Join the Fun!

OK. We can clearly see these are bad maps. But how to know you're looking at a good one? Brant Scheidecker, a sales engineer at Cartegraph, highlighted some of the main essentials for accurate and easily interpretable map use.

"Every map should have a title. It allows the user to assess the purpose of the map quickly; allowing them to determine if it meets their needs," Scheidecker wrote.

Next, origin. A fancy name for a compass or the North arrow. "This allows the user to determine the maps reference to the earth. While most maps these days have North being straight up, occasionally you will encounter a map that has a skewed orientation, perhaps to better fit it on the physical medium it's presented on (i.e. paper), or simply because it’s easier to interact with the map in that orientation."

#2

Terrible Maps

Final score:

453points

POST

Aaron W 4 years ago

Dammit, I'm going to see this every time I look at a US map now. Thanks, Bored Panda.

142points

When it comes to the source, it's a two-fold element. "It allows the map maker to provide the map viewer an idea where the data the map is representing is from; a necessity in determining the accuracy of a map. It also allows the map maker a way to cite the source of their data, avoiding all those pesky cries of plagiarism and the ensuing lawsuits," Scheidecker explained. "You have better uses for your time, like ensuring the rest of the T.O.S.S.L.A.D. elements are on your maps."

Let's not forget the legend (the area where a user can determine what a particular color or symbol represents on the map). "Without a legend, a user cannot successfully interpret what your map is trying to represent, 'Does the red skull and crossbones over my favorite restaurant mean what I think it means?'"

#3

Terrible Maps

Final score:

447points

POST

SoozeeQ 4 years ago

Love the caption!

78points

You should also know when was the map that you're analyzing made. If it was created in 1962 and shows commuter levels in Chicago—it might not be such a valid source for the traffic data you are looking for today, unless you are feeling nostalgic, Scheidecker joked.

There you have it. You may now have become a cartographic genius, but you should be able to tell if you're looking at a terrible map or not!

#4

Terrible Maps

Final score:

364points

POST

Shelp 4 years ago

Wow, that's actually impressive

150points

#5

Terrible Maps

Final score:

360points

POST

Shelp 4 years ago

I love it!

72points

#6

Terrible Maps

Final score:

337points

POST

Aaron W 4 years ago

I guarantee no regular Fox viewer noticed that mistake.

214points

#7

Terrible Maps

Final score:

329points

POST

Kesam 4 years ago

USA: "Yes! Me!"

126points

#8

Terrible Maps

Final score:

293points

POST

Vic 4 years ago

You are forgetting Ursa major and Ursa minor..

205points

#9

Terrible Maps

Final score:

293points

POST

Christophe Beunens 4 years ago

I don't understand why Iceland is not green, but Spitsbergen is

61points

#10

Terrible Maps

Final score:

286points

POST

Ralph 4 years ago

Woohoo! Finally a map as it should be!

117points

#11

Terrible Maps

Final score:

283points

POST

Katrin P. 4 years ago

This map is so accurate. And I feel quite ashamed about this fact.

136points

#12

Terrible Maps

Final score:

272points

POST

Kesam 4 years ago

I'm an immigrant in "aesthetically tasteless" country and I totally agree! :D

49points

#13

Terrible Maps

Final score:

261points

POST

Kesam 4 years ago

I always knew Brazilians are brainy. (But wait, what does that make northwestern Canada??)

65points

#14

Terrible Maps

Final score:

257points

POST

Shelp 4 years ago

Belgium imports a lot of electricity from France. I wouldn't be surprised if this particular power plant mainly produced electricity for the Belgian market

88points

#15

Terrible Maps

Final score:

255points

POST

Cat Nip Gal 4 years ago

If this is true, its awesome

108points

#16

Terrible Maps

Final score:

249points

POST

Ryukei Panda 4 years ago

Haha I initially read hotdogs :D

88points

#17

Terrible Maps

Final score:

241points

POST

karla Meixnerová 4 years ago

No surprise, if the person with this opinion is a believer, that the Earth is flat...

185points

#18

Terrible Maps

Final score:

233points

POST

Electric Ed 4 years ago

That "typo" in Aren'tgentina just makes it funnier :)

75points

#19

Terrible Maps

Final score:

228points

POST

Ivo H 4 years ago

The line is the prefect part - Fries with ketchup Europe

85points

#20

Terrible Maps

Final score:

226points

POST

Vic 4 years ago

Me: Country roads.. take me Rome.. CR: Which one?

73points

#21

Terrible Maps

Final score:

224points

POST

Rabbit Carrot 4 years ago

Nah. We see a giant a*s bible for most of those middle states. Oh and guns. Lots and lots of guns.

216points

#22

Terrible Maps

Final score:

221points

POST

Sadie Shapiro 4 years ago

i don't even want to try saying that one. you know which one I'm talking about.

88points

#23

Terrible Maps

Final score:

216points

POST

Aaron W 4 years ago

OK whoever did that was just being a d**k.

141points

#24

Terrible Maps

Final score:

200points

POST

SanchaTheSeeker 4 years ago

Or maybe they only visit Melbourne, Sydney, Perth

44points

#25

Terrible Maps

Final score:

194points

POST

Shelp 4 years ago

How is that a terrible map??

132points

#26

Terrible Maps

Final score:

189points

POST

Shelp 4 years ago

That's not terrible, but really interesting!

96points

#27

Terrible Maps

Final score:

176points

POST

Ben Smith 4 years ago

Gold, silver, copper for those wondering

132points

#28

Terrible Maps

Final score:

167points

POST

Jayne Kyra 4 years ago (edited)

According to my dots in MS Paint over each: 132. Might be wrong, but I am not doing it again. EDIT: Did it again and Beto River is right, I missed 10 at some point. Thank you Beto!

111points

#29

Terrible Maps

Final score:

161points

POST

Oathbraker 4 years ago

I understand mistaking it with Iraq or Afghanistan, but how the f**k did they go to Africa and the Balkans? A couple are even in the UK, for crying out loud.

177points

#30

Terrible Maps

Final score:

141points

POST

Juririn 4 years ago

Um, where's Japan ?

104points

Continue reading with Bored Panda Premium

Unlimited content

Ad-free browsing

Dark mode

#31

Terrible Maps

Final score:

50points

POST

Stephen Lyford 4 years ago

How this isn't #1 amazes me.

20points

#32

Terrible Maps

Final score:

50points

POST

Rabbit Carrot 4 years ago

Sadly the U.K. after Brexit is now the direct to video sequel staring the likes of Tara Reed that nobody wants.

20points

#33

Terrible Maps

Final score:

49points

POST

Rabbit Carrot 4 years ago

Condimental shift. Clever.

38points

#34

Terrible Maps

Final score:

48points

POST

Laugh or not 4 years ago

I knew about Australia and the emu war, but not about China. I need to find the story.

17points

#35

Terrible Maps

Final score:

48points

POST

Andrew Gibb 4 years ago

Kevin Costner doesn't agree

24points

#36

Terrible Maps

Final score:

47points

POST

Aaron W 4 years ago

Bosnia: I can swim now? Croatia: sigh

40points

#37

Terrible Maps

Final score:

47points

POST

Purple light 4 years ago

In Dutch coma is spelled with a c instead of a k, so I don't really trust de rest of this map...

17points

#38

Terrible Maps

Final score:

45points

POST

BusLady 4 years ago

Cat food. I cracked up.

13points

#39

Terrible Maps

Final score:

44points

POST

Martti Laurson 4 years ago

That has changed after Baltic states also got Euro as our currency. But these are funny and still around

13points

#40

Terrible Maps

Final score:

43points

POST

$copper-fractions avatar$

Tiny Dynamine 4 years ago

Weird. It's as if the person is jealous of us having so many historical buildings and interesting places.

11points

#41

Terrible Maps

Final score:

39points

POST

Martti Laurson 4 years ago

And the length is?

11points

#42

Terrible Maps

Final score:

39points

POST

Pamela24 4 years ago

I used to represent Togo in the student's model of the UN and had heard this joke about ten times every day. Still funny, though.

19points

#43

Terrible Maps

Final score:

38points

POST

Idaaoyama 4 years ago

Poland: herbata

14points

#44

Terrible Maps

Final score:

38points

POST

Troux 4 years ago

If you're traveling with someone, you can invite them to see Hamilton, too!

13points

#45

Terrible Maps

Final score:

37points

POST

Tabitha L 4 years ago

Aesthetically pleasing? Yes. Sexy? No.

14points

#46

Terrible Maps

Final score:

37points

POST

Andrew Gibb 4 years ago

Not sure that the Welsh would want to stay with England

21points

#47

Terrible Maps

Final score:

37points

POST

Collin Edward 4 years ago

It is a map of a parallel dimension that we haven't yet discovered.

9points

#48

Terrible Maps

Final score:

35points

POST

David Kohn 4 years ago

i new it allie was playing with australia

5points

#49

Terrible Maps

Final score:

35points

POST

Martti Laurson 4 years ago

Took me a second but funny

10points

#50

Terrible Maps

Final score:

34points

POST

BusLady 4 years ago

I fall for these every time.

9points

#51

Terrible Maps

Final score:

31points

POST

Kesam 4 years ago

France is also the country with the most time zones in the world, even though the main part is all in one time zone.

20points

#52

Terrible Maps

Final score:

29points

POST

Jayne Kyra 4 years ago

My cat loves belly rubs and paw massages.

11points

#53

Terrible Maps

Final score:

29points

POST

$copper-fractions avatar$

Tiny Dynamine 4 years ago

If this map doesn't help you to find the nearest one, just walk down the street and there it is.

17points

#54

Terrible Maps

Final score:

29points

POST

chi-wei shen 4 years ago

In 60 million years it would be recognizable, but in 200 million years it's going to look really stupid.

11points

#55

Terrible Maps

Final score:

28points

POST

Fred and George Weasley 4 years ago

i get the joke. so, if yall need it explaining: sin/cos=tan (sin cos and tan are on most scientific calculators but idk what they do)

5points

#56

Terrible Maps

Final score:

28points

POST

Aaron W 4 years ago

Croatia: Shall we go to the beach? Bosnia: F*** YOU

31points

#57

Terrible Maps

Final score:

28points

POST

DE Ray 4 years ago

And the subtle genius of this? Mosquitoes are more attracted to people wearing darker clothing - most of the South (ignore Florida, we try to) has light colored jeans.

12points

#58

Terrible Maps

Final score:

27points

POST

SoozeeQ 4 years ago

Well, it didn't turn out to be an April Fool's joke, that's for sure.

0points

#59

Terrible Maps

Final score:

27points

POST

Dave P 4 years ago

At can also be the green is Liberal, the red is mixed, and the Yellow is GOP parts of Cali

6points

#60

Terrible Maps

Final score:

26points

POST

Shelp 4 years ago

No, because every country still exists, they just re-drew them with silly borders. Europeans, while conquering Africa, actually suppressed a lot of former states and protostates.

13points

#61

Terrible Maps

Final score:

26points

POST

Miss Cris 4 years ago

Is ir a panda bear?

4points

#62

Terrible Maps

Final score:

26points

POST

Steve Barnett 4 years ago

Think it's drawing attention to that sliver of Namibian land?

8points

#63

Terrible Maps

Final score:

24points

POST

Shelp 4 years ago

No, haha, definitely no

15points

#64

Terrible Maps

Final score:

24points

POST

Kesam 4 years ago

HAHA, I love this one! :D And well done, Equatorial Guinea, for providing some data for a change! ;)

7points

#65

Terrible Maps

Final score:

24points

POST

Nicola Roberts 4 years ago

Wow! No wonder it was down graded. How on earth did they ever see it?

10points

#66

Terrible Maps

Final score:

24points

POST

Steve Barnett 4 years ago

Is there like some Lizard-proof border there? Do lizards know when to stop going north?

10points

#67

Terrible Maps

Final score:

23points

POST

$copper-fractions avatar$

Tiny Dynamine 4 years ago

This is where I live! (Not in the harbour, but the city) I'm proud of us being the catalyst for this.

13points

#68

Terrible Maps

Final score:

23points

POST

What's In Your Head? 4 years ago

Nah, "Netherlands" should be "Amsterdam". XD

17points

#69

Terrible Maps

Final score:

23points

POST

Aahzmandus Pervect 4 years ago (edited)

Scarborough Reef is a country? It is a disputed territory with claims from The Philippines and China, and it has a population of exactly 0.

11points

#70

Terrible Maps

Final score:

23points

POST

MiniMaus 4 years ago

This is so funny. Years ago we did a small plane journey thru the US. I swear we hit a dozen or more Springfields.

3points

#71

Terrible Maps

Final score:

23points

POST

David Kohn 4 years ago

lol

3points

#72

Terrible Maps

Final score:

23points

POST

Gonzalo Terán 4 years ago

I know what you did there...

10points

#73

Terrible Maps

Final score:

23points

POST

$copper-fractions avatar$

Tiny Dynamine 4 years ago

The good old days when the country was made entirely from minced beef.

13points

#74

Terrible Maps

Final score:

23points

POST

Tabitha L 4 years ago

This took a lot of work.

6points

#75

Terrible Maps

Final score:

22points

POST

Val Izhakevich 4 years ago

Was it on Monday morning?

14points

#76

Terrible Maps

Final score:

21points

POST

Martha Meyer 4 years ago

Makes absolutely no sense. Southern Europe is often nowhere near the green zone in data such as economy, unemployment etc.

8points

#77

Terrible Maps

Final score:

21points

POST

Daria B 4 years ago

This would be funnier if they considered the languages spoken in each country. (Yep, not fun at parties ♡)

14points

#78

Terrible Maps

Final score:

21points

POST

JessG 4 years ago

This is really hard to read

8points

#79

Terrible Maps

Final score:

19points

POST

Laugh or not 4 years ago

Nooo, we (EU) want Scotland back. Anyone can have England and Wales, though.

2points

#80

Terrible Maps

Final score:

19points

POST

Katja Aakre Isbrekken 4 years ago

... I sincerely hope it's supposed to say "come to"... 😂

21points

#81

Terrible Maps

Final score:

18points

POST

Stimpy 4 years ago

The people of nice are not very nice...

8points

#82

Terrible Maps

Final score:

17points

POST

Fred and George Weasley 4 years ago

lol

3points

#83

Terrible Maps

Final score:

17points

POST

Angela 4 years ago

Ehhhhh don't tar Scotland with the same brush

10points

#84

Terrible Maps

Final score:

17points

POST

Jace 4 years ago

I love xkcd.

4points

#85

Terrible Maps

Final score:

17points

POST

ƒιѕн 4 years ago

Pretty safe bet I wont get attacked by a shark

9points

#86

Terrible Maps

Final score:

17points

POST

Leo Domitrix 4 years ago

So many of these look like regular phenomena experienced by someone with the worst hangover...

7points

#87

Terrible Maps

Final score:

17points

POST

Carlos Ferreira 4 years ago

Humans are an invasive species

4points

#88

Terrible Maps

Final score:

16points

POST

$copper-fractions avatar$

Tiny Dynamine 4 years ago

Did someone drop this map on the floor? France has broken off, Africa has acquired an extra bit on the west coast, America seems to have been eaten by the dog.

20points

#89

Terrible Maps

Final score:

16points

POST

Martha Meyer 4 years ago

I'm never again shaking the hand of a Dutch or Italian person.

9points

#90

Terrible Maps

Final score:

16points

POST

Cat Nip 4 years ago

i am hungry

11points

#91

Terrible Maps

Final score:

16points

POST

Sawdust 4 years ago

Makes me wonder who's the Oregon recipient...

7points

#92

Terrible Maps

Final score:

16points

POST

Jace 4 years ago

Like the USA. Depressing.

4points

#93

Terrible Maps

Final score:

16points

POST

Mark Wilson 4 years ago

This map is the definite article

12points

#94

Terrible Maps

Final score:

15points

POST

chi-wei shen 4 years ago

Someone absolutely does not like New Zealand.

8points

#95

Terrible Maps

Final score:

15points

POST

chi-wei shen 4 years ago

Jakub Marian makes a lot of good maps, but this one was posted a few years ago on April Fools' day.

4points

#96

Terrible Maps

Final score:

15points

POST

Shelp 4 years ago

I don't get it?

3points

#97

Terrible Maps

Final score:

15points

POST

Vic 4 years ago

Damn! I just wrote this about India, a few posts earlier, I should apply for a job at TerribleMaps :)

11points

#98

Terrible Maps

Final score:

15points

POST

Myrtille rat 4 years ago

yup spent 40 years in the right start and now being in the left one it often lead to a weird "dance" when I'm saying hello and even ended once with a stealthy one on the mouth... but hey corona has solved the issue

14points

#99

Terrible Maps

Final score:

14points

POST

Oathbraker 4 years ago

Two continents. I'm pretty sure South America was also pillaged. And don't put this on white people. War and slavery have been parts of humanity throughout history. Ignoble, terrible parts, but still parts.

24points

#100

Terrible Maps

Final score:

14points

POST

Gonzalo Terán 4 years ago

Now with new sh***y flavours

6points

#101

Terrible Maps

Final score:

14points

POST

$copper-fractions avatar$

Tiny Dynamine 4 years ago

It's a nightmare trying to get across Europe as you're always disturbing matches on the way.

7points

#102

Terrible Maps

Final score:

14points

POST

ƒιѕн 4 years ago

Let me explain... Look at the name, Colorado on each map.

12points

#103

Terrible Maps

Final score:

14points

POST

Andrew Gibb 4 years ago

I like the way the marker is brown- nice erm...touch

6points

#104

Terrible Maps

Final score:

14points

POST

Kaleo Hayase 4 years ago

There's a lot of Rossi. I counted at least 6

4points

#105

Terrible Maps

Final score:

14points

POST

Jace 4 years ago

The USA has been utterly complacent in this, yet no one else decided to take up the mission either...

0points

#106

Terrible Maps

Final score:

13points

POST

David Kohn 4 years ago

ok mom time to hug

1point

#107

Terrible Maps

Final score:

13points

POST

DE Ray 4 years ago

Possum pie isn't weird - it's like the bottom half of a cheesecake and the top half of a chocolate chiffon pie. We just call it that so nobody else wants it and we can keep it to ourselves.

17points

#108

Terrible Maps

Final score:

13points

POST

SoozeeQ 4 years ago

At least New Zealand made it onto this map!

7points

#109

Terrible Maps

Final score:

13points

POST

What's In Your Head? 4 years ago

So are we assuming that The Netherlands is gone by then? Cheerful...

3points

#110

Terrible Maps

Final score:

13points

POST

Rare Wubbox 4 years ago

*Roars in Brazafrican*

7points

#111

Terrible Maps

Final score:

12points

POST

ƒιѕн 4 years ago

Looks pretty accurate.

3points

#112

Terrible Maps

Final score:

12points

POST

Mangoes'nRum 4 years ago

I see New Zealand has been relieved of the pressure of existence,

10points

#113

Terrible Maps

Final score:

12points

POST

Vero Morales 4 years ago

well, its not wrong

6points

#114

Terrible Maps

Final score:

11points

POST

Shelp 4 years ago

I have to do some research on this

9points

#115

Terrible Maps

Final score:

11points

POST

chi-wei shen 4 years ago

What about Alaska and Hawaii? I don't want them to feel left out.

4points

#116

Terrible Maps

Final score:

10points

POST

Aragorn II Elessar 4 years ago

I’d think Washington State’s would be Amazon

3points

#117

Terrible Maps

Final score:

10points

POST

$copper-fractions avatar$

Tiny Dynamine 4 years ago

Ask an American to say 'squirrel'. You'll be laughing for the rest of the day.

10points

#118

Terrible Maps

Final score:

10points

POST

BusLady 4 years ago

New Zealand is just crumbs on this map.

2points

#119

Terrible Maps

Final score:

10points

POST

SoozeeQ 4 years ago

They forgot Antartica! Which is technically a continent, not a country, but they have a lot of penguins.

7points

#120

Terrible Maps

Final score:

9points

POST

Víctor Alfonso García Olmo 4 years ago

Se habla español, my friend

4points

#121

Terrible Maps

Final score:

9points

POST

Julie C Rose 4 years ago

I’m still not over the lazy, lazy research that brought us “mahoutokoro”. She literally just found out what the Japanese for “magic” and “place” was.

7points

#122

Terrible Maps

Final score:

9points

POST

Jack Candy 4 years ago

Turkey is kicking itself out of the candidate status.

1point

#123

Terrible Maps

Final score:

9points

POST

Gonzalo Terán 4 years ago

Ninth way: You CAN read the charts: 0% - You CAN´T read the charts: 100%

14points

#124

Terrible Maps

Final score:

8points

POST

Andrew Gibb 4 years ago

not very ap peeling

13points

#125

Terrible Maps

Final score:

8points

POST

Vincent Bevort 4 years ago

Yes, the USA is bigger than North America :P

25points

#126

Terrible Maps

Final score:

8points

POST

#127

Terrible Maps

Final score:

7points

POST

Shelp 4 years ago

?

5points

#128

Terrible Maps

Final score:

7points

POST

Tabitha L 4 years ago

Funny. But could be a bit more nuanced. North East - Iggy Soda. South East - Iggy Coke. Mid West - Iggy Pop. Louisiana - Iggy Soft Drink (or Iggy Coke).

3points