CuriositiesJAN 30, 2025

30 Maps To Expand Your Knowledge Of The World With Random Facts (New Pics)

Evelina Šiukšterytė, Robyn Smith and Viktorija Ošikaitė

Depending on how old you are, you might remember having to pull out a paper map to find your way around a place. Back then, we didn’t have Siri or GPS. We were forced to put on our thinking caps and navigate the world in a slightly more complex way. Or risk getting completely lost. In today’s digital world, more than a billion people use Google Maps every month, but that doesn’t mean physical maps are a thing of the past.

Maps aren’t only used for navigation after all, as this online group proves. It has more than 5.3 million members sharing fascinating maps detailing everything under the sun. From the most overworked countries in the world, to a visual representation of all the lighthouses in France, and even places where cheek-kissing is a common greeting.

We've picked the most intriguing posts from the page, to take you on a journey fit for the most curious of cartophiles. And on the subject of cartophiles, Bored Panda was lucky enough to chat to Ian Wright. He's a map guru and founder of Brilliant Maps, a popular cartography site. You'll find that interview between the images. And as a bonus, we've also included the fascinating story about a fake town that once appeared on a map, suddenly became real, then vanished again.

#21 Every Dot Is A Football (Soccer) Pitch

European map highlighting urban areas in red, displaying diverse geographical features.

katxwoods

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"Agloe" wouldn't be the only phantom place to appear on Google Maps. In 2009, a place called Argleton attracted camera crews and made headlines. But when reporters visited the "village" near Ormskirk, Lancashire, all they found was... nothing much but a muddy field.

#22 Luxembourg Compared To Other Countries

Map overlay comparing sizes of countries like Malta and Singapore, visualizing geographic insights not in textbooks.

MatsGry

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#23 Where Cheek Kissing Is A Common Greeting

Map showing countries where cheek kissing is a common greeting, highlighting areas not typically in geography textbooks.

rayg10

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#24 Countries ‘Colonized’ By Europe

Map showing countries colonized by Europe, partially controlled, and never colonized in different shades.

Big_Abrocoma496

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"I grew up in the area and spotted on the map one day that it said 'Argleton'. But it's just a farmer's field close to the village hall and playing fields. I think a footpath goes across the field, but that's all," said Mike Nolan, the man who originally spotted the village on Google Maps. "The name 'Argleton' is similar to 'Aughton'. Maybe someone made a mistake when keying in the name?"

Maybe. Or maybe Argleton, like Agloe, is simply a paper town in a digital world where people love a good mystery.