worldmapper

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Where the lava flows: Volcano update from Iceland

On 19. March 2021 a volcanic eruption started in the Geldingadalur valley at the Fagradalsfjall mountain on the Reykjanes peninsula, South-West Iceland. The volcano is situated approximately 30 km from the country’s capital city, Reykjavík. The eruption is ongoing and the landscape in the valley and its surrounding area is constantly changing as a result (see map below). This photograph was taken…

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According to the UK Office for National Statistics, "there were 90,232 deaths occurring in England and Wales that were registered by 18 April; 20,283 of these deaths involved the coronavirus (COVID-19).

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The 2019 UK General Election

If the 2016 vote for Brexit was described as a political earthquake in the United Kingdom, then the 2019 General Election is the equivalent to the tsunami that followed this seismic event and swept over some of the deepest Labour heartlands in England. Political commentators spoke of a demolishment of the Labour party’s ‘red wall’ as the results came in (although the ‘wall’ that may have once…

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Smoke and mirrors: Smoking Prevalence and Tobacco Advertising Policies Cigarette smoking and other uses of tobacco are major contributors to preventable illness and death. A…

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Inequalities of Gender: Education, work, and politics

This contribution for Political Insight(June 2019, Volume 10, Issue 2) maps gender inequality around the world and argues that the political sphere is often the most resistant to change. Unequal treatment based on gender is deeply embedded in many countries. Gender studies emerged as an important part of academic research in the 1980s. The issue of gender inequality also emerged on the global…

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Bees in trouble? Honeybee Shortages in Europe Recent research shows that increasing shortages in honeybees threaten pollination of crops in Europe. Although according to a study…

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Earth Overshoot Day: Humanity’s Footprints This year July, 29th is Earth Overshoot Day: "Earth Overshoot Day marks the date when humanity’s demand for ecological resources (fish and forests, for instance) and services in a given year exceeds what Earth can regenerate in that year.

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Trading with the Commonwealth: A future perspective for the UK?

Commentators have suggested that the Commonwealth could become more important for UK trade after Brexit. This article for Political Insight (June 2018, Volume 9, Issue 2) maps the current state of British-Commonwealth trade and finds a more mixed picture of UK-Commonwealth trade relations. (more…)

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A Year Of Maps 2018 has seen the new Worldmapper come to light, which is also why this blog has become a bit more quiet in recent months.

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The Diamond Dimensions

Due to its distinct geologic conditions for their formations, the occurrence of diamonds is confined to around 35 countries in the world. While countries such as Australia, India, or Canada focus more on mining industrial diamonds, African countries such as Botswana and South Africa are better known for their production of gem diamonds. Diamond mining activities in many African countries are…

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Gender Inequality in the European Union How are the EU member nations faring in the fight for gender equality? It is a complex task to measure the progress that has been made in achieving equal gender rights.

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Language Diversity

There are approximately 7,000 languages believed to be spoken around the world. Despite this diversity, the majority of the world’s population speaks only a fraction of these languages. The three largest language groups (Mandarin, Spanish, and English) are spoken by more than 1.5 billion people. Other estimates state that 2/3 of the world’s population share only 12 languages. But it is the…

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Waldo Tobler: Remembering a genius

Waldo Tobler was a genius. Very few people are, far fewer than the normal proportions banded around, but Waldo was one. He appeared to greatly dislike being singled out in this way, but now he is dead it has to be said. Unlike many geniuses he is most remembered for his affable manner, his very kindly smile, the remarkable longevity of this academic life, his great academic achievements and – much…

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Danger zones: mapping Europe’s earthquakes A deeper understanding and better communication of earthquake risk has been a major challenge in geosciences for a long time.

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Abandoned mines in Queensland / Australia Mining may have been one contributing factors to why Australia as one of the few advanced economies did not go into recession following the global financial crisis 10 years ago.

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Have I got news for you You may have noticed a slowdown in updates here on my website. I have been putting a lot of effort into the new…

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Sports Report: The globalised world of European football

Football is a truly global phenomenon. Statistics about the real support are problematic, but there are estimates of up to 3.5 billion fans of football globally. A study conducted in 2006by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), which represents 211 members as the global governing body of football, estimated 270 million people being active in football worldwide. FIFA’s data…