The World

A Physical Atlas of Why · Natural Earth 50m

Cartograma physical atlas of why

New every dayThe Daily ChallengeFive questions · build a streak · same puzzle for everyone

Getting started

Hover anything to see its name. Click a country, river, mountain range or sea to read how it shapes the world.

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Map stories

ISRAEL & PALESTINE · A CONTESTED SLIVERA Land Without Depth7 steps · 2 min AFRICA · THE ESCARPMENT PROBLEMThe Rivers That Don't Connect7 steps · 3 min THE UNITED STATES · THE GEOGRAPHIC JACKPOTAmerica's Geographic Jackpot8 steps · 2 min SOUTH AMERICA · THE HOSTILE MAPGeography Against You7 steps · 2 min THE MIDDLE EAST · BORDERS WITHOUT NATURELines in the Sand7 steps · 2 min THE CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS · PROXIMITY AS A WEAPONNinety Miles7 steps · 2 min KOREA & JAPAN · PENINSULA AND ARCThe Dagger and the Island7 steps · 2 min THE SUEZ CANAL · THE SEAM OF EAST AND WESTThe Ditch That Moved the World7 steps · 2 min GLOBAL TRADE · THE CHOKEPOINTSThe Gates of the World8 steps · 3 min AFGHANISTAN · THE GRAVEYARD OF EMPIRESThe Graveyard of Empires7 steps · 2 min THE WAR IN UKRAINE · ANATOMY OF AN INVASIONThe Invasion of Ukraine7 steps · 2 min THE COLD WAR · THE LINE ACROSS THE WORLDThe Iron Curtain7 steps · 2 min THE PARTITION OF 1947 · A LINE THROUGH A LANDThe Line That Split a Subcontinent7 steps · 2 min THE SCRAMBLE FOR AFRICA · BORDERS FROM A TABLEThe Lines That Broke a Continent7 steps · 2 min THE VIETNAM WAR · JUNGLE, TRAIL AND DELTAThe Long Country7 steps · 2 min THE ARCTIC · THE OPENING OCEANThe Melting Chessboard7 steps · 2 min THE BELT AND ROAD · CHINA'S ESCAPE PLANThe New Silk Roads7 steps · 2 min OIL · THE 1973 SHOCKThe Oil Weapon7 steps · 2 min THE BALKANS · WHERE EMPIRES COLLIDEThe Powder Keg7 steps · 2 min INDIA & PAKISTAN · THE HIMALAYAN WALLThe Wall and the Water7 steps · 2 min EGYPT · ETHIOPIA · THE BLUE NILEWho Owns the Nile?7 steps · 3 min CHINA · THE FIRST ISLAND CHAINWhy China Can't Break Out8 steps · 3 min EUROPE · RIVERS, PLAINS AND PEACEWhy Europe Stopped Fighting7 steps · 2 min RUSSIA · THE NORTHERN EUROPEAN PLAINWhy Russia Fears the Plain8 steps · 3 min

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Data: Natural Earth (public domain) · Rendering: MapLibre GL