The map below superimposes the economies of fifty countries over the United States. Click it to expand (or download the map as a PDF file).

Economic Map of the World as States

The Comparisons

Nominal GDP data for 185 countries was compared to the nominal GDP of each of the fifty states. For each state, the one country with the most similar GDP figure was mapped to that state.

The Data

The comparisons are based on the IMF’s most recent World Economic Outlook database and, for the states, the BEA’s 2006 GDP figures.

Because data for 2006 is available for the states, we made the country comparisons based on that calendar year where possible; otherwise, we used data for the next most recent calendar (or if necessary, fiscal) year.

What the Map Does and Doesn’t Show

This is a novel exercise, a tongue-in-cheek set of comparisons with no real inductive value. If we wished to analyze the relative differences among national economies (in order to support global investment allocation, for example), we would have little use for such a cheeky graphic.

There’s no better explanation of this type of map, its insights and shortcomings, than Nicholas Vardy’s. To that explanation, we would add only that discrepancies between our map and other versions are due to differences in the data sets employed, the time periods considered, and the decisions made regarding how the data is to be sorted for purposes of country/state matching.

Credit Where It’s Due

The original idea for this map was not ours; a while back, we came across a version at The Global Guru. An even earlier instance may have originated at The York Group. (We were unable to locate the map on York’s site, but incorporate it here by way of citation.) Finally, the base graphical image is licensed under these free content terms. ♦