Visualizing World Data
Some of the more mathematically-inclined among us have the ability look at large quantities of raw data and see relationships, trends and patterns. I’m not one of those. For me, visualizing requires something, well, visual: a chart, a diagram, a map.
Enter the folks at worldmapper.org. Using cartograms, or density-equalizing maps, they’ve created a set of fascinating images in which geographical regions are resized to represent the data being examined.
Worldmapper allows you to browse their nearly 600 maps by category, A-Z index, or thumbnail views. All images are available in high-resolution and many are provided as PDF posters for printing. Technical notes, underlying data and sources are also available.
The map above shows distribution of the world’s estimated population in 2000. Below are a few personal favorites — but with over 600 maps in more than 30 categories, you’ll be sure to find your own. (Click a map to view an enlarged version.)
Ecological Footprint
The ecological footprint is a measure of the area needed to support a population’s lifestyle. This includes the consumption of food, fuel, wood, and fibres. Pollution, such as carbon dioxide emissions, is also counted as part of the footprint.
The United States, China and India have the largest ecological footprints. Without knowing population size we cannot understand what this means about individuals’ ecological demands. Large populations live in China and India. In both territories resource use is below the world average. The per person footprint in the United States is almost five times the world average, and almost ten times what would be sustainable.
Territory size shows the proportion of the worldwide ecological footprint which is made there.
Forest Growth, 1990-2000
The territory with the most forest expansion between 1990 and 2000 was China, which gained 181 000 km2 over the ten year period. China is also the territory with the largest population living there. The forest growth in the United States was the second largest increase, but this was only a fraction of the increase in China, at 39 000 km2.
Unsurprisingly the most absolute forest growth has occurred in the large territories mentioned above. However the biggest increases in forest as a percentage of land area were in smaller territories such as Cape Verde, Liechtenstein and Portugal.
Worldwide there is net forest loss.
Territory size shows the proportion of worldwide net forest growth that occurred there between 1990 and 2000.
Forest Loss, 1990-2000
If the net forest loss of all territories between 1990 and 2000 is summed, 31% occurred in South America, and 21% was in Asia Pacific. Worldwide, territories with net forest loss lost 1.33 million km2 of forest over this ten year period. Despite this, South America was the region with the largest forested area in the world in 2000. The more forest area there is, the more it is possible to lose.
Japan is unexceptional, having neither forest loss nor forest growth from 1990 to 2000.
The area of Africa covered by forest was reduced by 550 000 km2 in the 1990s. This includes the loss of forests that covered 11.4% of Zambian land.
Territory size shows the proportion of worldwide net forest loss that occurred there between 1990 and 2000.
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