How the Finnish Geospatial Challenge became a global social media phenomenon

A month without alcohol, without tobacco, without cutting the mustache, without ejaculation… November is a month of challenges of all kinds. Some are more creative than others, eg 30 DayMapChallenge. The principle: thirty subjects, one per day, illustrated by a map, which is then published on social networks. “Space”, “Ukraine”, “Red”, “Map in five minutes” … the list was fantasized by Tobi Tjokanov, a Finnish geographer who advocates for open data, free access to data for the benefit of all. Launched in 2019, his challenge has been a huge hit on Twitter.

The fifteenth day of #30 DayMapChallenge: food, drink. Global distribution of chickens in 2010. Inspired by chickens @employee.# opinion Adventures of the year #rstats tale pic.twitter.com/gdLU3teOC6

– Flotsam (researchremora) November 15, 2022

“Where is the food produced?”And the Where are the largest coffee consumers in the world?And the Or maybe you can make a map out of food? These are the pointers provided by Toby Tjukanov on his website for the Tuesday, November 15th topic, “Food/Drink.”

#30 DayMapChallenge 2022

Day fifteen: food and drink

Three transverse maps identified in food:

1. Australia’s Corn Flakes
2. Finland is in Gyoza
3. Sicily’s Kiwi

#thingsMap pic.twitter.com/IsZnG0ZtmS

– Jules Grandin (JulesGrandin) November 15, 2022

On Twitter, the topic inspires contributors around the world. Thus we can discover, in the map, the distribution of kebab sellers in the French capital, the consumption of coffee pods by region in Spain, the countries where the food is spicier all over the world or even the Ukrainian cities in which most drinkers of nalevka, a local brandy, are concentrated.

I took a few days off, however #30 DayMapChallenge Still continuing with the theme of the hexagon day! I loved horror # Tuesday A topic from a few weeks ago, so I decided to continue with it! I think I’m going to start a new series of # the horror So find more! pic.twitter.com/q8LWQmY66z

—Jacob Jameson (@JacobCJameson) November 14, 2022

Most of these models are the work of professors and researchers in geography or experts in data analysis who explain in a few words their method of work and give their sources almost systematically. The way they interpret each topic is also an opportunity for these cartographic enthusiasts to put their areas of interest – cultural, scientific or political – in the spotlight. For Hexagons Day, a Harvard student, for example, created a map of horror films made in the United States. It allows you to watch which US states cinema focus on assassinations.

Day 5 (Ukraine) and Day 8 (OpenStreetMap). #30 DayMapChallenge
The beautiful pattern of the Pripyat and Dnieper rivers converging in northern Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/rGVQDzgT83

—Andrew DC (@andrewdc_nz) November 5, 2022

For those who aren’t fans of that kind of rough countdown, the 30 DayMapChallenge is here It also presents beautiful exercises in style, when aesthetics meet. Like this map of Ukraine where the Pripyat and Dnieper rivers meet to form the magnificent and victorious “V”. “The maps people are sharing are amazing,” Toby Teukanov got excited on the ninth day of the challenge, admitting that he was unable to follow his own self-imposed daily card rhythm.