Adam Symington

Dec 29, 2023 | visualcapitalist.com | Adam Symington |Freny Fernandes

Mapping Cropland Cover Around the WorldOver the last 50 years, the world’s human population worldwide has grown exponentially. And this population explosion brought greater food production needs with it, through livestock breeding, cropland expansion, and other increases in land use. But how evenly is this land distributed globally? In this graphic, Adam Symington maps global croplands as of 2019, based on a 2021 scientific paper published in Nature by Peter Potapov et al.

Sep 22, 2023 | visualcapitalist.com | Adam Symington |Bruno Venditti

Charting the Depths: The World of Subsea CablesData may be stored in the “cloud,” but when it comes to sending and receiving data, a lot of that action is actually happening along the depths of the ocean floor. Hidden beneath the waves, these subsea cables account for approximately 95% of international data transmission. These maps, by Adam Symington, use information from TeleGeography to show the distribution of subsea cables around the planet.

Jul 23, 2023 | visualcapitalist.com | Adam Symington |Pallavi Rao

Mapped: Global Livestock Distribution and DensityCombined together, meat, dairy, and eggs make up nearly 18% of the average person’s diet. But in order for these meat and animal products to reach consumers, a vast global livestock industry—one supporting the livelihoods of 1.3 billion people globally—operates in fields and farms largely unseen from major cities. So where are the various types of livestock concentrated in the world? And how do national consumption habits influence animal husbandry?

Jun 16, 2023 | visualcapitalist.com | Adam Symington |Freny Fernandes

Mapping Human Impact Across the WorldSince the dawn of human history, our activities have left an impact on Earth—from gathering food to farming, from building homes and cities to traveling across oceans. And as the global population expanded and civilizations became more complex, that impact grew alongside it. Mass agriculture, natural resource extraction, and creation of urban infrastructure are just some of the visible markers of modern human development.

May 26, 2023 | visualcapitalist.com | Adam Symington |Freny Fernandes

European Colonial Shipping Lanes (1700‒1850)Every year, thousands of ships ferry passengers and transport goods across the world’s oceans and seas. 200 years ago, the ships navigating these waters looked very different. Explorers and traders sailed from coast to coast to expand colonial empires, find personal riches, or both. Before modern technology simplified bookkeeping, many ships kept detailed logbooks to navigate, tracking the winds, waves, and any remarkable weather.