We can’t stop feasting our eyes on gorgeous and interesting maps, and we know that some of you Pandas can’t either. That’s why we’ve put together another list of the coolest content to come from this subreddit that has a dedicated community of nearly 1.4 million fans.

And while we can’t mention the full name of the subreddit (the internet’s gotten a lot stricter in recent years when it comes to certain words! Gosh darn you, internet censorship!), we can tell you all about the project that was started up way back in 2011 by map lover Patrick McGranaghan. What started out as a labor of love has since grown into a dedicated niche for map geeks the world over.

Patrick, the founder of the subreddit dedicated to maps told Bored Panda about how we can improve our spatial awareness and navigational skills. “The older I get, the more I realize that spatial awareness just comes naturally to some people, and for others, it’s a struggle,” he said, highlighting that practice and repetition are key to honing this skill.

However, just like spell check can make our grammar skills go numb, so can GPS and easily accessible digital maps harm our ability to orient ourselves. “In a way, reliance on Google Maps has made us dumber. We let the navigation app do all the work for us and don’t engage with making the decisions,” Patrick said. Be sure to read on for the rest of our latest interview with the subreddit’s founder, Patrick, below.

In the mood for some more amazing maps? We know you are! When you’re done upvoting your fave maps in this list, check out Bored Panda’s previous posts about the cartography-loving community here, here, and here.

More info: Reddit | Twitter | Tumblr

#1 Europe In The Style Of Super Mario

Image credits: vladgrinch

#2 In Which State You Can Find The Highest Percentage Of People With Ancestry From Every European Country?

Image credits: ceskemapy

#3 The Iberian Peninsula At Night By Nasa

Image credits: Homesanto

“If you live in a place with a tall hill or some viewpoint, go up there some time and look around. Try to identify as many landmarks as you can. Notice where they are in relation to each other. Look for new landmarks that you’ve never noticed before and keep them in mind as you navigate your home town. If there are rivers or other features that cause chokepoints on bridges or highways, memorize all the bridges and where they go. In this way, you’ll know the layout of your city and how to get around,” Patrick gave us some awesome and practical advice on how to improve our navigation skills.

#4 Oldest Still Open Universities In Europe (The Word University Is Omitted On The Map)

Image credits: efisha

#5 Language Map Of China

Image credits: marofendre

#6 A Japanese Map Of European Stereotypes, 1932

Image credits: AnonAf21

Bored Panda also had a chat with Patrick about the current Covid-19 situation worldwide. Vaccines are being rolled out, plenty of map-lovers would love to visit the places they’ve been staring at on their maps for a long time, but is it safe to travel yet? Patrick was very upfront that you have to trust your local medical and scientific experts in these matters.

“I think we all have to take precautions, get vaccinated, and avoid risky behaviors. That said, I think we need to remember that we’re fighting to eradicate this disease and get back to a normal state of affairs. I really miss the freedom of travel. We’re losing years of potential happiness to the lockdowns and at some point, we need to open up. Those are issues above my pay grade though and I hope it’s sooner rather than later,” he shared his take on the current climate.

#7 Number Of Turists Per Capita Of Every European Country

Image credits: LEWKIK

#8 World Map Mural

Image credits: eveildancer

#9 World Map Resized According To Population

Image credits: fasterthanksi

There are plenty of people out there who feel like everything’s been mapped and Patrick’s heard this response plenty of times when he’s told then that he’s a land surveyor and that he makes maps for a living. “People say, ‘Hasn’t everything been mapped?’ The world is constantly changing and accurate spatial data is a fleeting thing. Google Maps certainly gives the impression that everything is mapped, but there is selection and generalization in their data,” Patrick pointed out that there’s a constant need to map and remap the world.

“Infrastructure is a key thing that we all rely on and don’t realize it. The electricity to turn on your lights, the fiber that carries this message, the water that you drink. All those things are traveling to you above and below ground. Construction is constantly happening along this route. Knowing where to safely build is critical.”

He continued: “There are other themes that have spatial data too. Municipalities pass zoning and other restrictions all the time. Cities like London have an umbrella of rules about the preservation of old buildings, view-lines, noise nuisances, and other regulations. Making accurate maps is a constant struggle that is going to stay with us for a long time. As more things get built, knowing where these are located is important. Maintain the world’s databases of spatial information is the task of the modern map-maker.”

#10 Most Popular Lastnames In Europe

Image credits: vitor350z

#11 Map Of Most Photographed Places In The World

Image credits: the-70s-kid

#12 When Did Interracial Marriage Become Legal In Each U.s State?

Image credits: BLAZENIOSZ

During my previous chat with the founder of the subreddit, Patrick, he told me all about what sparked his passion for maps and how amateur cartographers can learn to create better maps. For Patrick, his love of maps started very early on in his life, all thanks to his father.

“I developed my passion for maps very early. My family traveled and moved around a lot. My dad taught me how to read maps and I would help him navigate. I used to flip through our Rand McNally atlas to pass hours traveling across the countryside,” he shared earlier with Bored Panda.

#13 Abstract World Map

Image credits: CHWDP_2137

#14 Brazil Had Straight Borders In 1534

Image credits: TheOther36

#15 Interconnected Power Grids

Image credits: Grillos

“Maps are invitations to explore and visit new places. They give security in the knowledge that there’s a way to get to your destination. If all else fails, a map will be your guide,” Patrick opened up about the romantic side of his passion for all things related to cartography.

#16 Average Elevation Above Sea Level Of European Countries

Image credits: casburism

#17 Terminology Of The British And Irish Isles

Image credits: phantom_1c3man

#18 Countries That Recognises The Uyghur Genocide As Of February 26, 2021

Image credits: Blulien

He actually came up with the idea to start the subreddit way back in 2011. At the time, he was living in a small flat in Taipei, in Taiwan. “I knew that I had a good idea and it felt almost electric. Like a fork in the road and your destiny is changing. When I moved back to the states I was able to find a career making maps (as a land surveyor) and I am grateful every day that I can do something that I love,” he shared how his excitement for the project grew from a single powerful idea that simply captivated him.

#19 People Employed In Science And Technology In Europe

Image credits: betoelpro

#20 The Roman Empire vs. The Mongol Empire At Their Peaks

Image credits: vladgrinch

#21 Hand-Drawn Map Of The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth In 1618, By Me

Image credits: Pochel

Patrick was very friendly in sharing some tips and tricks on how we can all make our maps look better. For instance, he drew attention to the fact that plenty of amateurs have great ideas, are overflowing with creativity, but their execution needs a bit of work. That way, the maps can end up looking gorgeous and less “hasty and skeletal.”

“It is not that they are bad, it’s just that they don’t know that they can make their maps so much better. I’m talking about things like fonts and information boxes, detail and vicinity maps, adding gradients to water features, thoughtful color choices, shadows behind place markers. The subtleties are what make maps exquisite,” the founder of the subreddit explained.

#22 My Great Grandpa Drew This Map Of Africa In The 1910’s

Image credits: zherper

#23 Place Names That Contain The Word ‘Peak’, ‘Mountain’, ‘Ridge’, ‘Plain’ And ‘Field’ In The United States

Image credits: AJgloe

#24 An Artists’ Impression Of The Roman Port City Of Londinium, Established Between 47-50 Ad

Image credits: last_goodbye1

“The best way to learn how to do these things is to look at lots of maps and see how other cartographers solve these problems. Imitate the masters. Read a few books on cartography and design. Some of the books that influenced me are ‘Info We Trust’ by RJ Andrews, ‘Cartography’ by Kenneth Field, and ‘Things Maps Don’t Tell Us’ by Armin Lobeck. If you can integrate the ideas in these books you’ll be a league above the average amateur cartographer.”

Earlier, Patrick shared that he plans to start traveling again once the Covid-19 pandemic dies down a bit. On his bucket list is a trip to the Baltics, specifically, to the Soviet map store in Latvia.

#25 Some Alternate Maps Of Down Under

Image credits: UggBootPimpJuice

#26 How Many People In The Eu Use Bicycles As Their Main Mode Of Transport?

Image credits: efisha

#27 Map Of What Would Become Paris In 508

Image credits: 7LeagueBoots

Meanwhile, keep an eye out for the subreddit’s upcoming 10th birthday. The community will be celebrating the anniversary on its founding day, May 21. We can’t wait for the big day!

Be sure to give the subreddit a follow to stay up to date with the community’s latest posts, dear Pandas. And we also can’t wait to hear which of the maps featured here were your favorite and why. Got any amateur maps to share with us? Post them in the comment section for everyone else to see.

#28 Ottoman Empire 1587 – Murad III (Labeled)

Image credits: MidEastOfficial

#29 Percentage Of People Living In Apartments In Europe

Image credits: UNC-Patriot

#30 Current Phone Codes Of The World

Image credits: katelnitsky

#31 Isochronic Map Of Travel Times Between Paris And The Main Cities Of France In 1700s (Map Made In 1898)

Image credits: Petrarch1603

#32 Population Density Of The Northeast Megalopolis, Home To 56 Million People

Image credits: cheeseface35

#33 A Map Of All Of The World’s Roads

Image credits: RossBoss31

#34 La Plata.. Buenas Aires.. Argentina

Image credits: mitozzzzzz

#35 Map Of European Heads Of States (Presidents, Kings, Ect.) In January 1930, This Time Also Including Governors Of Colonies. Yes, King Michael Of Romania Was Only 9 At This Point

Image credits: stanthefax

#36 United States Elevation Map

Image credits: blntdfam

#37 Gender In European Languages

Image credits: northbynortheast31

#38 How Europe Is Classified By United Nations

Image credits: Arthur_Sebastian_703

#39 Average Temperature By Countries

Image credits: Saptadvipamaps

#40 Animals Of The World Map

Image credits: ShapeShiftingCats

#41 Un Member Country That Does Not Recognise China

Image credits: Indic_historie

#42 Nobody Lives Here – Norway: Green Blocks Of 25km2 Where Nobody Lives

Image credits: eauctomisho

#43 Most Common Car Brand In Each County In Europe

Image credits: Soapy_boi123

#44 An Example Of World Exploration By Non-Europeans

Image credits: Norcan987

#45 Since You All Liked My Great Grandpa’s Drawing Of Africa At Age 12, Here’s One He Did Of Asia (Ca. 1910’s)

Image credits: zherper

#46 Geological Map Of North America

Image credits: czn9001

#47 Huge Scale Model Of The Port Of Montreal At The Port Hq

Image credits: Bri-guy15

#48 Literacy Rate By Age Group Map

Image credits: Mousa_m3

#49 Map Of The World’s Subdivisions That Satisfies The Four Color Theorem

Image credits: DarkerThanAzure

#50 Ancient Lakes Of The Sahara

Image credits: ZOODUDE100

#51 The United States Redrawn As Fifty States With Equal Population, 2010 Census

Image credits: zver139

#52 Writing Direction By Countries

Image credits: mccheerr

#53 The World Split Into 10,000 Equally Populated Regions

Image credits: Machetegun

#54 Central Amsterdam In 3D, With Buildings Coloured By Age

Image credits: Litvi

#55 1815 United States And Mexico

Image credits: YeastCartography

#56 The British Empire At It’s Territorial Peak

Image credits: freddyfredric

#57 Light Pollution In North Korea vs. South Korea

Image credits: cabousetery

#58 Birthplaces Of The 100 Fastest 1500m Runners Of All Time

Image credits: animbicile

#59 Second Largest Ethnicity In Each European Country

Image credits: Polaroid1999

#60 The Longest Distance You Can Travel Between Two Points In Straight Line Without Crossing Any Ocean Or Any Major Water Bodies

Image credits: rmuradov

#61 Capitol Riot: Which States Have Made The Most Arrests?

Image credits: tomydenger

#62 Japanese Pictorial Map Of The World From 1933

Image credits: theonlynek

#63 Religion Map Of Germany

Image credits: Saptadvipamaps

#64 Map Of Traditional Naming Conventions In Eurasia

Image credits: DrudenSoap

#65 Parliament Seating Arrangements

Image credits: pastelitooo

#66 Every Roman Settlement, And Nothing Else

Image credits: ImUsingDaForce

#67 If You Connect The Easternmost Point With The Westernmost Point And The Northernmost With The Southernmost In Czechia, Prague Lies Almost Perfectly At The Intersection

Image credits: Aglaz

#68 Mexico City Engulfing Lake Texcoco , From 16th Century To 2000

Image credits: hconfiance

#69 Map Of Regional Rug Patterns Of Iran

Image credits: knownothingwiseguy

#70 Maps Of The Netherlands Between The 1st Century Ad (Left) And 10th Century Ad (Right) Showing The Effect Of The Constantly Sinking Coastline

Image credits: sylvyrfyre

#71 Oklahoma Man Hole Covers Have A City Map On, With A Blue Dot To Show Where You Are

Image credits: CatherineCortez

#72 Oldest Companies Around The World That Are Still In Business

Image credits: PapaJoke64

#73 Annual Tea Consumption

Image credits: jestorhastaken

#74 Here’s A Hand-Drawn Map Of The Byzantine Empire I Made A Few Years Ago

Image credits: Pochel

#75 Here I Present To You The Worst Map Projection Ever: The Hotine Oblique Projection

Image credits: Pablo_BW

#76 Motorway Deaths Per Billion Vehicle Kilometers, 2018

Image credits: Proxima55

#77 Relief Map Of India

Image credits: cabousetery

#78 The Pacific ‘Ring Of Fire’

Image credits: oglach

#79 Distribution Of Jewish Americans In 2020

Image credits: AAAbbasi786

#80 Satelitte Map Of The Island From The TV Show “Lost”

Image credits: Choekaas

#81 Iceland In The Style Of Super Mario World

Image credits: tuafeconf

#82 A Map Of Google Street View Accessibility Across Europe

Image credits: Wlaths

#83 Suicide Rate Per 100,000 People

Image credits: GeographyView

#84 ‘March’ In European Languages

Image credits: vladgrinch

#85 Road Distances Order In Europe

Image credits: ReinerBraunIsADILF

#86 Mediterranean Sea Overlaid Onto The Us

Image credits: primeBrahe92

#87 All Men’s Olympic Gold Medal Winners Since 2000 In Water-Polo Were Born In This Area

Image credits: uscrewed38

#88 Malta vs. Iceland

Image credits: loliplip

#89 In A Straight Line You Can Go From Belguim To France 11 Times

Image credits: Percentagon

#90 Tour De France Without Leaving Paris

Image credits: Petrarch1603

#91 Singapore vs. Mongolia

Image credits: Cautious_Door2670

#92 Newer Italian Id Cards Have A Tiny Holographic Relief Map Of Italy

Image credits: Dedekind19

#93 Where Each State’s Largest Immigrant Population Was Born, 2010 vs. 1910

Image credits: redditmanagement_

#94 Europe In 1914, Just Before Ww1 Began

Image credits: opxise5

#95 A French Map Showing Europe Compared To The Colonies Of Portugal

Image credits: Tauralandia

#96 The Name For ‘Germany’ In European Languages

Image credits: CamR203

#97 The Solar Systems Solid Surfaces Stitched Together

Image credits: therocketflyer

#98 The Strait Of Gibraltar (Stylized Multispectral Imagery)

Image credits: eastofnowhereco

#99 Leading Import Source Of Africa

Image credits: mapsgrey

#100 Countries That Dont Recognize Croatia

Image credits: neueszukunft00

#101 41-State Mexico (If It Recovers Its Former Territories)

Image credits: Cautious_Door2670

#102 The Island Of Sardinia As Seen From The International Space Station

Image credits: MXN006

#103 If 100 People Lived In The UK, Where Would They Live?

Image credits: NationalFront_Disco

#104 Fasting Hours For Muslims During The Month Of Ramadan

Image credits: freshlaundrysniffer

#105 Made A Shaded Relief Map Of Italy

Image credits: visualgeomatics

#106 Floor Plan Of The World – Room Size According To Population

Image credits: frankenhip

#107 If 100 People Lived In The Arab League, Where Would They Live?

Image credits: NationalFront_Disco

#108 1000 Years Of National Borders In Europe, Overlaid On One Map

Image credits: Arthur_Sebastian_703

#109 If 100 People Lived In The Eu, Where Would They Live?

Image credits: NationalFront_Disco

#110 % Of Households Who Paid A Bribe When Accessing Basic Services – Transparency International

Image credits: avp1982

#111 Syrian Civil War Map, February 2021

Image credits: KhitanMaps

#112 The Topography Of Sweden

Image credits: boytutoy

#113 The Topography Of Bangladesh

Image credits: boytutoy

#114 The Republic Of Texas, A Real Country That Lasted 10 Years

Image credits: cheeseface35

#115 What Countries In The Americas Call Their Main First-Level Subdivisions

Image credits: RoyalFlushAKQJ10

#116 West German School Map Of The Soviet Union (1961)

Image credits: adawkin

#117 The Topography Of Kyrgyzstan

Image credits: boytutoy

#118 What Would Happen If The Mouth Of The Congo River Were Dammed

Image credits: kernals12

#119 Actual Eez vs. Turkish Style Eez — Case Study: If Applied The Turkish Logic, The Eez (Exclusive Economic Zone) Of The USA Would Include Large Areas Of The Pacific Ocean, Contrary To International Law

Image credits: craoft

#120 Morocco And The South Of Iberian Peninsula By Nasa

Image credits: Aelhas

#121 Average Flag Color By Latitude

Image credits: ParadoxicalCabbage

#122 Most Googled Countries By Us State (Except The Us Itself)

Image credits: GergoliShellos

#123 The Trade Routes Between China, India And Rome Around Year 100

Image credits: SteO153

#124 Countries With The Highest Percentage Of Their Total Population Over The Age Of 100

Image credits: Nordisali

#125 The Italy Referendum On Becoming A Republic Versus A Monarchy

Image credits: fmwb

#126 I Tracked Almost Every Day At My Home Ski Resort The Past Couple Years

Image credits: dcfam

#127 Places Where Johnny Cash Went In The Song “I’ve Been Everywhere”

Image credits: keith2301

#128 No Statistics, Just Coffee!

Image credits: inktrips

#129 Someone Joked That Instead Of Google Earth I Should Make Doodle Earth. I Liked The Idea So I Gave It A Shot

Image credits: tfoust10

#130 Most Common Destination Of Emigrants In Europe

Image credits: atlasmapper

#131 A World Map Centered On Argentina

Image credits: CDS_Virtual_Effects

#132 If You Draw “Straight” Lines Between The Northern And Southern Most Points In The Contiguous Us Along With The Eastern And Western Most Points The Two Lines Never Intersect

Image credits: DarkerThanAzure

#133 The Bay Area, California (Stylized Multispectral Imagery)

Image credits: eastofnowhereco

#134 Early Islamic Expansion

Image credits: omar_hafez1508

#135 2020 European Union Flag Map

Image credits: Arthur_Sebastian_703

#136 What Canadians Call A Sweater With A Hood

Image credits: Pissmitts

#137 The Cyprus Dispute

Image credits: Eltirneyt_78

#138 High Resolution Satellite Map Of Tunisia

Image credits: Ogso06

#139 The Majority Of State Names Have Native American Origins

Image credits: FromThePeopleCo

#140 9 Ways To Divide Kazakhstan

Image credits: ShadowZ100

#141 Map Of Italy In The Style Of Mario World

Image credits: vladgrinch

#142 Earth In 250 Million Years With Current Borders

Image credits: dr_razi

#143 European Countries By Most Produced Agricultural Product By Value

Image credits: visvis

#144 What Do You Call The Night Before Halloween?

Image credits: Coldlymelt

#145 North America In 1830

Image credits: DrunkPropagandist

#146 A Map Of My Family’s Escape Route From Crimean Tatar Genocide And Where They Lived

Image credits: flataleks

#147 The 2021 USPS Delivery Regions

Image credits: IcallOutTheBS

#148 Someone Told Me To Post My Cross Stitched Map Here

Image credits: TheDoltio

#149 USA Shaded Relief Map

Image credits: czn9001

#150 I Drove Across The USA Visiting A Sawmill In Every State And Made A Map Of Local Woods!

Image credits: Physical-Order

#151 I Made A Minimalist Map Of USA Based On The Colors Of Google Satellite Images

Image credits: bergluna

#152 American Territorial Acquisitions Sorted By President

Image credits: Motherdragon64

#153 Mapping The Winter Storm’s Impact: Nytimes

Image credits: rosswi88

#154 The Flags Of Every U.S. State Made Out Of Their County Lines

Image credits: Orthodoxghee966

#155 Braille Map Of Southern Us

Image credits: tomydenger

#156 I Intend To Draw All States And Regions With One Line And I Recently Finished South Carolina

Image credits: tfoust10

#157 Topography Of Texas

Image credits: IPetFatTurkeys

#158 Where Fictional Characters Are From In The U.S.

Image credits: World-Tight

#159 My Covid Project: Travel As Many Roads As I Can In Minnesota

Image credits: sod_dos

#160 Purchased Territories Of The United States

Image credits: pastelitooo

#161 Value Of Private Land In The Contiguous United States

Image credits: KenFyr

Source: boredpanda.com