The 13 Best Maps of 2013

An item that's been on my list to learn more about for a while (and that I vocalized recently) has been visualizing data specifically geographically. Geovisualization (which I'm using loosely) is intriguing because it is engaging even for the non-data nerds. I think because of that mass appeal it can have a huge impact when used correctly.

Recently, I stumbled across this collection of the best maps from 2013. Here are my favorites, in no particular order, a few notes about each:

• Popular Baby Names - This set of maps is easily consumed at the state level. Any deeper level of analysis would make it too hard to process. I like how they have six full decades of male and female names. It's cool to watch how names come into popularity.
• Craft Beer - This one doesn't have as much data. And by that I guess I mean it doesn't feel like it has as much data. Regardless, it's about beer. Beer, people. I really enjoyed the fastest growing breweries and also being able to hover each one to get a bit more information.

Closest Pizza Places

• Closest Pizza Place - While this one isn't interactive I liked how it was broken down to the county level. That's a lot of detail about pizza place location.
• Adjusted Country Size based on Population - This was one of those that didn't really shock me, but it's not something I think about everyday and then when you see it visualized it really helps you remember how the world's population is distributed.