Two World Maps: Age and Internet

Color-coded maps can be an interesting way to visualize the otherwise rather dull statistics of different regions of the world.  Here are a couple of maps that I have made using a map-making app (MapChart App), using statistics from the CIA World Factbook.  I may post more as I create more.

Map 1: Median Age

This map illustrates the median age in different countries of the world.  Lighter colors indicate an older median age, and darker countries indicate a younger median age.  

 According to Wikipedia: "Median age is the age that divides a population into two numerically equally sized groups - that is, half the people are younger than this age and half are older. It is a single index that summarizes the age distribution of a population."

Median age is useful, but doesn't tell you everything about a country's age structure, or the reasons for it.  For example, countries which have a younger median age may be due to high birth rates, disease, or war.  But it is still a useful statistic.

As you can see, the continent of Africa has a comparatively young population compared to the rest of the world.  One effect of this is that diseases that are more severe in children (such as malaria) tend to kill more people in Africa, while diseases that are more severe in older adults (such as cancer or Covid-19) do not cause as many deaths in Africa.

 Map 2: Internet Usage

The Internet may seem like an essential part of life in much of the developed world, but that is not the case everywhere.  This map shows the internet usage around the world, based on percentage of the population. Lighter colors indicate a lower percentage of the population uses the internet; darker colors indicate a higher percentage that uses the internet. 

As you can see, much of the population of Africa is still not connected to the internet.  A side effect of this is that the internet connections in Africa are often slower and less stable than in some other parts of the world.

However,  internet usage is growing quickly in Africa, especially as smartphones are becoming more common, so this map will soon become outdated as more and more Africans get online!