June 1, 2016
#1688: Map Age Guide
[A very complicated flow chart, which can only be read in detail using the larger image now shown at the top of this page. This transcript uses the large version, which is more legible.]
[At the top of the chart there is a large caption, with a smaller caption below:]
Guide to figuring out the age of an undated world map
(Assuming it’s complete, labeled in English, and detailed enough)
[Below the starting bracket in the small caption is a start box. It has rounded corners and it is gray with white text. From this box there is a gray line to a box consisting of a black frame with rounded corners. In these kind of boxes there are questions regarding the map in black text. Below this box there are three gray boxes like the start box, superimposed over the bottom frame. In these boxes are the possible answers to the question in the frame above. From each of these options there is a gray line going to similar black framed boxes with other questions either below, or to either side. There can either be two, three or four gray boxes, two the most common. Only at the very bottom of the central branch where it turns out it was a home made map, are there two frames with only one gray question box each. This trend continues over this entire large image. When reaching the end of a branch in the flow chart, there is no line away from one, more or all of the gray boxes for a black frame. When this happens a year range or a guess at what the map shows, or what it is (if it turns out to not be a map) is written below the gray box in gray text. Of the text in the gray boxes are Yes/No, but not always. There are 74 boxes with black frames with 158 gray boxes and 78 endpoints with text below the gray box and one end point without text below (the one with the home made map).]
Start
Istanbul or Constantinople?
Constantinople
Do any of these exist?
- Independent Canada
- US Territory of Alaska
- Tokyo
No
The Holy Roman Empire?
Yes
1805 or earlier (before this point, the modern idea of a complete political map of the world gets hard to apply.)
No
The United States?
No
How sure are you that this map is in English?
Yes
Texas is…
Part of Mexico
Florida is part of…
Spain
Paraguay?
No 1806–10
Yes 1811–17
The US
Venezuela and/or Ecuador?
No 1818–29
Yes 1830–33
Independent 1834–45
Part of the US
Does Russia border the Sea of Japan?
No
The US’s southern border looks…
Weird 1846–53
Normal 1854–56
Yes 1858–67
Yes
South Africa?
No
Rhodesia?
No
Is Bolivia landlocked?
No
“Buda” and “Pest” or “Budapest”?
Buda and Pest 1868–72
Budapest 1873–83
Yes 1884–95
Yes
Is Norway part of Sweden?
Yes 1896–1905
No 1906–09
Yes
Austria-Hungary?
Yes
Albania?
No 1910–12
Yes 1913–18
No
Leningrad?
No 1919–23
Yes 1924–29
Neither
Does the Ottoman Empire exist?
Yes #canada-alaska-tokyo
No
The Soviet Union?
Yes
Saudi Arabia?
Yes
Is most of West Africa a giant french blob?
Yes
Pakistan?
No
How many Germanys are there?
One
Persia or Iran?
Persia 1930–34
Iran 1935–40
One, but it’s huge 1941–45
Two 1946–47
Yes
Cambodia?
No
Eritrea is part of…
Italy
Canada is…
Missing a piece 1948
Fine
The town on I-25 between Albuquerque and El Paso is…
Hot Springs 1948-49
Truth or Consequences 1950–52
Ethiopia 1952–53
Yes
The United Arab Republic?
No 1954–57
Yes 1958–60
No
How many Vietnams are there?
Two
Bangladesh?
No
Is the area south of Lake Victoria…
British 1960
Tanganyika 1961–64
Tanzania 1965–71
Yes 1972–75
One
Jimmy Carter is…
Being attacked by a giant swimming rabbit April 20, 1979
Fine
The Sinai is part of what country?
Israel 1976–79
Mostly Israel 1980
Mostly Egypt 1981
Egypt
What’s the capital of Micronesia?
Kolonia
Republic of the Upper Volta or Burkina Faso?
Upper Volta 1982–84
Burkina Faso 1985–88
Palikir
(number of Yemens) + (number of Germanys) = ?
Four 1989-early 1990
Three mid-1990
Two late 1990–1991
No 1922–1932
No
North Korea?
Yes
Zaire? or: “Hong Kong (UK)”
Yes 1992–96
No
Serbia/Montenegro are…
One country
East Timor?
No 1997–2001
Yes 2002–06
Two countries
How many Sudans are there?
One 2007–11
Two
Is Crimea disputed?
Yes
“Colorado” or “Danger—Radioactive Exclusion Zone—Avoid”?
Colorado 2014–21
Danger
Does the warning mention the spiders?
No 2022
Yes 2023 or later
No 2012–13
No
Saint Trimble’s Island
No
Is Jan Mayen part of the Kingdom of Norway?
Not yet
#canada-alaska-tokyo
What?
Can you see the familiar continents?
Yes
This sounds like a physical map or satellite photo.
Yes, that’s it
Is Lake Chad missing?
No
How far east do the American Prairies reach?
Indiana before 1830
The Mississippi 1830s-80s
Nebraska
Is there a big lake in the middle of Southern California? (created by mistake)
No 1860s-1900s
Yes 1910s
What prairies?
Is there a big lake in the middle of Ghana? (created on purpose)
No 1920s-50s
Yes 1960s-70s
Yes
Is the Aral Sea missing?
No 1970s-90s
Yes 2000s+
No
Rivers “Sirion” or “Anduin”?
Yes
Mordor?
No
Beleriand?
Yes First Age
No Early Second Age
Yes
Númenor?
Yes Late Second Age
No
The forest east of the Misty Mountains is…
Greenwood Early Third Age
Mirkwood Late Third Age
The Wood of Greenleaves Fourth Age
No
Cair Paravel?
Yes
Calormen?
No
Lotta Islands?
No
Beruna
Ford The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Bridge Prince Caspian
Yes Dawn Treader
Yes
Weird recursive heaven?
No One of the random later books
Yes The Last Battle
No
Mossflower?
Yes
Redwall
No
Is the world on the back of a turtle?
Yes Discworld
No
Are you sure this is a map?
Yes
Did you make it yourself?
Yes
It’s very nice.
Thank you!
No
Is it trying to bite you?
No
Is it larger than a breadbox?
Yes tuba
No stapler
About the same breadbox
Yes
If you let it go, what does it do?
Hisses and runs away cat
Screeches and flaps around the room breaking things seagull
Yes
#pakistan
Yes No, I made that one up.
Istanbul
Does the Soviet Union exist?
Yes
#west-africa-french-blob
No
#zaire
Title text: Does the screeching chill your blood and herald death? If yes, banshee. If no, seagull.