“What a wonderful world,” sang Louis Armstrong once upon a time. And we at Bored Panda couldn't agree more. With 195 countries, there’s no shortage of places to explore. It’s truly amazing how one part of the world is totally different to another. That’s one of the wonders of traveling. You get to explore different languages, cultures, currencies and culinary delights. What you eat in Asia might not be the same as the meal you make in Antarctica. What you wear in Wales won’t necessarily be the same as your outfit in Western Sahara.
If you have a serious case of wanderlust but can’t hop on a plane just yet. Don’t stress. Bored Panda has compiled a list of the coolest charts that show incredible contrasts from places around the world. Keep scrolling to satisfy your worldly curiosities. And read about some of the history of world travel.
#1 Tally Marks From Around The World
Image credits: TheBigGlizzy
#2 Animal World Map
Image credits: AndrePaz
#3 Never Noticed Giraffes Had Different Patterns
Image credits: onlmaps
It’s easy to “travel” the world from the comfort of your home. There’s no shortage of vloggers showing us what each and every country has to offer. And you need just scroll through Instagram to live vicariously through them. There are people racking up impressive lists of places they’ve visited. And some even boast about having been to every, or almost every one.
Today, we can book a plane ticket using just our phones. We can find out about our destination long before we even arrive. We’re likely to know exactly where we are going. How long it’ll take to get there. What some things will cost. And what to pack. But it wasn’t always like that.
#4 The Average Cost Of Insulin By Country
Image credits: Marcus Lu
#5 Real Proportions Of All Land Masses Revealing Actual Areas Of Countries, Territories And Major Islands Without Any Distortions
Image credits: artlebedev.com
#6 Guide To Asian Architecture
Image credits: panzerxiii
Imagine a time when people thought the world was flat. They risked their lives to explore unknown territories and discover new places. They traveled by ship and on horseback, without the convenience of Google Maps, TripAdvisor, Uber, or even travel agents.
#7 Countries That Got Tea Via China Through Land, Referred To It In Various Forms Of The Word "Cha". The Countries That Traded With China Via Sea, Called It In Different Forms Of "Te"
Image credits: reddit.com
#8 Different Kinds Of Cheesecake. They Might Look Similar, But They Are Definitely Not The Same
Image credits: TasteAtlas
#9 Hedgehogs Of The World
Image credits: Rohan Chakravarty
The Age of Exploration began in the 15th century. Also sometimes called the Age Of Discovery. Europeans started venturing out of their comfort zone and into the vast wide world. Fuelled by a drive to find trade routes, spices, knowledge and wealth. While their “discovery” of the Americas and Africa brought back big benefits, it also opened up the door to colonization and slavery.
#10 Passenger Railway Networks In 2020
Image credits: TraveGeo
#11 Wall Sockets From Around The World
Image credits: raask
#12 Where Penguins Are Found Naturally In The World
Image credits: cheeseface35
Portuguese explorer Bartholomew Dias led the first European expedition around the southernmost tip of Africa. And helped pave the way for a trade route between Europe and Asia. Dias left Europe with three ships in August 1487. He managed to pass the Cape of Good Hope the following year. And sailed out of the Atlantic Ocean, around Cape Agulhas, and into the Indian Ocean.
#13 Paid Leave By Country
Image credits: npjprods
#14 Which Countries Have Capybaras
Image credits: No_Significance_8874
#15 Female Political Leaders By Country
Image credits: Katharina Buchholz
Following hot on Dias’ heels was Christopher Columbus. He was an Italian explorer. He’s often credited with “discovering” the New World. But those already living there at the time might beg to differ. Columbus was on a mission to find a direct route from Europe to Asia. He made four transatlantic trips in 1492, 1493, 1498 and 1502.
#16 Share Of World Forests By Country
Image credits: ecoclimax.com
#17 What Sound Do Frogs Make In Your Language?
Image credits: atlasova
#18 Countries With The Most Expensive Healthcare
Image credits: Katharina Buchholz
Portuguese Ferdinand Magellan and his crew were the first to circumnavigate the globe. It took the crew three years to get back home. But it was so dangerous that only one ship returned. As History.com notes, “only 18 of the fleet’s original crew of 270 returned with the ship. Magellan himself was killed in battle on the voyage, but his ambitious expedition proved that the globe could be circled by sea and that the world was much larger than had previously been imagined.”
#19 Breads Of The World
Image credits: tasteatlas
#20 Highest Ocean Plastic Waste Polluters
Image credits: Louis Lugas Wicaksono
#21 A Cool Guide Of Highest Temperatures Ever Recorded
Image credits: aljazeera.com
Nowadays, we don’t need to take three years to make our way around the planet. Charles Lindbergh opened up a whole new world of possibilities when he flew solo across the Atlantic. He left New York on May 20 1927. And arrived in Paris 33,5 hours later. He had traveled more than 3,600miles. By the 1950s, commercial flights were taking passengers around the world.
#22 North American Cryptids
Image credits: reddit.com
#23 Happiest Countries In Europe
Image credits: Individual-Sun-9426
#24 What Pedestrians Look Like Across Europe
Image credits: 3OxenABunchofOnions
These explorers were just some of the people who paved the way for us to know about and enjoy the differences between countries around the world. Today, we can book a round the world trip using just our mobile devices. It's convenient, generally safe and a lot faster than it was back in the day. What countries have you already been to? What countries do you still want to go to? Let us know in the comments.
#25 Do Cats Have 9 Or 7 Lives According To Folklore In Each Language Of Each Region
Image credits: loverofgeography
#26 The Usual Time Of Eating Dinner In Europe
Image credits: reddit.com
#27 Most Popular Sandwiches In The World
Image credits: tasteatlas
#28 The Most Popular Browsers In Different Countries In 2012 And 2022
Image credits: theworldmaps
#29 What Gasoline Is Called Around The World
Image credits: King_Lunis
#30 Legal Drinking Age In Europe
Image credits: dmitar_zvonimir_mapping
#31 Which Countries Drive On The Left Or Right?
Image credits: rhinocarhire.com
#32 Places Named Victoria
Image credits: ButtholeQuiver
#33 Blonde Map Of Europe
Image credits: DoTheEvolution
#34 Butter Or Olive Oil? Based On Actual Per Capita Consumption
Image credits: landgeist.com
#35 McDonald's Restaurants In Europe
Image credits: dmitar_zvonimir_mapping
#36 Yogurts Of The World
Image credits: malker84
#37 Male To Female Ratio
Image credits: Hockputer09
#38 Places Where It’s Hardest To Afford A Home
Image credits: Katharina Buchholz
#39 Share Of Young People In Europe, Aged 25-34, Who Are Still Living With Their Parents
Image credits: Bezbojnicul
#40 The World’s Most Popular Religions
Image credits: voronoiapp.com
#41 Europe's Most Famous Composers
Image credits: One_Perspective_8761
#42 A Cool Guide Of Happiness Level By Country In 2024
Image credits: visualcapitalist
#43 The Most Futuristic Countries In The World
Image credits: MiltonMerloXD
#44 Grading Systems Used In European Countries
Image credits: imusingreddityay
#45 The Most Used Apps In Order To Communicate With Each Other In Europe
Image credits: loverofgeography
#46 Average Male Height In Centimeters In Europe 2022
Image credits: takibouhnik
#47 Some Really Low Temperatures
Image credits: dmitar_zvonimir_mapping
#48 Tobacco Use Around The World
Image credits: jpc4stro
#49 A Periodic Table Of Which Country Produces The Most Of Each Element
Image credits: One-Seat-4600
#50 How Much Time Until You Make One Million Dollars
Image credits: picodi.com
English (US) ·