’t always the case. 

    The history of maps can be traced as far back as 5000 years ago. The first-ever maps were used to depict small areas in pictures. And there was no set of rules on how everything should be drawn, which made maps quite inaccurate.

    Later, the map-making art was taken over by the Greeks and Romans. The most notable works of this mapping period were those of Claudius Ptolemaeus. He was a geographer, mathematician, and astronomer, who came up with longitude and latitude lines. And, well, that revolutionized European geographic thinking. 

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    Monstarr the Divisive
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    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Ha, jokes on switzerland, the biggest, most popular and most expensive city isn't even the capital.

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    Apatheist Account2
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    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Milton Jones: why did I run up to doorbells and ring them, then run away? Just for the buzz...

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    Then, during the middle ages, there wasn’t much progress in the map-making scene. Most of the maps that were produced during this time were of monasteries, which were influenced by religious devotion. They were heavily decorated with angels and imaginary monsters. 

    However, the Islamic world made some progress in the map-making area. The most notable instance is of Al-Idrisi, an Arab scholar who produced numerous world maps and geography books that heavily influenced this scientific field. 

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    Ellinor
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    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    To be honest, all French people I know think that Italians and British are the most attractive (mainly because of the accent)

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    Robert T
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    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Iceland seems to have drifted into the Bay of Biscay! And a lot more people watch rugby than play in the UK - unless you include those who are forced to play it at school.

    Johnnee
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    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Just wish I could do an Iceland and migrate to warmer degrees

    Kayjunmoon
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    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I would have thought the cross country skiing was in Finland?

    Michal Dolyniuk
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    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    B******t. Speedway in Poland? We got a strong league but it's not too much popular

    Roan The Demon Kitty
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    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I'd say handball was also the most popular besides football in Romania, too.

    Joshua Seaman
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    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I love how it's basketball in so many countries. It's crazy how good many of the European national teams are, despite having such relatively small populations.

    Diolla
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    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Totally wrong for the Netherlands. We ride bike a LOT (we have more bikes than ppl) and I think the most popular sport is fitness/ gym. I don't even know anyone who plays hockey.

    Francois
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    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Mmm that must the winning method: put a bunch of cyclists in hockey field and they'll become world champions.

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    Jan Rosier
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    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    So wrong for Belgium. The only ones engaging in field hockey over here are posh people living in one of the 'richer' towns which were flooded by the rich Dutch, and the local posh want to fit in.

    devotedtodreams
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    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    How in the world does hiking not apply to Switzerland as well? We're a people of obssessed hikers (well, not me; I loathe hiking)

    Lotekguy
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    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I thought quidditch would have passed up rugby by now in GB.

    Marnie
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    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Hiking is a physical activity, but is not a "sport". A sport is a physical game, or maybe a physical competition like skiing.

    Roan The Demon Kitty
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    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I guess Iceland doesn't want to be Iceland anymore so they moved to a warmer climate :')

    Steve
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    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Odd that Ireland’s most popular sport is in the cave from The Holy Grail

    Parmeisan
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    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Do Europeans ever play American football? Like obviously it didn't make it to second place but I'm curious if it's played at all, anywhere in Europe.

    Mustafa Kiziroğlu
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    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Skiing is horribly expensive for average Turkish people. It's not even popular in the rich.

    Mr Red
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    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is soooo not correct... Hockey in Belgium is great but there are many other sports that are more popular.

    Daft Mosquito
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    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Ice hockey in Ukraine, seriously? It was correct about 50 years ago, not anymore. With 1½ lame teams in the country there are no even role models today.

    martymcmatrix
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    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Is GAA an abbrevation? Hiking 🇩🇪 here! Honestly...hiking? 🙋🏽🤹🏽🤸🏽

    Winnie the Moo
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I can’t imagine this to be correct. The sport after football in Holland sure should be cycling…….

    Flora Porter
    Community Member
    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Rugby can't be right for the UK. Seems it's not limited to team sports so what about cycling or running? Or is this only about men?

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    After the Middle Ages, the invention of the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg pushed the monasteries out of the dominance of map production. Also, the printing process becoming more available resulted in the growth of major publishing houses. And they produced maps that were accessible to everyone, no matter their financial status.

    Even more, improvements in mapping were brought about by the accessibility of public learning and the thirst for knowledge. Increasingly, maps started having more colors showcasing various aspects of the presented place. 

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    Also, in the late 1700s, thematic maps started showing up; for example, those showing the spread of certain illnesses or the extent of a flood.

    Now, the maps on our phones are made by using satellite systems and surveying techniques. With these tools, cartographers can measure everything with precision, which was never achievable before. And due to their precision, maps have become an irreplaceable aspect of nearly everyone’s life. 

    Did you learn something new from these maps? Share your discoveries with us in the comments!

    #10

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    Hugh Cookson
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    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Oh Dear, if this all goes tits up, I'm pretty sure Russia will go down the pan - so then it's goodbye Belarus and Serbia.

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    Alexia
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    1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The percentage is higher in the Balkan countries. We just don't declare it.

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    Verena
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    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The red area in the Netherlands indicates the huge harbours, biggest cities and heavy industry

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    Scotira
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    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I was confused for a second as 7:00-8:00 is usually breakfast time 🙄🙈

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    Zedrapazia
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    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Fun short story. Company that outsourced to Switzerland wanted to enforce their policy to have at best 50% black workers, and then got very surprised and confused why this wasn't feasibly possible

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    Hugh Cookson
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    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    For my country, yes ; for the cretins that run my country, no ; those people I'd rather put them in a hole in the ground and just fill it in whilst they're alive. Wars are not started by the people of a country, they are started by upstarts, despots and chancers using those people to fulfill their own deluded ambitions - think Putin and Netenyahu at the moment ; they won't win and people on both sides of their particular countries will suffer because of those two idiots unachievable delusions.

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    Robert T
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    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Depends on your definition of "speaks". UK schools teach foreign languages (which and whether it was compulsory varies over the years). However, they start late and are not very advanced by the time they finish. I did both French (5 years) and German (2 years) and I speak neither with any fluency.

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    Alexandra
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    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It's something in the water that makes the average male height in the Netherlands top the other countries....

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    EvilNob
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    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    When does the point come when it switches, and the parent becomes the one who lives with the child?

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    #31

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    Cecilie
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    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    In Norway I have never once heard of a school closing because of snow! But at kindergarden the smallest children below 3 stay inside if the temperature comes below -10.

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    Hugh Cookson
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    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The Conservative government that threw the baby out with the bathwater by having such a dumbed down referendum really, really f****d up the future of the UK for at least a generation. I even knew expats living in Spain who voted to leave who thought a deal could be brokered to allow them unlimited access to their properties only to find out that now, under the new 'agreement' they could only go to their European places for a limited time every year and would be penalised if they exceeded their quota ..... The general British public are a thick lot at the best of times, they should never have been given a vote on something as important as leaving Europe and all that that withdrawal entailed (not that the ruling party at the time had a f*****g clue either - bloody inbred toffs with no idea )

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    Jihana
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    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    General information: don't just downvote racist comments but report them. Downvotes don't really have any consequences anymore, but reported comments do.

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    Robert T
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    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Are you seriously trying to tell me that Moscow is safer than London? Or are we only counting criminal activity and not the authorities?

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    Robert T
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    1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This kind of figures. We watch Polish Who Wants to be a Millionaire. The top prize is 1 million zloty. This is only about £200k (or Euro or USD).

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