Hundred Million Person Tribes

Each circle represents a region of the world with a population of about a hundred million people
Western USA
Western USA
Western USA
Western USA
Western USA
Western USA
Western USA
Western USA
Western USA
Northeastern USA
Northeastern USA
Northeastern USA
Northeastern USA
Northeastern USA
Northeastern USA
Northeastern USA
Northeastern USA
Northeastern USA
Southeastern USA
Southeastern USA
Southeastern USA
Southeastern USA
Southeastern USA
Southeastern USA
Southeastern USA
Southeastern USA
Southeastern USA
Mexico
Mexico
Mexico
Mexico
Mexico
Mexico
Mexico
Mexico
Mexico
Central America
Central America
Central America
Central America
Central America
Central America
Central America
Central America
Central America
Northern Andes
Northern Andes
Northern Andes
Northern Andes
Northern Andes
Northern Andes
Northern Andes
Northern Andes
Northern Andes
Southern Andes
Southern Andes
Southern Andes
Southern Andes
Southern Andes
Southern Andes
Southern Andes
Southern Andes
Southern Andes
Brazil
Brazil
Brazil
Brazil
Brazil
Brazil
Brazil
Brazil
Brazil
Southern Brazil
Southern Brazil
Southern Brazil
Southern Brazil
Southern Brazil
Southern Brazil
Southern Brazil
Southern Brazil
Southern Brazil
Britain
Britain
Britain
Britain
Britain
Britain
Britain
Britain
Britain
France
France
France
France
France
France
France
France
France
Italy & Iberia
Italy & Iberia
Italy & Iberia
Italy & Iberia
Italy & Iberia
Italy & Iberia
Italy & Iberia
Italy & Iberia
Italy & Iberia
Germany
Germany
Germany
Germany
Germany
Germany
Germany
Germany
Germany
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Balkans
Balkans
Balkans
Balkans
Balkans
Balkans
Balkans
Balkans
Balkans
Russia
Russia
Russia
Russia
Russia
Russia
Russia
Russia
Russia
Turkey
Turkey
Turkey
Turkey
Turkey
Turkey
Turkey
Turkey
Turkey
Middle East
Middle East
Middle East
Middle East
Middle East
Middle East
Middle East
Middle East
Middle East
Iran
Iran
Iran
Iran
Iran
Iran
Iran
Iran
Iran
Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia
Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan
Punjab
Punjab
Punjab
Punjab
Punjab
Punjab
Punjab
Punjab
Punjab
Northern India
Northern India
Northern India
Northern India
Northern India
Northern India
Northern India
Northern India
Northern India
Rajasthan & Gujurat
Rajasthan & Gujurat
Rajasthan & Gujurat
Rajasthan & Gujurat
Rajasthan & Gujurat
Rajasthan & Gujurat
Rajasthan & Gujurat
Rajasthan & Gujurat
Rajasthan & Gujurat
Uttar Pradesh East
Uttar Pradesh East
Uttar Pradesh East
Uttar Pradesh East
Uttar Pradesh East
Uttar Pradesh East
Uttar Pradesh East
Uttar Pradesh East
Uttar Pradesh East
Uttar Pradesh West
Uttar Pradesh West
Uttar Pradesh West
Uttar Pradesh West
Uttar Pradesh West
Uttar Pradesh West
Uttar Pradesh West
Uttar Pradesh West
Uttar Pradesh West
Bihar
Bihar
Bihar
Bihar
Bihar
Bihar
Bihar
Bihar
Bihar
West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal
Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh
East India
East India
East India
East India
East India
East India
East India
East India
East India
Orissa
Orissa
Orissa
Orissa
Orissa
Orissa
Orissa
Orissa
Orissa
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Karnataka & Kerala
Karnataka & Kerala
Karnataka & Kerala
Karnataka & Kerala
Karnataka & Kerala
Karnataka & Kerala
Karnataka & Kerala
Karnataka & Kerala
Karnataka & Kerala
Tamil Nadu & Sri Lanka
Tamil Nadu & Sri Lanka
Tamil Nadu & Sri Lanka
Tamil Nadu & Sri Lanka
Tamil Nadu & Sri Lanka
Tamil Nadu & Sri Lanka
Tamil Nadu & Sri Lanka
Tamil Nadu & Sri Lanka
Tamil Nadu & Sri Lanka
Myanmar & Thailand
Myanmar & Thailand
Myanmar & Thailand
Myanmar & Thailand
Myanmar & Thailand
Myanmar & Thailand
Myanmar & Thailand
Myanmar & Thailand
Myanmar & Thailand
Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam
Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra
Java
Java
Java
Java
Java
Java
Java
Java
Java
Oceania
Oceania
Oceania
Oceania
Oceania
Oceania
Oceania
Oceania
Oceania
Philippines
Philippines
Philippines
Philippines
Philippines
Philippines
Philippines
Philippines
Philippines
Northwestern China
Northwestern China
Northwestern China
Northwestern China
Northwestern China
Northwestern China
Northwestern China
Northwestern China
Northwestern China
Northeastern China
Northeastern China
Northeastern China
Northeastern China
Northeastern China
Northeastern China
Northeastern China
Northeastern China
Northeastern China
Hebei
Hebei
Hebei
Hebei
Hebei
Hebei
Hebei
Hebei
Hebei
Shandong
Shandong
Shandong
Shandong
Shandong
Shandong
Shandong
Shandong
Shandong
Jiangsu
Jiangsu
Jiangsu
Jiangsu
Jiangsu
Jiangsu
Jiangsu
Jiangsu
Jiangsu
Anhui & Zhejiang
Anhui & Zhejiang
Anhui & Zhejiang
Anhui & Zhejiang
Anhui & Zhejiang
Anhui & Zhejiang
Anhui & Zhejiang
Anhui & Zhejiang
Anhui & Zhejiang
Henan
Henan
Henan
Henan
Henan
Henan
Henan
Henan
Henan
Hubei
Hubei
Hubei
Hubei
Hubei
Hubei
Hubei
Hubei
Hubei
Sichuan & Yunnan
Sichuan & Yunnan
Sichuan & Yunnan
Sichuan & Yunnan
Sichuan & Yunnan
Sichuan & Yunnan
Sichuan & Yunnan
Sichuan & Yunnan
Sichuan & Yunnan
Guangxi & Guizhou
Guangxi & Guizhou
Guangxi & Guizhou
Guangxi & Guizhou
Guangxi & Guizhou
Guangxi & Guizhou
Guangxi & Guizhou
Guangxi & Guizhou
Guangxi & Guizhou
Hunan
Hunan
Hunan
Hunan
Hunan
Hunan
Hunan
Hunan
Hunan
Jiangxi
& Fujian
Jiangxi
& Fujian
Jiangxi
& Fujian
Jiangxi
& Fujian
Jiangxi
& Fujian
Jiangxi
& Fujian
Jiangxi
& Fujian
Jiangxi
& Fujian
Jiangxi
& Fujian
Guangdong
Guangdong
Guangdong
Guangdong
Guangdong
Guangdong
Guangdong
Guangdong
Guangdong
Japan
Japan
Japan
Japan
Japan
Japan
Japan
Japan
Japan
Korea
Korea
Korea
Korea
Korea
Korea
Korea
Korea
Korea
North Africa
North Africa
North Africa
North Africa
North Africa
North Africa
North Africa
North Africa
North Africa
Egypt
Egypt
Egypt
Egypt
Egypt
Egypt
Egypt
Egypt
Egypt
Sahara
Sahara
Sahara
Sahara
Sahara
Sahara
Sahara
Sahara
Sahara
Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia
West Africa
West Africa
West Africa
West Africa
West Africa
West Africa
West Africa
West Africa
West Africa
West Nigeria
West Nigeria
West Nigeria
West Nigeria
West Nigeria
West Nigeria
West Nigeria
West Nigeria
West Nigeria
East Nigeria
East Nigeria
East Nigeria
East Nigeria
East Nigeria
East Nigeria
East Nigeria
East Nigeria
East Nigeria
Congo
Congo
Congo
Congo
Congo
Congo
Congo
Congo
Congo
East Africa
East Africa
East Africa
East Africa
East Africa
East Africa
East Africa
East Africa
East Africa
Southeastern Africa
Southeastern Africa
Southeastern Africa
Southeastern Africa
Southeastern Africa
Southeastern Africa
Southeastern Africa
Southeastern Africa
Southeastern Africa
Southern Africa
Southern Africa
Southern Africa
Southern Africa
Southern Africa
Southern Africa
Southern Africa
Southern Africa
Southern Africa
100,000,000
100,000,000
100,000,000
100,000,000
100,000,000
100,000,000
100,000,000
100,000,000
100,000,000

Notes

Splitting the world population into equal chunks allows comparisons between regions at a glance

The disparity between the crowded Old World and the relatively sparsely populated New World is clear from the map. The Americas are represented by 9 circles, compared to 58 for the rest of the world.

The US population is represented by just 3 circles. With the spread of technology and ideas, it is not difficult to forsee a time when most people in the world are as productive as the average American. A quick glance at this map shows that when this happens, the US economy will be dwarfed by each of the economies of Africa, India and China.

There are many ways the US might prepare for this inevitable power shift. At the moment, US policy seems to be focused on preventing it from happening, by erecting trade barriers, enforcing bullying patents and demonstrating military might. Perhaps it would be better if the US just accepted that it's going to be one power among many, and concentrated on making friends rather than enemies.

Comments

Diana ⋅ 3 December 2013

so many countries you named as balkans ARE NOT balkans!..balkans are those countries that belong to the balkanic half island..learn geography before you make something like this public

Mark Jeffery ⋅ 3 December 2013

You're right, Diana, the names I've given the tribes are rough and ready. Ireland and Scandinavia, for example, are definitely not part of Britain. In the same way, not all the countries I've grouped under the Balkans are strictly part of the Balkans, but I've named the tribe for the region where the larger part of the population lives.

Grouping Ireland with Britain, or Tamil Nadu with Sri Lanka, or Tibet with Northwestern China, or any part of the Balkans with any other part of the Balkans risks inflaming feelings in those parts of the world. On the other hand, imagining tribes based merely on geographical proximity does cut through political and cultural boundaries in interesting ways.

Kris Santos ⋅ 16 May 2021

This map is amazing! It must've taken a lot of effort.

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More

Compare this with the Trillion Dollar Economies map to contrast population with GDP

More people made thinkable

Latest things made thinkable

Date

First published December 2010

other pages on things made thinkable

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How far can you travel for $10?   Regulation Will Kill the Web   National Stereotypes in a word
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