First thread: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=396688
Second thread: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=402051

Here are some guidlines:
One person will post a map and the others will attempt to guess what the map is or what it means. Once someone guesses it they will be presented the opportunity to post their own map. If they do not want to then they should indicate open floor to everyone else.

If no new map is posted within a day's time of guessing the old map, it is again open floor. You may create your own map, but make sure the source material is accurate.

I will start us off.

http://forums.civfanatics.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=284350&stc=1&d=1299039082

I've seen this one! (Video yesterday)
Location of Nuclear Tests/Explosions

Haha I really need to find some harder maps :P

Yes that's correct.

Nagasaki's atomic bomb museum actually has a counter similar to that map. I believe they also included North Korea's.

That map's timeline goes from 1945-1998. I had to remove it or it would have been too obvious - but apparently it was anyways with a first guess ;)

Gonna post a map, hold on.


http://forums.civfanatics.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=284362&stc=1&d=1299041186

That map is eerily similar to the countries in NATO.

That could be a hint ;)

NATO plus some other people.

That map's timeline goes from 1945-1998. I had to remove it or it would have been too obvious - but apparently it was anyways with a first guess ;)

You Stumbled, didn't you?

As for the map...countries that were never communist? Doesn't explain Netherlands, or Mexico, ect. Hrmm.

Plus Mongolia was once Communist, the NATO thing is on the right track just think deeper ;)

Countries contributing to the war in Afghanistan? I know Mongolia jumped in a few years ago, and I think the Dutch pulled out right before Canada was about to...

:goodjob: ! Countries contributing troops to the Afghanistan war.

That many countries? :eek:

Yeah most of the USA's allies declared the 9/11 attacks "An attack on the USA". (Well at least NATO did) and they could use the defense clause of the charter.

I'm always amused by how many non-Atlantic members NATO actually contains. :)

I'm always amused by how many non-Atlantic members NATO actually contains. :)

Some of the countries aren't officially part of NATO.

Australia and South Korea have separate defence treaties with the United States.

The European countries which are not part of NATO are part of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, which is a NATO initiative. They're not bound to defend NATO members by treaty; their participation can be seen as kissing up to the United States with a view to join NATO in the future.

The UAE and New Zealand aren't NATO either, but they can be considered friends of the United States (though neither are bound to the United States by treaty anymore). Singapore is mostly in support roles.

Mongolia just wants to join in. It's lonely over there on the steppes.

New map! I've removed the units from the scale, the ones that are there are relative. Shouldn't be too tough.

http://forums.civfanatics.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=284430&d=1299091330

I'm sure I've seen this recently. To do with XKCD I think.

Gravity Anomalies!

Spot on. That's one of the early maps from the recent GOCE mission.

:goodjob: ! Countries contributing troops to the Afghanistan war.

Ireland didn't contribute troops to the war. After the invasion suceeded some Gardaí (cops in Irish) went over to train the Afghani police force, and we (as usual) allowed American fly-overs and stops in Shannon, but no troops.

Dammit I was thinking something along the lines of geoids (India).

http://img826.imageshack.us/img826/7880/mysterymapeurope.jpg (http://img826.imageshack.us/i/mysterymapeurope.jpg/)

Does it have to with protests?

Is the map related to health issues?

Anything to do with relations/trade/alliances with Russia?

Pyramid schemes?

Nothing yet. As a hint, darker is a higher percentage. The yellow means negligible and white no data. Grey is unsurveyed.

%age muslims?

%age muslims?

I think Turkey would be pretty darkly coloured in that case.

I was going to say prevalence of Communist parties, but in that case, France would definitely be colored in.

Ohhhhh Turkey is included?

Derp.

Ohhhhh Turkey is included?

Derp.

As "no data" :p

Ireland didn't contribute troops to the war. After the invasion suceeded some Gardaí (cops in Irish) went over to train the Afghani police force, and we (as usual) allowed American fly-overs and stops in Shannon, but no troops.

According to what I'm reading Ireland contributed 7 troops. :p

% Orthodox Christians?

Percentage of population yearning for the glory days of the Iron Curtain:p

% Orthodox Christians?
Greece?
I think Turkey would be pretty darkly coloured in that case.
Turkey is not survived. What makes this map suck is that the supposed yellow and white are very similar. But moving back my screen in a flatter position helped a lot.

Percentage of bearably usable infrastructure?
Of homes without permanent access to power?
Of homes without permanent access to flowing water?

High % of people without access to railroads? Or cars?

Maybe something with human trafficking...

Nothing close yet. It's, I guess, related to infrastructure. The map is tracking an illegal or unregulated version of something common across Europe -- that is, the yellow countries have a legitimate version of what's being measured.

gambling?

prevalence of pirated software?

Neither.

As a clarification, the map is measuring the percentage of something in each country that is done illegally: that is, all countries profiled have official versions of... whatever.

Must be prostitution then!
Percentage of citizens engaging in illegal prostitution?

Must be prostitution then!
Percentage of citizens engaging in illegal prostitution?

Prostitution is legal in Latvia and semi-legal in Slovakia. And if Slovakia is included, wouldn't Italy be as well?

Must be prostitution then!
Percentage of citizens engaging in illegal prostitution?

No, it's not. Infrastructure-related, remember.

Does it have something to do with the internet?

EDIT: Is it child pornography?

Does it have something to do with the internet?

EDIT: Is it child pornography?

a legal version of Child pornography? :eek::eek2::eek2::eek2:

Oh whoops. I forgot that yellow meant it was legal.

EDIT: Is it child pornography?
Germany would be darker. A lot darker.

I thought Germany was just weird porn, and Japan was weird child porn.

Might it be illegal transportation?

I was thinking that the map showed human trafficking, but then I realized that it wouldn't be legal in Western Europe, unless yellow actually meant a really low incidence rate.

would have said prostitution, but it's not related to infrastructure

Electricity?

It's directly related to housing, though has other uses.

corruption in illegal construction?

I think we need another hint.

I think we need another hint.

I'll summarize, but I think any further hint would either be vague enough to be misdirection or so obvious as to give the first person to see the post the answer.

Map represents percentage of X activity that is done illegally in each country. X activity is directly related to housing, and construction in general.

Nuclear power?

Houses that do not abide by building codes?

It can't be illegal (no city plan) housing, since Greece would have a darker tone.
Is it squatting in state-owned houses?

Originally i thought it had to do with the mafia, with Albania being so dark.

When I say housing / construction, I mean X is used directly in the building of structures.

Asbestos?

Asbestos?

I was really surprised when I learned, maybe a month ago, that asbestos was mined not made. But it's not asbestos, no. But you're thinking along the right lines. It is a resource.

Use of Concrete in building creation? (still trying to find out what is most commonly used in Albania...)

Edit: it seems they do use concrete massively there though :)

Use of untaxed labor?

Lead paint?
Non-unionized working force?

Again, a resource.

Wooden buildings?

Map is showing what percentage of X industry is done illegally. The industry has to do with collecting a certain resource.

You guys should be guessing raw material things not concepts or finished projects.

Lumber (i.e. logging illegally)

Lumber (i.e. logging illegally)

Indeed. Map is the rate of illegal logging in various countries as a percentage of the total forestry industry.

You're up.

I will say that was an interesting map, plus I knew already that asbestos was mined, it is a naturally occurring mineral. It is so often found with nickel ores.

:-/ it could've been human resources...

Nuclear power?
I realize the answer already came up, but: illegal nuclear power? Really? :lol:

Since it's been more than 24 hours...

http://i.imgur.com/l2meW.jpg

Yellow: US Vassals
Blue: British Vassals
Green: Russian Vassals
Light Blue: Former British Vassals

Something to do with the British Empire.

Yellow: US Vassals
Blue: British Vassals
Green: Russian Vassals
Light Blue: Former British Vassals

There's also a light green.

Is the map about governments?

Well, Australia and Argentina are both light blue and both the UK and various former British imperial holdings are dark blue, but India is in dark green. I don't know about the yellow. :)

Main sort of crop! !

Main sort of livestock?

After half an hour of thinking and looking at some stuff I arrived at an secure conclusion: I got no freaking idea

Is it the DVD codec used?

Took me a while, but its types of plugs. We've had a map based on the same premise before actually, but more specific... >.<

Took me a while, but its types of plugs. We've had a map based on the same premise before actually, but more specific... >.<

We have a winner.

http://www.eurocom.com/support/images/plug_map.jpg

Open floor.

http://img851.imageshack.us/img851/5111/cfc.jpg

Map is with data from 2009.

Is that one about political freedoms in the press?

Is that one about political freedoms in the press?

That didn't last long (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Press_Freedom_Index) :)

Uh, wow. Sorry to do that in just two minutes! :)

Open floor, by all means.

New one up:

http://i55.tinypic.com/27yq054.png

Greek populations

German populations?

It was a very easy one ;) Its the Greek diaspora + indigenous populations.

Countries with the biggest fleets (commercial included) or commercial ships sailing under said flags.

Countries with the biggest fleets (commercial included) or commercial ships sailing under said flags.

I thought of doing that, but it seems it would have been equally easy to name ;)

Countries with the biggest fleets (commercial included) or commercial ships sailing under said flags.

Panama and Liberia would be in the top ten...

Open Floor :)

Red is high levels, blue is low levels.

http://i.imgur.com/v488L.png

Popularity of Republican/Democrat?

Wow. Kinda of an odd coincidence. But no.

Federally-owned lands?

College Educations?

House foreclosures?

That county in the Oklahoma panhandle seems like a weird arbitration.

*googles*

All I see is that it's a lot whiter than the other two panhandle counties. Also the one on the end is bordered by 4 states. Neeto.

House foreclosures?

Woulda figured Florida as a lot higher. Plus there's not too many foreclosures in Montana -- the eastern part of the state is all reservations and ranch pasture.

Popularity of Republican/Democrat?

The West Coast is too red and the South isn't red enough.

Think your right about Florida...


Suicide rates? I know New Mexico, Nevada, and Montana have the top 5 suicide rate but the #1 (Alaska) isn't even on the map

A shot in the dark - but population density?

Think your right about Florida...


Suicide rates? I know New Mexico, Nevada, and Montana have the top 5 suicide rate but the #1 (Alaska) isn't even on the map

Close enough.

It's suicide rates for white males.

Close enough.

It's suicide rates for white males.

Dang, nice spot wabatt.

That explains the Northwest's redness.

Open Floor go ahead

[bah, nevermind, I was a few pages back and made a guess for the wrong map]

Going with the America-by-counties theme.

http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/3071/mysteryds.jpg (http://img28.imageshack.us/i/mysteryds.jpg/)

This is going to need some clarification. It's a university-made map based on an abstract concept. It's open to interpretation so I'll also accept the general idea of the concept, or the data source they used to judge the abstract concept.

As a starting hint: healthcare.

Bastions of faith-healing?

Poor Mississippi...

The three darkest blue counties in South Dakota seem telling...all of them are located within Indian reservations...

Healthcare spending per capita?

Bastions of faith-healing?

It's not faith-healing, but the map has a direct correlation to faith.

edit: healthcare is a hint to the data source, the faith thing I just mentioned is to the concept behind the map.

abortions? nvm, native americans don't get abortions.... is it teen or unplanned pregnancy?

Alcohol consumption? I know some religions do this as part of rituals or whatever but IDK.

abortions? nvm, native americans don't get abortions.... is it teen or unplanned pregnancy?

I'd expect a very strong coloration with unplanned pregnancy, yes.

Prevalence of abstinence only sex ed? That's not overly health care related though...

Big cities seem to have slightly darker shades of blue than surrounding counties

casual sex? or prevalence of STD?

Big cities seem to have slightly darker shades of blue than surrounding counties

casual sex? or prevalence of STD?

Number of STD cases reported per capita is correct.

Map was one of 7 made by Kansas State University trying to measure the 7 deadly sins. 6 of the deadly sins were measured, and then the aggregate of that data was used for Pride.

County-by-county data: http://www.lasvegassun.com/photos/galleries/2009/mar/25/seven-deadly-sins-nationwide/

And then maps that show above / below national average: http://www.wired.com/culture/education/magazine/17-09/st_sinmaps

Bumping for your attention dido

http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/4161/countymap.png

Per capita income?

Some kind of corporate index?

Those make sense, seeing as my county is much darker then the other parts of my state..

Some kind of corporate index?

If it was something corporate it'd expect Delaware counties to be the darkest not NJ.

Per capita income?

close enough

it's median household income

http://i.imgur.com/fB04P.png

Some kind of weather pattern?

It's weather related, yes.

Dryness / wetness?

Could be related, but not necessarily.

Amount of snow?

Frequency of thunderstorms?

No and No.

Amount of rainfall?

insolation?

Cloud cover or sunlight?

Cloud cover or sunlight?

Ding ding ding

Average hours of direct sunlight/day

Open floor.

http://i.imgur.com/SHWWt.png

Where hating is directed?

Something law-related?

Something law-related?

Yes it is.

I would say states that have the death penalty legalised, but the key threw me off. :hmm:

I don't think that is the "key", I think it just shows what colors DC/the federal gov't/the military are.

I would say states that have the death penalty legalised, but the key threw me off. :hmm:

I'm pretty sure it is death penalty.

Red is where there is the death penalty (an the Federal government)
Yellow is where there is the death penalty, but that it hasn't been carried out since the death penalty was reintroduced (And I don't think the military has executed anyone since WWII)
Blue is where there's no death penalty.

But what's Orange, and what's the deal with New Mexico?

But what's Orange, and what's the deal with New Mexico?

I think New Mexico banned the death penalty after the 70s, so -- red is where people have been executed since the reintroduction of the death penalty?

Orange is constitutionally challenged methods. I know that's the case in New York. I also know they haven't kill anyone since the death penalty was reintroduced, thanks to Law and Order SVU :goodjob:

contre nailed it.

Only since I'd read WIM's post. I'll happily concede the floor to you, WIM, as so long as you don't do an insanely hard map that takes 10 pages.

Very well, I shall do an easier map for you to try!

http://img703.imageshack.us/img703/9921/tomast.png

(Clue: It has a lot to do with two substances, although if I told you what they were, the map would be too easy)

Only since I'd read WIM's post. I'll happily concede the floor to you, WIM, as so long as you don't do an insanely hard map that takes 10 pages.

Like his EU3 map? :P

Very well, I shall do an easier map for you to try!

http://img703.imageshack.us/img703/9921/tomast.png

(Clue: It has a lot to do with two substances, although if I told you what they were, the map would be too easy)

Participation in the NPT

Very well, I shall do an easier map for you to try!

http://img703.imageshack.us/img703/9921/tomast.png

(Clue: It has a lot to do with two substances, although if I told you what they were, the map would be too easy)

Red is prevalence of hashish and green is prevalence of marijuana?

Participation in the NPT

Correct already! :eek:

This is why I always do insane maps... :mischief:

Too easy with only that many rogue states

open floor

http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/8707/somekindofresource.png (http://img151.imageshack.us/i/somekindofresource.png/)

To do with a resource. Going to need to be slightly more specific than naming the resource in question.

edit: white is no data, though white is kinda hard to discern from the really light colours. White is Mongolia, Greenland, New Zealand and Uruguay and those countries that look white in the middle of Africa.

I think the type is net producer or consumer of a product/resource. I'm not sure of what though, originally thought oil but China and UK put me off.

Oh, and Ireland is white too.

What's similar about the United States; Sudan and England; India?

What's similar about the United States; Sudan and England; India?

Their use of the resource. ;)

Gold? Actually no, UK would be redder and Brazil would be greener.

Gold? Actually no, UK would be redder and Brazil would be greener.

Not gold no.

To be very clear, the map is measuring consumption.

Lamb?

Consumption of green paint versus red paint.

Lamb?

Not with the Koreas & Japan so green.

I want to say pork, but Afghanistan is waaaaayyy too green. Also Egypt.

peanut?

It's a raw material, not an animal / plant / fungi / living thing.

tin?

vcl

Tin sheets for construction?

Lead?

Nothing yet. The resource is very common. You use it every day.

Rubber?

Salt. . . .

Brazil and the USA would be way higher if it were salt.

Brazil and the USA would be way higher if it were salt.

Mmmmm delicious salt.

Neither it nor rubber. Far more ubiquitous.

Plastic bags?

Pencils

Silicon?

tantalum?

Pens?

The map isn't just measuring direct consumption, but total consumption, including the use of this resource in industrial processes you end up using.

It's so common that it's likely on many of your desks.

Pens?

How are pens a resource :confused:

Clay?

Puppies ?

Opium ?

Communism ?

Opium ?

Is on your desk right now?

*checks flights to Bucharest*

Puppies ?

I haven't had a dog since we had to send Tippy off to be properly trained with a shepard. My parents said Wales at the time, but it turned out to be Wexford.

Opium ?

That's just naughty.

Communism ?

Too big to fit on a desk.

Paper/Wood :confused:

Clay?

Paper/Wood :confused:

It's vital to producing these, and if you use paper / wood / clay, that is counting towards your total consumption as indicated in the map.

Water? (I don't know.. lol)

Pulp?

Water? (I don't know.. lol)

Yes.

Map is water consumption when considering all uses, or "virtual water use" -- that is, you're not just measuring what you drink, how much you shower, how much you water your lawn, but how much water it takes to grow the corn to feed the beef you ate for dinner.

Open floor.

http://img861.imageshack.us/img861/7914/tomas.png

Red means a country has 1 of something, Orange means 2 and Yellow means 3.

does it have to do with rivers? Or coal?

Some kind of scientific instrument?

Does it have to do with sovereignty or some kind?

US has 3 countries in free association, China... Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan? Then Italy has 2 micronations within its borders.

All of you are completely wrong! :mwaha:

Branches of government?

Most countries have more than 0 or 1!

Does it have to do with some sort of infrastructure? Such as a special type of power plant? Particle accelerators?

Something to do with wars?

Airplane manufacturers? Russia would've had more, I guess. Something with stockmarkets? Murdered presidents/prime ministers?

It is to do with infrastructure, but nobody has guessed it correctly, yet.

Hydroelectric dams?

Hydro-electric dams are more common than you think. :p

(Also incorrect)

Stock exchanges?

Racking my brains. Italy has me confused.

Stock exchanges?

There's 2 in India I thinks.

There's 2 in India I thinks.

Just from my neck of the woods I know there are stock exchanges in Oslo (Norway), Copenhagen (Denmark) and Helsinki (Finland) so I think we can discount that possibility assuming grey = 0.

Is it number of mines for some rare earth metal, say scandium or some such?

Car producers?

Ireland has one, so it's not car producers. As Ireland have no car producers.

It's still not been guessed!

It is to do with infrastructure, but nobody has guessed it correctly, yet.

... pasta infrastructure? :lol:

No. of arks being constructed for 2012?:jesus:

Please tell me that people aren't doing that...

Why would that be public knowledge, anyway? :p

Infrastructure is a rather broad term, slightly less broad than saying, "it requires energy."

Perhaps a more specific hint?

It's related to specific places within the countries.

Can we have another, even more specific hint?

It's to do with specific cities.

Cities with more than X net worth?

Cities with more than X net worth?
I doubt it if Ireland, the UK, France and Germany have 1 each.

Cities with tram systems?

there are so much cities with that in France (Paris, Bordeaux, Strasbourg, Nancy, Nice...), i think it's ruled out...

Number of cities in a country with a population over X?

WIM if you could perhaps take more of an interest and direct answers in a macro-polo sense (warmer / colder) it'd help. I don't find these incredibly vague maps very fun when we're just guessing randomly :/

Droopy got pretty close to the answer.

Does it have to do with food to feed the populations?

Is it about population in cities or about something in cities

Does it have to do with airports?

Keep on thinking along the lines of "number of cities with more than 1 international airport", basically because it makes Italy fit in nicely with 2 (Rome, Milan) while I can not think of other such cities in the UK or France outside of London and Paris. Can imagine China and US have 3 such cities, but I'm afraid a lot of the 1s are not correct if it were this. So it probably ain't.

Edit: Or number of cities with airports with passenger or freight volume higher than X maybe?

I can not think of other such cities in the UK
London (with 4 or 5), Glasgow, Belfast.

definitely not international airports cities (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_international_airports_by_country)

None of your guesses are correct! :smug:

Number of cities that west india man thinks are awesome. :p

WIM, get on with it! It's clear we don't know the answer!

Cities with a population larger than the capital city of the country?

London is the largest city in the UK, so no. :)

Number of cities that west india man thinks are awesome. :p

Brazil has not enough, and the UK has too many for that map! :p

This guess is getting close, though.

Number of cities that have population x or less and are provincial capitals

Number of cities that have population x or less and are provincial capitals

The US has a ton of state capitals that almost nobody lives in, so I doubt that.

number of global cities (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_city) in the country?

trg is very close, but not quite there! :D

Financial centers

You got colder. :(

Megacities?

Again, extremely close, but not quite.