Ever wonder how we put together those cool maps? This page gives you the lowdown on where our data comes from and how we make it look good!
Think of us as data detectives we only go to the best sources!
The World Bank: These guys are like the United Nations of finance and development. They have a HUGE collection of info on all sorts of things, from how economies are doing to education and health. They're super serious about getting it right because they want to help make the world a better place. We trust their data because they have high standards and really know their stuff.
REST Countries: This is like a handy encyclopedia of countries. It gives us all sorts of basic info like where countries are, how many people live there, and what region they're in. It helps us fill in the gaps and make sure our maps have all the essential country details. They make it easy to grab this info, which is awesome for us!
So, when you pick something to look at (like GDP), we grab the latest info straight from the World Bank and REST Countries. We don't change the numbers at all we just use them as they are.
Then, to make the maps easy to read, we sort the countries into groups, or "buckets," based on their data. Think of it like sorting apples by size. We don't make the apples bigger or smaller, just put the small ones together, the medium ones together, and the big ones together. That way, you can easily see which countries are in the same ballpark. We just show you what the World Bank gives us!
This is where the magic happens! We use a bit of computer coding (JavaScript) to turn those numbers into colorful maps. Each country gets a color based on which "bucket" it falls into. We use a smooth color change, going from a fresh lime-green for the lowest numbers to a bright red for the highest. If we can't find data for a country, we just color it white so you know it's not included. This helps you see patterns and differences super quickly!
We really care about being accurate and telling you where everything comes from.
We stick to the facts: We use reliable sources and show the data exactly as they give it to us.
We're an open book: We want you to know where our data comes from and how we make the maps.
What you see is what we got: If the original data has a mistake, it'll show up on our site because we don't change anything.
Since we rely on other people for the data, a couple of things to remember:
We can only show what they give us: If the World Bank or REST Countries doesn't have data for a certain country or topic, we won't have it either.
Sometimes data is missing: Not all countries have information for every single thing.
We think it's important to be clear about how we do things so you can trust the information you find here. We hope this helps you explore and understand the world a little better!