Bank of America Archives

I’m a sucker for maps. They infatuate me and have for a long time. Just ask my parents. When I was a kid, every time a new map was included in an issue of National Geographic, I tacked it to my bedroom wall. (You can imagine what the walls looked like when I moved out!)

So when Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BofAML) produced its new “Transforming World Atlas,” it definitely caught my eye. BofAML creates the atlas to provide investors with a “fresh perspective on the global investment landscape through a new series of maps highlighting themes and trends.”

The online atlas presents a whopping 70 maps that help illuminate the state of the world on a wide spectrum, from basics like population and aging, to fringes such as which countries have the most plastic surgeries per capita.

For travelers, there are maps of how many calories you’ll burn if you walk instead of taking the London Tube. Another overlays the availability of Airbnb rentals with hotels to show just how broadly the service had penetrated the lodging landscape. As a traveler, the map above will help me choose the best ethnic restaurant the next time I’m in an unfamiliar state.

Below are three more maps that I handpicked and present here (with the permission of BofAML). If you are a map freak like me, take a look at the full report here: Transforming World Atlas.

Here’s a map that shows how many calories you’ll burn if walking (vs riding) between London Tube stops:

Last time I was in Seoul, I was surprised by the hundreds of plastic surgery clinics throughout the city. On my way back to the US, I was invited to see one of the newest of these clinics (actually more like a hospital!) conveniently located adjacent to the airport. Korean Tourism even devotes a page to “In-Transit Medical Tourism” on its website. Apparently, people from throughout Asia fly to Seoul for plastic surgery based on its reputation. Not surprisingly, Koreans themselves are frequently nipped and tucked according to this map:

The map below is an eye opening for those who feel that the US is the center of the universe. The US as well as the population of the entire western hemisphere is dwarfed when you see a map of the world with nations resized based on population.