Cool Maps!

 
SSSMOKIN! The Global Tobacco Trade
http://www.princeton.edu/~ina/images/infographics/smoking_big.jpg

This map delineates the trade markets that cigarettes run through. It provides the viewer with a bird's eye view of how such a controversial product is cycled throughout the world. One can see that many smaller nations are used as transit hubs, while larger ones are the distributers to poorer nations, smuggling the cigarettes to avoid high taxes and tariffs. It also shows that some countries, such as Russia, have moved to online sales, and that many traces of cigarette distribution has disappeared. Due to recent crackdowns on cigarette sales and raises in tariffs, these corporations have moved to the black market to distribute their goods. The smokey trails of smuggling create a vast web of underground sales that are very difficult to engage despite the eminent danger of the product. I think this map is interesting because of its incorporation of relative tangents. It breakdown the percentages of transportation devices used, outlines the dangerous aspects of cigarettes and even provides some interesting facts about the industry. By integrating these things on an easy to read and interesting communication display, I believe the "Global Tobacco Trade" makes an effective and helpful use of mapping. 

 

Who's Your City?: "The Singles Map" by Richard Florida

http://www.creativeclass.com/_v3/whos_your_city/maps/FIG_13.1_The_Singles_Map.gif

"The Singles Map" shows the distribution of single men and women throughout the country. The larger circles represent a greater quantity of single individuals in that given area and the smaller ones represent fewer numbers. Most of the numbers are split between the east and west coast, with few data sets provided from the Midwest and scattered results in the South and North. I think this map is interesting because it shows a distinct disparity between singles on the east and west coasts. There is a significantly higher number of single males on the west coast, and an even greater number of single females on the east coast. Unfortunately, the map does explain why there is this disparity, but it does provide the reader with a general view of the distribution of single individuals throughout the country. It also is interesting how the larger number of singles are clumped in the major cities, such as New York,  Los Angeles, Denver, Austin, Las Vegas, Memphis and Miami. When looking at more rural areas or in the midwest, the map does not show any single people.  

"The Magic Bean Shop" and "The Fries that Bind Us" by Flaming Toast Productions

http://www.princeton.edu/~ina/images/infographics/starbucks.jpg

This Princeton-based research studies the amount and location of Starbucks Stores and McDonald's Restaurants throughout the world. It shows that the main concentration of stores for both companies are in the United States. Starbuck's second distributing location is China and other parts of Asia, while McDonald's has a large number of restaurant in Europe. Being an older company, McDonald's has spread itself to South America, Australia and even South Africa as well, whereas Starbucks is mainly split between the United States, Europe and Asia. An interesting aspect of the map is the resource arrows provided for Starbucks. Much of the coffee beans comes from places in which there are no Starbucks stores, such as Central and South America, and Africa. They receive their paper for cups mostly from Norway, Sweden and Finland where no stores are located either. Lastly, they only get their sugar from two tiny locations off the coast of Australia and in Brazil, also areas in which no stores are to be found. This map also shows the stature of McDonald's over other fast food chains despite its dwindling reputation in the United States. It receives almost four times more revenue then its next leading competitor, Burger King. Most of this revenue is made from locations across the world, not in the United States.