Mapping Global Disparities
Posted by Marcos Ancelovici on June 4, 2007
It can be difficult to grasp the magnitude of global disparities. Fortunately, the University of Sheffield World Mapper project offers striking pictures of what can sometimes be an abstract discussion. Look, for example, at the map of the world total population…
…compared to that of the GDP wealth (indicating international purchasing power)…
…or that of human poverty (human poverty index that includes non-financial aspects of poverty like life expectancy, adult literacy, and water quality)…
Quite striking indeed!
World Mapper offers international mapping on a wide variety of issues. Look for example at this map of the distribution of global protests against the invasion of Iraq in 2003:
According to World Mapper, “There were protests against the war recorded in 96 of the 200 mapped territories . . . The largest protests were in Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Germany and the United States - which together account for 80% of protesters”
It is even possible to consult and improve the database.
June 7, 2007 at 6:16 am
Brilliant. You can read numbers all you like, but to see the visuals so apparent it’s very striking and sickenly humbling.
June 13, 2007 at 2:38 am
compare the iraq protest one to the population one.
the war in iraq: yet another issue that only rich spoiled white kids care about.
as the other commenter said, very striking.
August 16, 2007 at 3:28 pm
Bill, the only “striking” thing about the comparison you made is that there are a number of people whose lot in life is poor enough that they are occupied with
In large part, awareness of international political/current events is a phenomenon in more educated, developed nations. That speaks to an interesting point - raising the standard of living and economic well being of everyone leaves them more able to be concerned and aware of the plights of others.
Your comment is smarmy, bitter and pointless. You don’t think the non-rich, non-spoiled, non-white, non-kids getting the sh*t bombed out of them care about America’s foreign wars? Give it a rest.
August 16, 2007 at 3:30 pm
Excuse me, occupied with more immediate, possibly more desperate concerns than having free time to engage in political protests.