# Forty cool maps to better understand the world **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 18, 2013, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forty-cool-maps-to-better-understand-the-world/666593 "2013-08-18T22:33:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2013, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forty-cool-maps-to-better-understand-the-world/666593/61 "2013-08-24T01:04:11Z")
To go carefully through why those particular jobs are the highest paid state employees in those states, it’s like this: In general, state employees are not particularly well-paid. That includes everyone, from the janitors who clean the governor’s office to the governor himself. The lower-level employees like janitors might be a bit better paid than similar employees in private companies, while the governor isn’t nearly as well paid as the CEO of a private company with as many employees as there are state employees in that state. State universities are allowed to be the exception to this. There are state universities in each state, usually with the name “The University of X,” “X State University,” of “X University,” that are fairly large. They generally have O.K. to top-notch graduate and professional schools. They also have athletic teams that most people in the state consider to be “their” team, the one that they cheer at when they appear on TV, for instance. For that reason, these teams tend to make money for the school because of the tickets they sell for admission to their games and the money they get for allowing their games to be shown on TV and the sales of merchandise with their names on it. Because of this, such big state universities tend to pay the coaches of these teams very well. They don’t, of course, pay their players anything, although they give them free tuition and room and board. The four big team sports, at the high school, college, and professional level, in the U.S. are football, basketball, hockey, and baseball. Because there is a strong professional minor-league tradition in the U.S., it’s not as necessary for a baseball player to work their way up to professional status via college teams. This is why the largest number of the highest paid state employees are football coaches, followed by basketball coaches. In one case it’s the hockey coach. The other extremely well-paid jobs at these state universities are the president of the university, the head of the medical school, and the head of the law school (and to a lesser degree the professors in those two schools). Professors in the medical schools and the law schools are people who could be well-paid doctors and lawyers and who are thus better paid than most professors, even professors who are at the top of their field for non-medical, non-legal academic areas. That is why these are the other top-paying jobs beside coaches. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2013, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forty-cool-maps-to-better-understand-the-world/666593/62 "2013-08-24T03:25:33Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > I think you’re misreading it: there’s a distinction between parental leave being “allowed” and parental leave being “required”. > > For instance, when the PiperCub came along, Mrs Piper and I were jointly entitled to one year of parental leave, to be divvied up between us as we saw fit. We were not required to use vacation leave or sick leave to cover it. > > The employer was required to give it to us, and required to hold our jobs for us, with no diminution of seniority. The one on parental leave also had a legal right to be paid employment insurance while on leave. No, I don’t get your distinction. The implication is that the US is so backwards because it forces people to work or suffer the consequences. And I am saying that if there is no federal law (and maybe there shouldn’t be), doesn’t mean that no state offers it. > [@](#): > > Is that the case in any state in the United States? E.g.: [California](http://www.paidfamilyleave.org/). It’s not perfect, but it’s wrong to say that it doesn’t exist. Other states may have their own. Note that the father can take leave as well. The other stipulations you add aren’t mentioned by the map. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2013, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forty-cool-maps-to-better-understand-the-world/666593/63 "2013-08-24T03:35:50Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > From a reading of [Transparent Nevada](http://transparentnevada.com/salaries/all/) most likely, and yes, he’s listed highest. Note though, the rightmost $ column is after the benefits that the employee doesn’t direction see. Also, if I’m not mistaken he works out of UNLV (and his CV says so). #2 is also a plastic surgeon. > > You’ve got to get to #9 and #17 before you hit the coaches. I think winning coaches do deserve money, but it makes me proud they’re not #1. You’re proud because fake tits and liposuctions bring in more money to your state than college athletics? ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2013, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forty-cool-maps-to-better-understand-the-world/666593/64 "2013-08-24T08:35:13Z")
> [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](#): > > You’re proud because fake tits and liposuctions bring in more money to your state than college athletics? Sigh… Do you really think that sleazy cosmetic surgeons want to take a pay cut to teach at a school? William A. Zamboni - I didn’t look hard enough to find his specialty, but he is the head of **surgery** of all types, whether or not he specializes in plastic surgery (I will note, one of the longest schooling in med school). He likely trains people in more aspects than that. Kayvan T. Khiabani specializes in plastic reconstructive, hand and microsurgery. You know, if you meet a band saw in the wrong way, not because you need bigger lips. ---
**Author:** ![Satchmo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/satchmo/32/4223_2.png) [@Satchmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satchmo)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2013, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forty-cool-maps-to-better-understand-the-world/666593/65 "2013-08-24T18:09:37Z")
> [@pleonast](#): > > they paid a little extra to get their own color. 😉 ftw :d ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2013, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forty-cool-maps-to-better-understand-the-world/666593/66 "2013-08-25T01:38:49Z")
Coolest Link, Ever. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2013, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forty-cool-maps-to-better-understand-the-world/666593/67 "2013-08-25T16:19:35Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > Coolest Link, Ever. Thanks. High praise indeed! My pleasure. ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2013, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forty-cool-maps-to-better-understand-the-world/666593/68 "2013-08-25T21:40:35Z")
> [@voltaire](#): > > Map 12 : **“There are more people living inside this circle than outside of it”** is pretty mind blowing, particularly considering the majority of the circle’s area is over open ocean. Remember that map every time you think it’s too crowded where you live, or that traffic is a bitch. Imagine if most of the people in that circle wanted to live in a house in the suburbs and have cars. Imagine if they all got on a chair and jumped off at the same time; or if they all flushed their toilets at the same time! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forty-cool-maps-to-better-understand-the-world/666593/69 "2013-08-26T01:37:24Z")
> [@clairobscur](#): > > Map 3 : The UK invaded such places as Norway, Finland or Russia? That’s a quite broad understanding of the word “invaded” (obviously, landing and getting one’s ass kicked counts as an invasion) We’ve done a thread on this claim. The actual initial claim is for “military action” which includes such things as participation in UN actions. > [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Map 11: Also surprising that none of the most-heavily-traveled airline routes are in either North America or Western Europe. If you notice a good number of those are in Japan. They are incredibly efficient on getting people in and out of those planes. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2013, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forty-cool-maps-to-better-understand-the-world/666593/70 "2013-08-26T14:28:07Z")
> [@Svejk\_1](#): > > You’re not getting the colors right, wine is most popular in Sweden. Strange. I thought it would be beer, but I can understand why as wine is generally stronger than beer. I find it interesting that Andersson is noted as the most common name in Sweden as that is a very resent thing. It was just the other month I read that it had surpassed Johansson. The flag map is a bit incorrect. Greenland has its own flag and doesn’t use the Danish one. ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2013, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forty-cool-maps-to-better-understand-the-world/666593/71 "2013-09-08T03:15:07Z")
Here’s a new map, showing the most populous counties in the U.S.A. [Half the people in the country live in only 146 counties](http://www.businessinsider.com/half-of-the-united-states-lives-in-these-counties-2013-9). Yep, the county I live in is one of them. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2013, 4:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forty-cool-maps-to-better-understand-the-world/666593/72 "2013-09-08T04:07:58Z")
> [@Morgyn](#): > > Here’s a new map, showing the most populous counties in the U.S.A. [Half the people in the country live in only 146 counties](http://www.businessinsider.com/half-of-the-united-states-lives-in-these-counties-2013-9). Yep, the county I live in is one of them. Mine too! Cool map. Interesting to see there are entire states - even multiple adjoining states - with none of those counties. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2013, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forty-cool-maps-to-better-understand-the-world/666593/73 "2013-09-08T04:37:23Z")
> [@Morgyn](#): > > Here’s a new map, showing the most populous counties in the U.S.A. [Half the people in the country live in only 146 counties](http://www.businessinsider.com/half-of-the-united-states-lives-in-these-counties-2013-9). Yep, the county I live in is one of them. I live in one of them! Top 50th precentile!! F#@^ You High School guidance counsellor!!! ---
**Author:** ![42fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/b487fb/32.png) [@42fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/42fish)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2013, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forty-cool-maps-to-better-understand-the-world/666593/74 "2013-09-08T14:34:39Z")
> [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](#): > > Map 7: I wouldn’t have guessed that the most common surname in France is Martin or in Sicily is Borg. I think ‘Borg’ is meant to be the most common last name for Malta. (They’ve been assimilated! Resistance is futile.) ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2013, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forty-cool-maps-to-better-understand-the-world/666593/75 "2013-09-08T23:19:36Z")
> [@Morgyn](#): > > Here’s a new map, showing the most populous counties in the U.S.A. [Half the people in the country live in only 146 counties](http://www.businessinsider.com/half-of-the-united-states-lives-in-these-counties-2013-9). Yep, the county I live in is one of them. Not only doesn’t my state contain one of those counties, but none of the states adjacent to my state contain one of those counties. ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forty-cool-maps-to-better-understand-the-world/666593/76 "2013-09-09T00:25:33Z")
[quote=“Gary “Wombat” Robson, post:75, topic:666593”] Not only doesn’t my state contain one of those counties, but none of the states adjacent to my state contain one of those counties. [/QUOTE] You knew you lived in the middle of nowhere. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forty-cool-maps-to-better-understand-the-world/666593/77 "2013-09-09T03:11:52Z")
> [@Morgyn](#): > > You knew you lived in the middle of nowhere. 😉 I did, indeed. The population density in my county is three dwellings per square mile. Of course, the county includes a whole lot of national forest, wilderness, BLM land, state-owned land, and an Indian reservation, but that’s still pretty darned low-density. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2013, 8:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forty-cool-maps-to-better-understand-the-world/666593/78 "2013-10-31T08:56:33Z")
Another collection (some of which were in the previous collection): [40 Maps They Didn’t Teach You In School](http://www.boredpanda.com/fun-maps-they-didnt-teach-you-in-school/) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/forty-cool-maps-to-better-understand-the-world/666593.md?page=3)