Three Maps I find interesting from the internet

For this assignment I will be displaying three maps I found online.




This map displays all of the biomes around the globe. The different colors represent a different biome, such as boreal forest or temperate grasslands. I find this interesting because this is something I have learned about in some of my classes in the past, making it a topic I enjoy learning about. The importance of knowing this information, and having it displayed in a way such as this, lies in the ability to compare climactic factors with other factors, such as where agriculture is, where cities are, or where the developing countries are. Patterns may be noticed that would otherwise be missed, such as what countries are in power verse what countries are in the tropical areas.

Source: The World's Largest Map Store, Terrestrial Biomes, http://media.maps.com/magellan/Images/worldveg.gif 10:45am, October 1, 2010.




This next map reveals the break up of religions around the globe. Each color represents a different religion and places it in a geographical context. The data for this is taken from the percentage of the global population in 2002. Trends emerge when looking at this map that can be used to explain global conflict and other related issues. You can compare religions to everything from what countries constitute the European Union, what countries trade, what countries are in conflict, etc.

Source: World Religion Map - Map of world religions in 2002, http://www.mapsorama.com/map-of-world-religions/ 3:23pm, October 4, 2010.



This last map was used in one of classes (it was not exactly the same, but it was the same idea and layout) and I thought it would be a good example for this assignment. It maps the movement of early humans from their origins in Africa throughout the rest of the world. The map includes several notations and arrows, as well as a date timeline, to display as well as explain this migration of modern humans. The first thing I noticed about this map was it's orientation: Africa is on the left rather than at the center like the majority of the maps we encounter. It is almost unrecognizable and seems incorrect, but there really is nothing less correct about this orientation. It makes much more sense, having Africa be on the left showing the forward (displayed as movement to the right) progression of modern humans (which also mirrors the way we read text). The other thing I find interesting about this map is to compare this with the extinction of mega fauna around the globe.

Source: BLDG BLOG, By Indirections, Find Directions Out: The Migrartion of Anatomically Modern Humans, http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2328/2397202163_d5d8018627_o.jpg, 6:41pm, October 5, 2010.