Foreigners Keep Out! High Tech Mapping Starts to Redefine International Borders

Foreigners Keep Out! High Tech Mapping Starts to Redefine International Borders

This is a big deal, now, and into the future. Consider that the seas and oceans really represent uncharted territory. The resources contained within these water bodies have hardly been studied, let alone the seafloor.

Last summer, the Russians made big news regarding their efforts, setting a plaque on the seafloor, much like the authors stated in this article, the astronauts Armstrong and Aldrin on the moon. The Russians are being much more progressive about their research. Their ships capable of caring out such research outnumber the U.S. flotilla of ships by about 3 to 1 (they have around 17 to the approximately 3 that we have; I realized I need a reference here, too).

As the search for new energy sources continues to heat up (yes, a pun), the United States needs to develop a more well-defined energy policy and energy goals. We need to be more pro-active in these efforts, listen less to lobbyists, and more to the scientists and researchers who study this issues.

But, back to the real path here. The U.S. may have some issues in determining new boundaries. These issues will pale in comparison to the issues faced by Southeast Asian and Pacific Island nations. These nations already have issues with overlapping boundaries. The research will allow them to effectively map seafloor structures, eliminate 'mystery' and allow for better decisions. Maybe.

Global GDP Comparison

What if we renamed some of our states using the name of the country whose GDP most closely matches the state GDP?

That is the idea behind this map. The idea is not unique to me. I saw a similar map on another blog whose link I have lost. But having a mapping background I decided to obtain my own data and construct my own map.

I could not determine an analog for all states, which I found interesting. I am initially attributing the lack of an analog to the derth of "middle-income" countries that could potentially match-up with our "middle-income" states. If someone else dives into this, please let me know about your findings.