Histomap: Visualizing the 4,000 Year History of Global Power

Imagine creating a timeline of your country’s whole history stretching back to its inception.

It would be no small task, and simply weighing the relative importance of so many great people, technological achievements, and pivotal events would be a tiny miracle in itself.

While that seems like a challenge, imagine going a few steps further. Instead of a timeline for just one country, what about creating a graphical timeline showing the history of the entire world over a 4,000 year time period, all while having no access to computers or the internet?

An All-Encompassing Timeline?

Today’s infographic, created all the way back in 1931 by a man named John B. Sparks, maps the ebb and flow of global power going all the way back to 2,000 B.C. on one coherent timeline.

View a high resolution version of this graphic

Histomap, published by Rand McNally in 1931, is an ambitious attempt at fitting a mountain of historical information onto a five-foot-long poster. The poster cost $1 at the time, which would equal approximately $18 when accounting for inflation.

Although the distribution of power is not quantitatively defined on the x-axis, it does provide a rare example of looking at historic civilizations in relative terms. While the Roman Empire takes up a lot of real estate during its Golden Age, for example, we still get a decent look at what was happening in other parts of the world during that period.

The visualization is also effective at showing the ascent and decline of various competing states, nations, and empires. Did Sparks see world history as a zero-sum exercise; a collection of nations battling one another for control over scarce territory and resources?

Timeline Caveats

Crowning a world leader at certain points in history is relatively easy, but divvying up influence or power to everyone across 4,000 years requires some creativity, and likely some guesswork, as well. Some would argue that the lack of hard data makes it impossible to draw these types of conclusions (though there have been other more quantitative approaches.)

Another obvious criticism is that the measures of influence are skewed in favor of Western powers. China’s “seam”, for example, is suspiciously thin throughout the length of the timeline. Certainly, the creator’s biases and blind spots become more apparent in the information-abundant 21st century.

Lastly, Histomap refers to various cultural and racial groups using terms that may seem rather dated to today’s viewers.

The Legacy of Histomap

John Spark’s creation is an admirable attempt at making history more approachable and entertaining. Today, we have seemingly limitless access to information, but in the 1930s an all encompassing timeline of history would have been incredibly useful and groundbreaking. Indeed, the map’s publisher characterized the piece as a useful tool for examining the correlation between different empires during points in history.

histomap foreword

Critiques aside, work like this paved the way for the production of modern data visualizations and charts that help people better understand the world around them today.

Without a map who would attempt to study geography? –John B. Sparks

This post was first published in 2017. We have since updated it, adding in new content for 2021.

Military

Mapped: The Global Peace Index in 2026

This map ranks 163 countries in the 2026 edition of the Global Peace Index, highlighting where peace is strongest.

Published

21 hours ago

August 7, 2026

This map ranks 163 countries in the 2026 edition of the Global Peace Index, highlighting where peace is strongest

Mapped: The Global Peace Index in 2026

Key Takeaways

Europe has the world’s largest concentration of highly peaceful countries in the 2026 Global Peace Index.
Highly peaceful countries also appear across Asia-Pacific, the Americas, and Africa, showing that strong scores are not confined to one region.
The lowest levels of peacefulness are concentrated in countries experiencing prolonged conflict and political instability.

This map shows how 163 countries are distributed across the Institute for Economics & Peace’s 2026 Global Peace Index, from countries with very high levels of peacefulness to those facing severe conflict and instability.

The geographic pattern is striking. Europe contains many of the world’s highest-rated countries, while clusters of very low peacefulness appear across parts of Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

The index draws on 23 indicators covering societal safety, ongoing conflict, political stability, terrorism, displacement, relations with neighboring countries, and militarization. Countries are grouped into five categories ranging from “Very High” to “Very Low” levels of peacefulness.

Where Peace Is Most Concentrated

Europe stands out as the strongest regional cluster on the map, with seven of the world’s 10 most peaceful countries located there.

Rank	Country	Score	Classification
1	🇮🇸 Iceland	1.161	Very High
2	🇳🇿 New Zealand	1.343	Very High
3	🇨🇭 Switzerland	1.363	Very High
4	🇸🇮 Slovenia	1.369	Very High
5	🇮🇪 Ireland	1.371	Very High
6	🇦🇹 Austria	1.421	Very High
7	🇵🇹 Portugal	1.427	Very High
8	🇸🇬 Singapore	1.435	Very High
9	🇫🇮 Finland	1.478	Very High
10	🇯🇵 Japan	1.489	High
11	🇩🇰 Denmark	1.504	High
12	🇲🇾 Malaysia	1.513	High
13	🇨🇿 Czechia	1.517	High
14	🇨🇦 Canada	1.525	High
15	🇭🇺 Hungary	1.538	High
16	🇧🇹 Bhutan	1.546	High
17	🇳🇱 Netherlands	1.566	High
18	🇲🇺 Mauritius	1.586	High
19	🇱🇻 Latvia	1.589	High
20	🇦🇺 Australia	1.602	High
21	🇧🇪 Belgium	1.608	High
22	🇵🇱 Poland	1.615	High
23	🇭🇷 Croatia	1.619	High
24	🇱🇹 Lithuania	1.62	High
25	🇪🇪 Estonia	1.623	High
26	🇧🇬 Bulgaria	1.628	High
27	🇪🇸 Spain	1.654	High
28	🇩🇪 Germany	1.657	High
29	🇸🇰 Slovakia	1.661	High
30	🇲🇪 Montenegro	1.672	High
31	🇶🇦 Qatar	1.676	High
32	🇹🇱 Timor-Leste	1.681	High
33	🇳🇴 Norway	1.688	High
34	🇲🇳 Mongolia	1.692	High
35	🇮🇹 Italy	1.712	High
36	🇦🇱 Albania	1.725	High
37	🇺🇿 Uzbekistan	1.726	High
38	🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea	1.729	High
39	🇬🇧 United Kingdom	1.73	High
40	🇸🇪 Sweden	1.732	High
41	🇻🇳 Vietnam	1.738	High
42	🇹🇼 Taiwan	1.751	High
43	🇺🇾 Uruguay	1.754	High
44	🇰🇿 Kazakhstan	1.771	High
45	🇷🇴 Romania	1.788	High
46	🇲🇰 North Macedonia	1.792	High
47	🇹🇯 Tajikistan	1.799	High
48	🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina	1.81	High
49	🇰🇼 Kuwait	1.813	High
50	🇧🇼 Botswana	1.823	High
51	🇦🇲 Armenia	1.825	High
52	🇨🇱 Chile	1.826	High
53	🇬🇷 Greece	1.828	High
54	🇽🇰 Kosovo	1.83	High
55	🇲🇩 Moldova	1.836	High
56	🇬🇲 The Gambia	1.837	High
57	🇰🇷 South Korea	1.839	High
58	🇱🇦 Laos	1.846	High
59	🇲🇬 Madagascar	1.849	High
60	🇴🇲 Oman	1.85	High
61	🇰🇬 Kyrgyz Republic	1.853	High
62	🇨🇷 Costa Rica	1.86	High
63	🇳🇦 Namibia	1.872	High
64	🇵🇾 Paraguay	1.882	High
65	🇲🇦 Morocco	1.887	High
66	🇹🇲 Turkmenistan	1.903	High
67	🇱🇰 Sri Lanka	1.91	Medium
68	🇯🇴 Jordan	1.913	Medium
69	🇮🇩 Indonesia	1.918	Medium
70	🇯🇲 Jamaica	1.919	Medium
70	🇷🇸 Serbia	1.919	Medium
72	🇦🇷 Argentina	1.922	Medium
73	🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates	1.927	Medium
74	🇸🇱 Sierra Leone	1.937	Medium
75	🇸🇳 Senegal	1.939	Medium
76	🇬🇭 Ghana	1.943	Medium
77	🇹🇳 Tunisia	1.947	Medium
78	🇦🇴 Angola	1.955	Medium
79	🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago	1.959	Medium
80	🇨🇾 Cyprus	1.967	Medium
81	🇵🇦 Panama	1.976	Medium
82	🇿🇲 Zambia	1.992	Medium
83	🇲🇼 Malawi	1.994	Medium
84	🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea	2.002	Medium
85	🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau	2.012	Medium
86	🇱🇸 Lesotho	2.016	Medium
87	🇱🇷 Liberia	2.024	Medium
88	🇬🇹 Guatemala	2.025	Medium
89	🇩🇴 Dominican Republic	2.038	Medium
90	🇿🇼 Zimbabwe	2.051	Medium
91	🇩🇿 Algeria	2.053	Medium
92	🇧🇴 Bolivia	2.054	Medium
93	🇨🇮 Côte d'Ivoire	2.061	Medium
94	🇬🇪 Georgia	2.066	Medium
95	🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia	2.067	Medium
96	🇰🇭 Cambodia	2.075	Medium
97	🇭🇳 Honduras	2.075	Medium
98	🇹🇿 Tanzania	2.08	Medium
99	🇫🇷 France	2.083	Medium
100	🇬🇦 Gabon	2.086	Medium
101	🇹🇭 Thailand	2.089	Medium
102	🇵🇭 Philippines	2.092	Medium
103	🇬🇾 Guyana	2.093	Medium
104	🇸🇿 Eswatini	2.095	Medium
105	🇩🇯 Djibouti	2.098	Medium
106	🇳🇮 Nicaragua	2.107	Medium
107	🇵🇪 Peru	2.12	Medium
108	🇧🇭 Bahrain	2.131	Medium
109	🇨🇺 Cuba	2.139	Medium
110	🇦🇿 Azerbaijan	2.142	Medium
111	🇳🇵 Nepal	2.143	Medium
112	🇲🇷 Mauritania	2.184	Medium
113	🇪🇬 Egypt	2.186	Medium
114	🇷🇼 Rwanda	2.2	Medium
115	🇧🇾 Belarus	2.216	Medium
116	🇬🇳 Guinea	2.22	Medium
117	🇧🇩 Bangladesh	2.226	Medium
118	🇨🇳 China	2.231	Medium
119	🇹🇬 Togo	2.251	Medium
120	🇨🇬 Republic of the Congo	2.256	Medium
121	🇸🇻 El Salvador	2.264	Medium
122	🇧🇯 Benin	2.293	Medium
123	🇿🇦 South Africa	2.308	Medium
124	🇧🇷 Brazil	2.333	Medium
125	🇱🇾 Libya	2.361	Low
126	🇲🇿 Mozambique	2.383	Low
127	🇮🇳 India	2.409	Low
128	🇪🇷 Eritrea	2.412	Low
129	🇧🇮 Burundi	2.417	Low
130	🇺🇬 Uganda	2.42	Low
131	🇱🇧 Lebanon	2.435	Low
132	🇰🇪 Kenya	2.447	Low
133	🇻🇪 Venezuela	2.516	Low
134	🇺🇸 United States of America	2.535	Low
135	🇪🇨 Ecuador	2.539	Low
136	🇹🇷 Türkiye	2.605	Low
137	🇨🇲 Cameroon	2.634	Low
138	🇪🇹 Ethiopia	2.648	Low
139	🇲🇽 Mexico	2.65	Low
140	🇮🇶 Iraq	2.662	Low
141	🇨🇴 Colombia	2.735	Low
142	🇭🇹 Haiti	2.755	Low
142	🇳🇬 Nigeria	2.755	Low
144	🇮🇷 Iran	2.759	Low
145	🇹🇩 Chad	2.769	Low
146	🇳🇪 Niger	2.832	Low
147	🇰🇵 North Korea	2.845	Low
148	🇵🇸 Palestine	2.877	Low
149	🇧🇫 Burkina Faso	2.882	Low
150	🇨🇫 Central African Republic	2.906	Very Low
151	🇲🇲 Myanmar	2.911	Very Low
152	🇵🇰 Pakistan	2.919	Very Low
153	🇸🇴 Somalia	2.973	Very Low
154	🇲🇱 Mali	2.996	Very Low
155	🇸🇾 Syria	3.067	Very Low
156	🇾🇪 Yemen	3.081	Very Low
157	🇦🇫 Afghanistan	3.106	Very Low
158	🇸🇸 South Sudan	3.116	Very Low
159	🇮🇱 Israel	3.124	Very Low
160	🇺🇦 Ukraine	3.184	Very Low
161	🇨🇩 Democratic Republic of the Congo	3.189	Very Low
162	🇸🇩 Sudan	3.195	Very Low
163	🇷🇺 Russia	3.367	Very Low

The pattern extends beyond the very top of the index, with much of Northern and Western Europe falling into the higher-peace classifications.

Highly Peaceful Countries Outside Europe

Strong peace scores are not limited to Europe. Several countries across Asia-Pacific, the Americas, and Africa also rank highly.

New Zealand places second globally, while Singapore ranks eighth and Japan 10th. Canada ranks 14th and Australia 20th.

Smaller countries also stand out on the map. Bhutan, Mauritius, Timor-Leste, and Botswana are among the countries outside Europe with relatively high levels of peacefulness.

Where Very Low Peacefulness Is Concentrated

At the other end of the map, the lowest levels of peacefulness are concentrated in countries facing active conflict, civil unrest, or prolonged political instability.

Russia ranks last in the 2026 index, while Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ukraine, Israel, South Sudan, Afghanistan, Yemen, and Syria are also classified as having very low levels of peacefulness.

These countries form visible clusters across parts of Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, illustrating how armed conflict and instability shape the global geography of peace.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

If you enjoyed today’s post, check out Visualizing Law and Order Around the World on Voronoi.

This map ranks 163 countries in the 2026 edition of the Global Peace Index, highlighting where peace is strongest

Education

Mapped: U.S. Cities With the Most Educated Residents (2026)

Explore the 2026 ranking of U.S. cities with the highest educational attainment and strongest education systems.

This graphic ranks America's most educated cities in 2026

Published

2 days ago

August 6, 2026

This graphic ranks America's most educated cities in 2026

Mapped: U.S. Cities With the Most Educated Residents

Key Takeaways

Ann Arbor ranks first overall, followed by Durham and San Jose.
College towns and technology hubs account for many of the highest-ranked cities.
Nearly half of the top 30 most educated cities are located on the East Coast.

This graphic ranks the most educated U.S. cities in 2026, highlighting metropolitan areas with high levels of educational attainment and strong local education systems.

The data for this visualization comes from WalletHub. Cities were ranked using a weighted composite score based on educational attainment (80%) and education quality and equality (20%).

College Towns Continue to Lead

Ann Arbor, Michigan, ranks first with an overall score of 94.48, driven by exceptionally high educational attainment.

Rank	Most Educated Cities	State	Total Score (0-100)
1	Ann Arbor	MI	94.48
2	Durham	NC	85.00
3	San Jose	CA	82.67
4	Washington	DC	81.93
5	Madison	WI	79.62
6	San Francisco	CA	78.92
7	Raleigh	NC	77.88
8	Boston	MA	77.78
9	Austin	TX	76.46
10	Seattle	WA	75.21
11	Portland	ME	71.85
12	Denver	CO	71.37
13	Colorado Springs	CO	69.94
14	Bridgeport	CT	69.71
15	Provo	UT	69.55
16	Portland	OR	67.83
17	Huntsville	AL	67.69
18	Minneapolis	MN	66.72
19	Baltimore	MD	66.56
20	Albany	NY	66.49
21	Trenton	NJ	66.02
22	San Diego	CA	65.78
23	Tallahassee	FL	65.75
24	Lexington	KY	65.44
25	Asheville	NC	64.45
26	Atlanta	GA	64.03
27	Charleston	SC	63.52
28	New Haven	CT	62.75
29	Hartford	CT	62.63
30	New York	NY	62.48

More than 96% of adults in Ann Arbor have earned at least a high school diploma. The presence of the University of Michigan also contributes to the area’s highly educated population.

Durham, North Carolina, ranks second, reflecting the influence of Duke University and the broader Research Triangle.

Madison, Wisconsin, also earns a top-five finish, supported by the University of Wisconsin and a workforce anchored by government, health care, and research.

Technology Hubs Also Rank Highly

Several of the country’s leading technology centers rank among its most educated cities.

San Jose places third, followed by San Francisco in sixth and Seattle in 10th, reflecting the concentration of highly skilled workers in Silicon Valley and the Pacific Northwest.

Austin ranks ninth as its growing technology sector continues to attract graduates and professionals from across the country.

Washington, D.C., places fourth, supported by a highly educated workforce across government, consulting, law, and policy organizations.

The East Coast Has a Strong Presence

Nearly half of the top 30 cities are located on the East Coast, reflecting the region’s dense network of universities, research institutions, and knowledge-based industries.

Boston, Bridgeport, New Haven, Hartford, Albany, Trenton, Baltimore, and New York all make the list.

Many of these metropolitan areas benefit from long-term investment in higher education and proximity to major employers in finance, health care, biotechnology, and government.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

If you enjoyed today’s post, check out Which U.S. States Depend Most on Manufacturing? on Voronoi.

This graphic ranks America's most educated cities in 2026