Just Try Looking a Map Over!

 

One of the joys of maps is just taking time to sit and look at one. Search your atlases and the web for a fascinating one. Maybe go for one of those several centuries old where the continents are misshapen because of lack of exploration. Just sit and stare a while. Make it a discovery exercise. What have you not heard of? What looks odd? Take in the pattern of things. Find a kid who collects stamps. Have them show off the collection and learn about the places. You might also find an adult stamp collector; most are ready to show off the collection and talk about places. But just staring is quiet time. It is time to think about what you see and want to know about. I love a good world map, myself. Try a nice Mercator.

North Dakota Ruralness Picture

The Association of American Geographers sent me notice of the map above. The Daily Yonder explored the meaning of the distribution of Social Security recipients in the United states. Nationally the pattern does show a heavily rural bias. Note the Appalachia corridor into Missouri, Northern Michigan over to the west, the Native American areas across the West, and the more rural parts of the Northwest. Looking from the other direction note how Chicago, New York, Dallas-Ft Worth and Southern California show low figures.  They do stand out, among others, in that position.

Of interest to North Dakotans is the way the western part of the state stands out in low recipient totals, no doubt given the oil boom, versus the more farm dominated eastern part of the state. The thing I see looking at a wider scale is that North Dakota does not stand out as a whole like one would expect. We often have placed ourselves on the older end of the scale, yet this map pins far more other areas at the top of the list.