It is the love of maps and everything spatial that unites us and I can’t think of a better way to express it than by quoting Wisława Szymborska!

Flat as the table
it’s placed on.
Nothing moves beneath it
and it seeks no outlet.
Above—my human breath
creates no stirring air
and leaves its total surface
undisturbed….. (contd)

I like maps, because they lie.
Because they give no access to the vicious truth.
Because great-heartedly, good-naturedly
they spread before me a world
not of this world. – Wisława Szymborska (Read the full poem).

Here is a collection of some of the most Geoawesome maps that were featured on Geoawesomeness this year, I’m sure, we missed many more interesting and Geoawesome maps, do send us all those cool maps that we missed out this year. Maybe we need a separate post for the maps that were featured on Facebook and Twitter alone.

For more Geoawesome maps, follow us on Twitter @Geoawesomeness and like us on Facebook/GeoAwesomeness and our twitter hashtag for maps is #GeoawesomeMapOfTheDay!

Geoawesome Maps

Since the new year is around the corner, check out this one on “Happy New Year Tweets“. Got more appetite for nostalgia, then “Travel back in time with Google Street View‘.

• Who thought Maps can be delicious as well? “Delicious Cartography“.
• Selfies are already part of the dictionary and everyone in the world is already used to this form of modern photography but which city really “loves taking selfies” – The selfie Map
• Cultural stereotypes can be sometimes funny: The Map that divides Europe based on such lines
• Humanity’s cultural history mapped in a 5 minute video map

The Power of Maps

Maps are not only a really nice form of visualization, they can help make a statement as well!

• Maps can not only visualize crime but can also help combat it: How maps are helping law enforcement in South Africa
• The Map that reminds us that world still needs peace: The last 4o year Refugees map
• Political boundaries are slowly starting to fade away: The World divided by Airports
• Traveling between A and B can be beautiful too: The scenic route algorithm
• Maps and Urban planning insights: What overlaid paths can say about a city and Street grids visualization map

Augmented Reality Maps

Augmented Reality and Geospatial Tech go hand in hand, there have been a lot of really cool augmented reality applications using Geospatial data, Audi showcased a really cool augmented reality table map at CES 2014!

Map Art

If you ask a cartographer, they will surely agree that Maps are a piece of art but what happens when you convert a map into another form of Art. Find out more

• MapWheel
• Carpet Maps
• Airport runway collection
• Light painting public spaces
• Maps in Fashion

Interactive Maps

• The Geotagged Tweets Map
• The Interactive “Taxi trips map of NYC“
• The NYC “Access to Jobs Map“
• Barcelona is certainly a beautiful city: The Architectural history Map of Barcelona

Maps Search Engine

• Sometimes, it can be tiring to search for Maps. Thankfully, Google Maps Gallery promises to be the map search engine of the future (read more).
• The WikiMaps project: Building together an open collection of Historic maps

Global Warming

• The Map that shows temperatures in 2014: The hottest year in recorded history.
• What happens if all the Ice melts? National Geographic has mapped the answer to that question.
• But things are not totally lost, the global biodiversity atlas map still has some good news