Lab 1

 

Source: Brittish Petroleum

The map above shows the countries of the world, sized by their oil reserves. The color coating used in the map serves to provided knowledge of the users of oil. As evidenced by the augmented size of Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries, a majority of the world oil reserves lies in a small geographic region. The Middle East alone accounts for over 60% of the world oil reserves. This map is particularly interesting because of the political instability of many Middle Eastern countries like Libya. Petroleum products range from fuel to plastics, and even a small loss in accessibility to world oil reserves can result in a sharp spike in the prices of goods and services.

Source: nysubway.com

The map above shows the New York City subway system, which includes subway buses and rails. The different transit lines are color coded and all stops south of central park are shown. This map is particularly interesting because it shows the interconnectedness of New York City. As a result, one can travel anywhere in the city faster by rail then by personal car. Not only is the subway system more convenient, but is cheaper as well. It would be nice to build a subway system in Los Angeles that connects Downtown Los Angeles, West Los Angeles, and Orange County together. Traffic is horrible in Los Angeles, and expansive subway system has the potential to keep the 405 moving!

 

Source: Krygier

The map above shows the amount of collegiate basketball players per capita from all the counties in the United States between 1958-1988. The darker the region, the greater the number of players per capita. This time frame coincides with John Wooden's ten title run in the 70's and 80's. What's interesting, is the amount of competitive NCAA teams that come from areas that lack collegiate basketball players. For example, the Big 10 and Big 12 conferences are located primarily in the Midwest, which contains various light areas. The ability of coaches to recruit players into these schools and coach effectively help explain the success of many Big 10 and Big 12 teams.