This is my reponse to this map showing US states as countries with similar GDPs. I felt the map was a little, um, wrong. It clearly attempts to show just how large the US economy is, but misses out several economies such as Italy, United Kingdom, and Germany, simply because they're too large for any one state. In order to correct this, and to prove that the EU economy is by far larger than that of the US, this maps shows all the states of the EU mapped onto comparably sized states in North America by GDP.
The first thing to note is that it takes the whole of North America to map the EU's GDP, and not just the US. Moreover, the EU is already slightly larger by GDP, and becuase the states don't map perfectly, there is about half a trillion US dollars missing between the cracks. In a few years' time this map won't be possible unless the Carribean states and Latin America is included, as both the EU and its economy continues to grow.
A few more things to note: the figures used are nominal GDP because subnational PPP GDP is impossible to find; some smoothing of the coastlines and removal of lakes has taken place to make it more visually appealing; and Hawaii has been shoved much much closer to California, though that should be obvious. It wasn't any easy map to work out, especially as I chose to respect the national borders, and sometimes (such as Greece spanning Tennessee and Mississippi) the results are not so great. Lastly, the map needs a coloured background to maintain the borders which are white in many areas, especially in the far north.
(Oh, and yes, I deliberately put the French flag over Texas. I know they'll appreciate that.)
The first thing to note is that it takes the whole of North America to map the EU's GDP, and not just the US. Moreover, the EU is already slightly larger by GDP, and becuase the states don't map perfectly, there is about half a trillion US dollars missing between the cracks. In a few years' time this map won't be possible unless the Carribean states and Latin America is included, as both the EU and its economy continues to grow.
A few more things to note: the figures used are nominal GDP because subnational PPP GDP is impossible to find; some smoothing of the coastlines and removal of lakes has taken place to make it more visually appealing; and Hawaii has been shoved much much closer to California, though that should be obvious. It wasn't any easy map to work out, especially as I chose to respect the national borders, and sometimes (such as Greece spanning Tennessee and Mississippi) the results are not so great. Lastly, the map needs a coloured background to maintain the borders which are white in many areas, especially in the far north.
(Oh, and yes, I deliberately put the French flag over Texas. I know they'll appreciate that.)
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