How a Finnish geographer’s challenge became a global social media phenomenon

November is a month full of all kinds of challenges like no alcohol month, no tobacco month, no moustache, no ejaculation month… Some people are more creative than others 30DayMapChallenge. Principle: Thirty themes, one per day, to be illustrated by a map that will then be published on social networks. “Space”, “Ukraine”, “The Color Red”, “A map in five minutes” … the list is imagined Topi Tjukanov, a Finnish geologist, defends open data, free access to data for the benefit of all. His challenge, launched in 2019, became a huge hit on Twitter.

Day 15 #30DayMapChallenge: Food and drink. Global distribution of poultry in 2010. Encouraging and possible @tylermarkonwall.#rayrender A year of adventure #rstats story pic.twitter.com/gdLU3teOC6

— flotsam (@researchremora) November 15, 2022

“Where is food produced?”, “Where are the world’s largest consumers of coffee?”, “Or maybe you can make a map out of food?”. These are the tips Topi Tjukanov gave on his website for the theme “Food/Drink” on Tuesday 15 November.

#30DayMapChallenge 2022

Day 15: Food and Drink

Three random graphs identified in food:

1. Australia in a Cornflake
2. Finland on a gyoza
3. Sicily in Kiwi

# Topic map pic.twitter.com/IsZnG0ZtmS

— Jules Grandin (@JulesGrandin) November 15, 2022

On Twitter, this material inspires contributors around the world. So, on a map, the distribution of kebab sellers in the metropolises of France, Spain, countries with the most spicy food around the world, or even Ukrainian cities can find the most drinkers of Nalyvka. , a local brandy.

I took a few days off, but #30DayMapChallenge Continuing with today’s theme of hexagons! I was horrified # Elegant Tuesday Theme a few weeks ago, so I decided to continue it! I think I’m going to start a new series #HorrorPlots So look no further! pic.twitter.com/q8LWQmY66z

Jacob Jameson (@JacobCJameson) November 14, 2022

Most of these models are professors and researchers in geography or experts in data analysis who explain their working method in a few words and present their evidence almost systematically. The way they illustrate each theme is an opportunity for these map enthusiasts to draw attention to their areas of interest – cultural, scientific or political. For “hexagons” day, a Harvard student, for example, created a map of horror films made in the United States. In cinema, it allows you to see which US states have concentrated the most massacres.

Day 5 (Ukraine) and Day 8 (OpenStreetMap) of #30DayMapChallenge
A picturesque confluence of the Pripyat and Dnieper rivers in northern Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/rGVQDzgT83

—Andrew DC (@andrewdc_nz) November 5, 2022

For those who don’t like this kind of sketchy countdown, the 30DayMapChallenge When aesthetics and science meet, it offers beautiful exercises in style. Like this map of Ukraine, the meeting of the Pripyat and Dnieper rivers forms a striking and triumphant “V”. “The drawings people share are breathtaking” Toby Tjuganov was excited on day nine of his challenge, admitting that he couldn’t keep up with the rhythm of the daily card he had set for himself.