Simon Kuestenmacher
@simongerman600.bsky.social
German #geographer and #demographer in #Melbourne. I love and share #maps and #data that explain how the #world works.
Winters in most of the US are colder than they are in Canada's warmest city (Victoria). That's a bumper sticker slogan that should sell well in Victoria?! Source: buff.ly/WsTcKUR
November 25, 2025 at 10:55 AM
Winters in most of the US are colder than they are in Canada's warmest city (Victoria). That's a bumper sticker slogan that should sell well in Victoria?! Source: buff.ly/WsTcKUR
This map shows the share of homes across the US with at least one air conditioner.
November 24, 2025 at 10:49 PM
This map shows the share of homes across the US with at least one air conditioner.
New payment offers (total package) made to Senior Software Engineers (SWE) at the biggest tech companies in the US are juicy! A lot of money to be made. Source: buff.ly/WsTcKUR
November 24, 2025 at 8:42 PM
New payment offers (total package) made to Senior Software Engineers (SWE) at the biggest tech companies in the US are juicy! A lot of money to be made. Source: buff.ly/WsTcKUR
Turns out I knew all (well, except for one) of the biggest German companies by market cap. As a German this is kinda expected though...
November 24, 2025 at 6:38 PM
Turns out I knew all (well, except for one) of the biggest German companies by market cap. As a German this is kinda expected though...
Same phenomenon, different area, different name.
November 24, 2025 at 4:30 PM
Same phenomenon, different area, different name.
He ain't named Sideshow Bob everywhere! Tahiti Bob is kind of a wild name...
November 24, 2025 at 2:26 PM
He ain't named Sideshow Bob everywhere! Tahiti Bob is kind of a wild name...
The UN predicts that as the Australian population continues to grow, the share of people living in the big cities further increases. The share of people living in regional towns continues to drop. The rural / remote population remains stable. Source: buff.ly/rXn3HJP
November 24, 2025 at 10:55 AM
The UN predicts that as the Australian population continues to grow, the share of people living in the big cities further increases. The share of people living in regional towns continues to drop. The rural / remote population remains stable. Source: buff.ly/rXn3HJP
Really cool little map of the Black Sea. Quite a bit of drama in this visual I would say. Source: buff.ly/2ZPPHoo
November 23, 2025 at 10:49 PM
Really cool little map of the Black Sea. Quite a bit of drama in this visual I would say. Source: buff.ly/2ZPPHoo
If you wonder why all these superpowers in the last 100-odd years struggled to conquer Afghanistan you’ll just need to look at the country’s topography. Source:https://buff.ly/2I37UGp
November 23, 2025 at 8:42 PM
If you wonder why all these superpowers in the last 100-odd years struggled to conquer Afghanistan you’ll just need to look at the country’s topography. Source:https://buff.ly/2I37UGp
The Fergana Valley Region. A tricky piece of land to navigate... Uzbekistan owns the valley. Kyrgyzstan owns the mountains surrounding the valley. Tajikistan owns the entrance to the valley. Enclaves/exclaves everywhere. Source: buff.ly/2MGXhwc
November 23, 2025 at 6:38 PM
The Fergana Valley Region. A tricky piece of land to navigate... Uzbekistan owns the valley. Kyrgyzstan owns the mountains surrounding the valley. Tajikistan owns the entrance to the valley. Enclaves/exclaves everywhere. Source: buff.ly/2MGXhwc
Russia now increased the amount of extremely valuable soil (agricultural land) that it holds in Ukraine. I assume this will be part of the "this war was a success" narrative that the Kremlin will eventually push. Source: buff.ly/aRLm1rq
November 23, 2025 at 4:30 PM
Russia now increased the amount of extremely valuable soil (agricultural land) that it holds in Ukraine. I assume this will be part of the "this war was a success" narrative that the Kremlin will eventually push. Source: buff.ly/aRLm1rq
Germans now have (slightly) higher English language proficiency than the Nordic nations. Somehow, the Australians and Dutch are better yet! Source: buff.ly/vpchRZk
November 23, 2025 at 2:26 PM
Germans now have (slightly) higher English language proficiency than the Nordic nations. Somehow, the Australians and Dutch are better yet! Source: buff.ly/vpchRZk
Throughout the last 2000 years, only five cities have the right to claim to have been "Europe's largest city". Source: buff.ly/vpchRZk
November 23, 2025 at 10:55 AM
Throughout the last 2000 years, only five cities have the right to claim to have been "Europe's largest city". Source: buff.ly/vpchRZk
Guinea’s $23bn Simandou iron ore project is now the world’s biggest new mine. Its ultra high-grade ore could cut emissions in steelmaking, reshape the iron ore market in China’s favour, and potentially transform Guinea’s economy.
FT story: buff.ly/bkri1e1
France24 video: buff.ly/XOQoqdQ
FT story: buff.ly/bkri1e1
France24 video: buff.ly/XOQoqdQ
November 22, 2025 at 10:49 PM
Guinea’s $23bn Simandou iron ore project is now the world’s biggest new mine. Its ultra high-grade ore could cut emissions in steelmaking, reshape the iron ore market in China’s favour, and potentially transform Guinea’s economy.
FT story: buff.ly/bkri1e1
France24 video: buff.ly/XOQoqdQ
FT story: buff.ly/bkri1e1
France24 video: buff.ly/XOQoqdQ
Male circumcision is most common in Africa, the Middle East, and for some reason in the Midwest of the US? Source: buff.ly/vpchRZk
November 22, 2025 at 8:42 PM
Male circumcision is most common in Africa, the Middle East, and for some reason in the Midwest of the US? Source: buff.ly/vpchRZk
Here @pythonmaps shows us all the wildfires of 2024 in a single view. I can’t remember having ever seen a news report about African wildfires as a resident of Germany, the US, and Australia.
November 22, 2025 at 6:38 PM
Here @pythonmaps shows us all the wildfires of 2024 in a single view. I can’t remember having ever seen a news report about African wildfires as a resident of Germany, the US, and Australia.
This physical map of North America by the masterful @mtnmapper puts the location of Greenland and Iceland into perspective. You can grab the map here: buff.ly/M3Y4zrV
November 22, 2025 at 4:30 PM
This physical map of North America by the masterful @mtnmapper puts the location of Greenland and Iceland into perspective. You can grab the map here: buff.ly/M3Y4zrV
Curaçao 🇨🇼 will be the smallest nation ever to compete at the football ⚽️ World Cup. That’s like the Australian city of Cairns competing at the world’s biggest sporting event. Herne in Germany would be another example; Dundee in Scotland yet another…
November 22, 2025 at 2:26 PM
Curaçao 🇨🇼 will be the smallest nation ever to compete at the football ⚽️ World Cup. That’s like the Australian city of Cairns competing at the world’s biggest sporting event. Herne in Germany would be another example; Dundee in Scotland yet another…
Make housing unaffordable, make higher education more expensive, make young people feel left behind and they will turn their backs on “the system”.
November 22, 2025 at 12:05 PM
Make housing unaffordable, make higher education more expensive, make young people feel left behind and they will turn their backs on “the system”.
Whaaaaat?! About 70 percent of US Americans haven’t even heard of Larry Page or Sergey Brin? I guess it’s better than being despised…
November 22, 2025 at 10:55 AM
Whaaaaat?! About 70 percent of US Americans haven’t even heard of Larry Page or Sergey Brin? I guess it’s better than being despised…
This map shows the radioactive cloud moving through Europe after the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. This was super scary and set off a strong anti-nuclear sentiment. To this day the Green political movement is linked to its anti-nuclear roots. Source: buff.ly/30L9Qu9
November 22, 2025 at 3:43 AM
This map shows the radioactive cloud moving through Europe after the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. This was super scary and set off a strong anti-nuclear sentiment. To this day the Green political movement is linked to its anti-nuclear roots. Source: buff.ly/30L9Qu9
The Australian population visualized as slimy green mountains? Nope. These are the cultivable areas 🌾🌿🌱🌻 displayed like mountains. Actually a cool map by @MBattaglia07!
November 21, 2025 at 9:27 PM
The Australian population visualized as slimy green mountains? Nope. These are the cultivable areas 🌾🌿🌱🌻 displayed like mountains. Actually a cool map by @MBattaglia07!
This visualization by @pythonmaps (a must follow account) shows global shipping lanes in the gorgeous ocean-centered Spillhaus projection. Extremely pleasing to look at!
November 21, 2025 at 6:03 PM
This visualization by @pythonmaps (a must follow account) shows global shipping lanes in the gorgeous ocean-centered Spillhaus projection. Extremely pleasing to look at!
Say what you will about Trump but he kept hurricanes away.
November 21, 2025 at 12:05 PM
Say what you will about Trump but he kept hurricanes away.