https://i.ibb.co/r4717SD/map.png
― anvil, Wednesday, 20 March 2024 08:49 (one month ago) link
I want a try at one of these
― anvil, Wednesday, 20 March 2024 08:50 (one month ago) link
oooh, good idea! Stumped, though.
― StanM, Wednesday, 20 March 2024 11:48 (one month ago) link
• Doesn't appear to be anything natural like crops, since green covers everything from the Dominican Republic to Russia.
• Doesn't appear to be anything political or related to human rights.
• It doesn't look like any current or former UK possessions are noted, but there are plenty of non-UK places like Brazil unmarked.
― pplains, Wednesday, 20 March 2024 16:22 (one month ago) link
― StanM, Wednesday, March 20, 2024 6:48 AM bookmarkflaglink
Yeah, can we get a hint?
― m0stly clean (Slowsquatch), Wednesday, 20 March 2024 16:27 (one month ago) link
do Turkmenistan, Angola, Syria, Cameroon have a secret Eurovision type song competition we don't know about?
― StanM, Wednesday, 20 March 2024 16:46 (one month ago) link
Based on reverse frequency I'm assuming Chartreuse > Violet > Green ?
― citation needed (Steve Shasta), Wednesday, 20 March 2024 16:58 (one month ago) link
Nailed it!It's favourite colours by country.
― m0stly clean (Slowsquatch), Wednesday, 20 March 2024 17:00 (one month ago) link
Ha! countries collaborating on an international Mardi Gras celebration?
― felicity, Wednesday, 20 March 2024 17:28 (one month ago) link
It isn't really a hint but I can remove some noise. After doing some research I think the purple and yellow are red herrings and should be ignored. It is only the green countries that share this thing in common.
― anvil, Wednesday, 20 March 2024 17:29 (one month ago) link
Is it a sports thing?
― m0stly clean (Slowsquatch), Wednesday, 20 March 2024 18:05 (one month ago) link
Is it consumption of a food stuff?
― Dan Worsley, Wednesday, 20 March 2024 18:14 (one month ago) link
Those couple dozen round dots, mostly gray but a few green, and many of them in the ocean, would not be there meaninglessly. There's a whole slew of them in the southern Caribbean. Meanwhile, North America as a whole seems to be considered irrelevant. A profoundly strange map!
― more difficult than I look (Aimless), Wednesday, 20 March 2024 18:37 (one month ago) link
Yeah, Peru, Algeria, Russia... ?
― m0stly clean (Slowsquatch), Wednesday, 20 March 2024 18:46 (one month ago) link
I suspect the dots are just the cartographer's attempt at making small countries show up rather than being a separate category of map data.
http://weeklymap.org for more stuff like this btw (don't think it's updated anymore but 111 puzzles is plenty...)
― salsa shark, Wednesday, 20 March 2024 20:21 (one month ago) link
Yet some of those dots show up within larger countries, which confuses matters even further.
― more difficult than I look (Aimless), Wednesday, 20 March 2024 20:24 (one month ago) link
They're small countries I think. Luxembourg, San Marino, Isle of Man, etc.
Maybe a clue in the ABC islands: Curacao is green but Bonaire and Aruba are grey...
― salsa shark, Wednesday, 20 March 2024 20:26 (one month ago) link
that's the world
― ciderpress, Wednesday, 20 March 2024 20:27 (one month ago) link
are all the green nations ones that criminalise or legislate against the civil rights of LGBT people?
― vodkaitamin effrtvescent (calzino), Wednesday, 20 March 2024 20:42 (one month ago) link
I'm suspecting a Russian sphere of influence because of Eastern Europe + MENA + Venezuela.Is it something stupid like plugs ?Or maybe something with trade
Working notes:- Rwanda and Burundi are an exception in Central / East Africa- Yemen also an exception- Indonesia + Malaysia and Ghana the only green in their respective regions- Guatemala, Panama, Peru, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, one island
― Nabozo, Wednesday, 20 March 2024 22:04 (one month ago) link
I'm gonna guess Russian oil & gas consumers.
― citation needed (Steve Shasta), Wednesday, 20 March 2024 22:51 (one month ago) link
Whatever it is, none of the postwar/pre-Soviet collapse western democracies have it. And maybe it's the more socially conservative countries that have it? That makes me wonder if it's not a socio-legal thing.
― Zelda Zonk, Thursday, 21 March 2024 01:17 (one month ago) link
xpost - surely China and India would be Russian oil/gas consumers?
― Zelda Zonk, Thursday, 21 March 2024 01:18 (one month ago) link
also cuba, and probably not mauritius
― mookieproof, Thursday, 21 March 2024 01:20 (one month ago) link
Another pointer to this being a legal thing is the ABC countries - Curacao is green whereas Aruba and Bonaire are not. That corresponds with Aruba and Bonaire being under Dutch law whereas Curacao has its own constitution and legal system. Could it be something to do with taxation? Or maybe age of consent, divorce laws, same-sex laws or something like that.
― Zelda Zonk, Thursday, 21 March 2024 02:18 (one month ago) link
only thing i can think of is 'served on some fucked-up UN committee like that for human rights'
― mookieproof, Thursday, 21 March 2024 02:19 (one month ago) link
I'm thinking Calzino is right and it's something to do with LGBT rights. Maps on same-sex marriage or adoption rights look very similar.
― Zelda Zonk, Thursday, 21 March 2024 02:30 (one month ago) link
Thing is, Japan has atrocious LGBT recognition iirc, and so would have some kind of colouring.
― assert (matttkkkk), Thursday, 21 March 2024 02:34 (one month ago) link
yeah no...
LGBT rights in YemenSame-sex sexual activity is punishable by death; this law is applied to both men and women. Members of the LGBT community additionally face stigmatization and homophobic violence among the broader population. A provincial court in Yemen sentenced several people to death for engaging in homosexual acts in 2024.
Same-sex sexual activity is punishable by death; this law is applied to both men and women. Members of the LGBT community additionally face stigmatization and homophobic violence among the broader population. A provincial court in Yemen sentenced several people to death for engaging in homosexual acts in 2024.
― citation needed (Steve Shasta), Thursday, 21 March 2024 02:43 (one month ago) link
That pesky Yemen!
― Zelda Zonk, Thursday, 21 March 2024 03:39 (one month ago) link
That pesky Russia!
Perú and Ecuador are both green. They hate each other and don't have a lot in common besides geography and language.
― immodesty blaise (jimbeaux), Thursday, 21 March 2024 03:57 (one month ago) link
kinda feel like it has to be tied to oil production, or dependency on it for each country's economy
― Western® with Bacon Flavor, Thursday, 21 March 2024 04:01 (one month ago) link
Nothing of substance (or more herrings), but just noting that the Russian Arctic islands aside from Severny appear uniquely cobalt blue.
― citation needed (Steve Shasta), Thursday, 21 March 2024 04:12 (one month ago) link
Those are herrings, Green is all that matters.
I won't give a hint yet as there is activity, and it will be more satisfying for someone to get there without one if possible
― anvil, Thursday, 21 March 2024 04:22 (one month ago) link
Although it may be something of an unknown hint I haven't worked out what the yellow/purple is (whereas blue is just an anomaly). There was no key on the map and when I checked for myself only the green countries met the condition. so maybe the purple/yellow countries used to meet the condition or will meet the condition in the future but that is pure speculation I actually don't know. So they're not necessarily herrings but wouldn't focus on them too much, green is definitely correct and blue is definitely a herring
― anvil, Thursday, 21 March 2024 04:27 (one month ago) link
is this map pulled from somewhere or is it something you generated?
― Western® with Bacon Flavor, Thursday, 21 March 2024 04:35 (one month ago) link
Its a map I pulled from somewhere
― anvil, Thursday, 21 March 2024 04:47 (one month ago) link
from your ass?
― pplains, Thursday, 21 March 2024 13:07 (one month ago) link
“Countries in which it is legal to pay a trapeze artist less than standard minimum wage”
― Premises, Premises (flamboyant goon tie included), Thursday, 21 March 2024 13:10 (one month ago) link
“Countries with samovars or samovar-type tea brewing”
“Countries where cats are more popular than dogs, as pets”
“Countries where ‘Peter’ is more common than ‘John’”
Anvil the real answer had better be good I puzzled and googled this for over an hour last night
― Premises, Premises (flamboyant goon tie included), Thursday, 21 March 2024 13:14 (one month ago) link
ILX: come for the zings, stay for the comparison of legal systems between Aruba and Curacao...
― m0stly clean (Slowsquatch), Thursday, 21 March 2024 13:18 (one month ago) link
Is it amount of inward investment by China in these countries?
― Dan Worsley, Thursday, 21 March 2024 14:00 (one month ago) link
How old is this map? South Sudan isn't marked, though it may be covered up by that yellow blob.
― pplains, Thursday, 21 March 2024 14:09 (one month ago) link
I think the map is from 2020, but its accurate for today.
South Sudan is on the map isn't it? I assume the map is just a base template map
― anvil, Thursday, 21 March 2024 14:27 (one month ago) link
wait, I have it! Is it Earth?
― StanM, Thursday, 21 March 2024 14:43 (one month ago) link
Surely for a 'Guess the..' thread, this has to follow the "Guess the City" thread where you post an image of the inside of someone's shoe then disappear for a month?
― I would prefer not to. (Chinaski), Thursday, 21 March 2024 16:57 (one month ago) link
Ok, let me think of a suitable hint on the way home. I'll post one in a couple of hours unless anyone wants a bit more time
― anvil, Thursday, 21 March 2024 19:03 (one month ago) link
Has anyone been in the right ballpark?
― Dan Worsley, Thursday, 21 March 2024 19:30 (one month ago) link
I think all of the answers so far have been in the same ballpark as each other, but none of them in the same ballpark as the answer
― anvil, Thursday, 21 March 2024 19:47 (one month ago) link
I think thats right, and would explain why the coastal strips are yellow in some places, much more so than adjacent interiors
― anvil, Friday, 12 April 2024 16:43 (one month ago) link
the thing that sticks out to me is yellow in the southwestern us, some of those places are podunkville
Canyons?
― anvil, Friday, 12 April 2024 16:44 (one month ago) link
getting close Dan
― Ste, Friday, 12 April 2024 16:45 (one month ago) link
Well, I mean you almost nailed it but the specific is different
I found it by googling but I won't spoil
― StanM, Friday, 12 April 2024 17:15 (one month ago) link
cool you can help with the replies, when i aint' here but dan almost got it so might not be long before a result.
― Ste, Friday, 12 April 2024 18:37 (one month ago) link
Something to do with transport? Highest concentration of cars, busiest roads, something like that?
― Zelda Zonk, Saturday, 13 April 2024 01:28 (one month ago) link
Airbnb density?
― assert (matttkkkk), Saturday, 13 April 2024 01:37 (one month ago) link
Immigrant proportion of population?
― assert (matttkkkk), Saturday, 13 April 2024 01:38 (one month ago) link
it's related to/a consequence of what Dan guessed
― StanM, Saturday, 13 April 2024 02:38 (one month ago) link
extensive underground cave networks?
canon cameras are sold
elevation above or below sea level since all the mountains have been levelled recently.
― Stevo, Saturday, 13 April 2024 07:33 (one month ago) link
your second one is very close, combine with Dan's guess :-)
― StanM, Saturday, 13 April 2024 08:06 (one month ago) link
Something to do with where tourist photos have been geotagged?
― salsa shark, Saturday, 13 April 2024 08:32 (one month ago) link
I would call that 99% correct - I hope Ste agrees but I'll reveal...
it's a "touristiness" heatmap of the most photographed places based on photographs submitted to Panoramio. -> https://googlemapsmania.blogspot.com/2012/01/world-tourism-heatmaps.html
― StanM, Saturday, 13 April 2024 08:51 (one month ago) link
That explains some of the more remote pins. Niagara Falls, Pyramids etc
― Dan Worsley, Saturday, 13 April 2024 08:55 (one month ago) link
Looks like it, explains the canyons and the coastal strips too
― anvil, Saturday, 13 April 2024 09:56 (one month ago) link
yeah i'll take that
― Ste, Saturday, 13 April 2024 13:07 (one month ago) link
that was great! thanks :-)
― StanM, Saturday, 13 April 2024 15:19 (one month ago) link
https://i.ibb.co/yR7Rn5b/map.png
― StanM, Saturday, 4 May 2024 16:35 (two weeks ago) link
why is that so small? hmm
― StanM, Saturday, 4 May 2024 16:37 (two weeks ago) link
PAL regions
― adam t. (abanana), Saturday, 4 May 2024 16:38 (two weeks ago) link
i'm wrong, japan wasn't PAL.
― adam t. (abanana), Saturday, 4 May 2024 16:42 (two weeks ago) link
let's try another site then, this shouldn't be shrunk like the first attempt:
https://i.postimg.cc/hGKjB3gf/map.gif
― StanM, Saturday, 4 May 2024 16:48 (two weeks ago) link
My first guess (daylight saving time) was wrong but I'm also thinking it's tech relatedExcludes some EU+EFTA members like Poland, Hungary etcInclusion of all those oversea territories is probably key
― Nabozo, Saturday, 4 May 2024 19:47 (two weeks ago) link
western europe, australia and new zealand, antarctica, japan, hong kong, a bunch of island nations.
japan and hong kong seem significant, but why antarctica?
― adam t. (abanana), Saturday, 4 May 2024 23:01 (two weeks ago) link
the exclusion of the US and Canada seems important
― Humanitarian Pause (Tracer Hand), Sunday, 5 May 2024 00:09 (two weeks ago) link
that one green dot just north of venezuela appears to be bonaire (dutch). the other caribbean green dots are too crowded for me to make out, but they're *not* dutch
also curious that hong kong and macau are included
― mookieproof, Sunday, 5 May 2024 00:38 (two weeks ago) link
I was thinking signatories to an Antarctic treaty or something but that doesn't check out. Must be something regulatory though, given how the overseas territories of a country all line up.
― Zelda Zonk, Sunday, 5 May 2024 01:17 (two weeks ago) link
I'm guessing some sort of environmental regulation.
― Zelda Zonk, Sunday, 5 May 2024 01:30 (two weeks ago) link
Or banking regulations? It seems neither Isle of Man or the Channel Islands are green. Another oddity: Estonia and Latvia are green but Lithuania isn't.
― Zelda Zonk, Sunday, 5 May 2024 02:28 (two weeks ago) link
None of the guesses are even close so far.a clue: green means not
― StanM, Sunday, 5 May 2024 04:52 (two weeks ago) link
side of the road people drive on?
― Stevo, Sunday, 5 May 2024 12:50 (two weeks ago) link
Do they have a side of the road in Antarctica?
― Zelda Zonk, Sunday, 5 May 2024 13:02 (two weeks ago) link
Given Stan's hint, I'm guessing the green countries do not have a law discriminating against something that the other countries do. A bit flummoxed by Antarctica though.
― Zelda Zonk, Sunday, 5 May 2024 13:05 (two weeks ago) link
Antarctica, remote Island Nations, Western Europe, Australia/NZ, that don't have something.
Most of these places are either isolated, tiny, or likely to have controls of some sort. So its some kind of bad flora/fauna/disease that they don't have
― Tow Law City (cherry blossom), Sunday, 5 May 2024 14:39 (two weeks ago) link
Lithuania and Poland the counter to that, if there are no border checks?
― Tow Law City (cherry blossom), Sunday, 5 May 2024 14:41 (two weeks ago) link
one of those guesses is right, cherry blossom!
― StanM, Sunday, 5 May 2024 15:13 (two weeks ago) link
No rabies?
― emil.y, Sunday, 5 May 2024 18:57 (two weeks ago) link
CORRECT
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prevalence_of_rabies#Rabies-free_jurisdictions
― StanM, Sunday, 5 May 2024 19:16 (two weeks ago) link
:( sigh
(I got dogbit this past week and have to get the rabies shots starting tomorrow)
― your dog is fed and no one cares (flamboyant goon tie included), Sunday, 5 May 2024 19:31 (two weeks ago) link
oh no! just do it though, if you get symptoms it's too late :(
― StanM, Sunday, 5 May 2024 19:35 (two weeks ago) link
Yeah I know. I thought we found the dog but it was the wrong dog. Bleahhhhh
― your dog is fed and no one cares (flamboyant goon tie included), Sunday, 5 May 2024 20:08 (two weeks ago) link
maybe I was a little bit too fast with my hint, I'm too eager to help sometimes :-)
― StanM, Sunday, 5 May 2024 20:18 (two weeks ago) link
Ha, nice one, Lithuania.
― pplains, Sunday, 5 May 2024 20:28 (two weeks ago) link
Woooooo! Thank you cherry blossom & StanM, wouldn't have got there without those prompts but it totally clicked into place and I was reasonably confident in the rabies guess.
― emil.y, Sunday, 5 May 2024 20:55 (two weeks ago) link
Our bats would like a word with the author of this map
― Nabozo, Monday, 6 May 2024 08:20 (one week ago) link
Part of the reason I was confident is because a few years ago I had to look up whether British bats had rabies (injured bat in the house). The emergency vet just called it rabies, but it's a different strain of rabies virus ("European Bat Lyssavirus") and so the UK can maintain its rabies-free claim (based on what the site I'm looking at right now calls "classical rabies", nice nice).
― emil.y, Monday, 6 May 2024 13:03 (one week ago) link
I remember being told as a kid that France had rabies, but googling it, it seems it's been free since 2001
― Zelda Zonk, Monday, 6 May 2024 13:12 (one week ago) link
I think pet passports were introduced at about that time? That would make sense as part of an international push to eradicate it.
― emil.y, Monday, 6 May 2024 13:21 (one week ago) link
Interesting. My doctor described us as free of terrestrial rabies, which is a cool way of saying bats. Apparently no strain of the rabies virus is older than 1500 years. It's originally from bats and shifted to foxes, dogs, skunks etc, which means it's being again contained to the original hosts. And apparently the vaccine served as a base for one of the Covid vaccines, described as a "deactivated rabies-virus Covid vaccine". Which I guess is why you hire people for marketing after scientists do their job.
― Nabozo, Monday, 6 May 2024 13:34 (one week ago) link