One of the virtues of the Internet is that it brings odd facts to one’s e-doorstep. An example is the map reproduced below, in which each State has been “renamed” after a foreign country with approximately the same economic output.
There are surprises in the State rankings. I would never have guessed that Illinois (=Mexico) is in fourth place in GDP, behind only the Big Three of California (=France), Texas (=Canada) and Florida (=South Korea). Incidentally, our top four States combined come very close to the GDP of Japan, which places second internationally to the U.S.
It’s also a surprise that New York (=Brazil) isn’t merely out of the top five but behind New Jersey (=Russia) and Ohio (=Australia).
Just perusing the map gives a striking picture of how rich America is relative to the rest of the world. Less positively, it reveals the extent to which we have hamstrung ourselves in the conduct of foreign affairs. Something is badly awry when Iran (=Alabama) and Venezuela (=Iowa) are unafraid to declare themselves our enemies.
[Source: Strange Maps. Click to enlarge.]
N.B.: An alert, albeit tactless, commenter objects that the state data in Strange Maps’ commentary are odd and, in particular, that the National Association of Manufacturers puts New York’s GDP at a much higher figure than whatever source Strange Maps used. As Strange Maps notes, however, its numbers “are not necessarily the same as those used in compiling the original map”. The map, for example, accurately equates the New York economy to Brazil’s. Some of the other comparisons look dicey. The next time I run short of things to do, I may try my hand at a corrected version, though the overall point, that the U.S. economy is massive when placed beside the rest of the world, is obviously true.
By the way, Brazil's estimated 2006 GDP? $967 billion
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/br.html
According to the IMF, they rank 10th.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(nominal)
Meanwhile, among the States, New York ranks third,
http://www.bea.gov/regional/gdpmap/GDPMap.aspx
about $44 million (0.04%) behind Texas which, as of 1999, got 10¢ (12.5%) more than New York for every tax dollar contributed.
http://www.insidepolitics.org/heard/heard8999.html
pbh
Posted by: Peter Hodges | Wednesday, June 27, 2007 at 08:32 PM
Guess what? Your map is full of mis/dis/information.
New York's 2005 GDP? $957.9 billion
www.nam.org/s_nam/bin.asp?CID=202163&DID=233526&DOC=FILE.PDF
A little fact checking goes a long way.
pbh
PS: Oh yes, I know it's not "your" map.
Blah blah blah.
Posted by: Peter Hodges | Wednesday, June 27, 2007 at 07:49 PM