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But its massive global footprint didn’t grow overnight. While Facebook is the most popular social network in many countries, this traction didn’t happen overnight. And in other places, it still hasn’t quite taken off. To see Facebook’s path to domination, we mapped each country’s most popular social network from 2008‒2020. The data was tabulated by Vincenzo Cosenza at Vincos.it by examining annual traffic data from Alexa and SimilarWeb. Facebook Grows From the Americas to Southeast Asia What famously started as Mark Zuckerberg’s late-night intoxicated project called Facemash—a “hot or not” type website for students at Harvard University—soon evolved into the world’s predominant social network....

As research shows, Hurricane Ida’s impact hit right at the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season. Here’s a brief explainer on the basics of hurricanes, how storms are classified, and what a typical storm season looks like in the Atlantic Basin. Let’s dive in. Classifying a Storm Hurricanes are intense tropical storms that are classified by their wind speed. What’s the difference between a hurricane, a typhoon, and a cyclone?...

But did you know there’s a way to get even more out of Visual Capitalist, all while helping support the work we do? New to VC+ in July 2021 VC+ is our members program that gives you exclusive access to extra visual content and insightful special features. It also gets you access to The Trendline, our new members-only graphic newsletter. So, what is getting sent to VC+ members in the coming weeks?...

But did you know there’s even more visuals and insight you can get access to, all while helping support what we do? More Visuals. More Insight. More Understanding. VC+ is our premium subscription with exclusive access to special features, all sent directly to your email. So, what is getting sent to members in the coming weeks? “Visualizing a Rapidly Aging World” SPECIAL DISPATCH: A Roundup of 6 Fascinating Visuals on Aging Population...

Before we dive in to the data, it is worth noting that there are seven states that currently have zero interest tax, including Florida, Nevada, Texas, Alaska, South Dakota, Washington State and Wyoming. New Hampshire and Tennessee also have no income tax, but they do tax interest and dividends. The other 41 states (and one district) all levy an income tax. Here’s the average amount paid in each state:...

Despite looming sanctions and import bans, Russia exported $97.7 billion worth of fossil fuels in the first 100 days since its invasion of Ukraine, at an average of $977 million per day. So, which fossil fuels are being exported by Russia, and who is importing these fuels? The above infographic tracks the biggest importers of Russia’s fossil fuel exports during the first 100 days of the war based on data from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA)....

However, despite selling 250 million units of its two most popular block-shaped models in the mid-2000s, the Finnish company ended up being woefully late to the smartphone party. Not only was the company ill-equipped to match the iPhone and Blackberry in terms of technology and design features, but Nokia also failed to foresee how exponential advances in mobile connectivity would change how people ultimately used their devices. As true broadband connectivity shaped the mobile experience, the phone was no longer just a phone – it was transformed into a seamless hub for any and all digital activity....

Temperatures from California to the Dakotas are currently hovering around 9-12°F above average—but how bad is the situation compared to past years? This animated map by reddit user /NothingAbnormalHere provides a historical look at droughts in the U.S. since 1999, using data and graphics from the U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM). What is the U.S. Drought Monitor? Over the last two decades, the USDM has been tracking, measuring, and comparing droughts across America....

The volatility of biotech stocks provides an opportunity for investors. From discovery to commercialization, the drug development process takes many years. Different regulatory events and data from trials produces share price volatility. This creates an opportunity for investors. In this infographic, we outline all the regulatory events and what to watch for to make the most of biotech opportunities. on But fast forward to the end of last week, and SVB was shuttered by regulators after a panic-induced bank run....

As the Arctic evolves, a vast amount of resources will become more accessible and longer shipping seasons will improve Arctic logistics. But with a changing climate and increased public pressure to limit resource development in environmentally sensitive regions, the future of northern economic activity is far from certain. This week’s Chart of the Week shows the location of major oil and gas fields in the Arctic and the possible new trade routes through this frontier....

Bitcoin is the original cryptocurrency, and its meteoric rise has made it a mainstay of conversation for investors, media, and technologists alike. In fact, the innovation of the blockchain is changing entire markets, while causing ripples with central banks and the financial industry. At time of publication, the bitcoin price now hovers near US$2,400, a massive increase from this time last year. But the true impact of Bitcoin is actually far more reaching than this – it’s actually helped to birth new markets for over 800 other cryptocurrencies and assets that are available for online trading....

This type of intelligence can be measured with IQ, which helps us determine if the test taker is closer to a Stephen Hawking or a Lloyd Christmas on the smarts scale. And certainly, given no other data, a hiring manager would likely prefer to choose someone on the Hawking end of the spectrum. But while IQ is useful, it’s also clear that emotional intelligence (EQ) can be a difference maker in any professional role....

Because of the pressures of inflation and all the associated costs, we will be increasing the price of our VC+ premium membership. The new price for the annual subscription will be US $78.95 starting on February 1st. The monthly price will rise to US $8.22. We haven’t taken this decision lightly but having kept the price the same for three years along with everything from salaries and server costs rising substantially, we’re left with little choice....

Today’s visualization outlines the sharp losses China’s economy has experienced, and how this may foreshadow what’s to come for countries currently in the early stages of the outbreak. A Historic Slump The results are in: China’s business activity slowed considerably as COVID-19 spread. *Excluding rural household investment As factories and shops reopen, China seems to be over the initial supply side shock caused by the lockdown. However, the country now faces a double-headed demand shock:...

At first glance, this would be a ridiculous thing to say. Of course there aren’t many blacksmiths around. We live in a modern society and machines do a way better job of making things from metal anyways. However, it also raises an important point. What if machines are better at driving long-haul trucks? What if machines are better servers at McDonald’s? What if robots did your taxes for you? While some of these ideas are contentious today, in the future we may look back thinking that our fears were ill-placed....

The disruptive effects of peer-to-peer file sharing had slashed music revenues in half, casting serious doubts over the future of the industry. Ringtones provided a brief earnings bump, but it was the growing popularity of premium streaming services that proved to be the savior of record labels and artists. For the first time since the mid-90s, the music industry saw back-to-back years of growth, and revenues grew a brisk 12% in 2018 – nearly reaching $10 billion....

While this is most often the case, sometimes there are situations in which currency markets begin acting in ways that are less predictable. Growing amounts of political or economic uncertainty, for example, can cause a currency to experience amplified levels of volatility — an environment in which it may see bigger ups and downs than most market participants are used to. Brexit, Currency Risk, and the Pound Today’s infographic comes to us from BlackRock, and it focuses in on the recent volatility of the British pound to illustrate how currency risk can impact a UK investor’s portfolio, and how this risk can be mitigated through currency hedging techniques....

In 1907, for example, the United States was able to produce nearly 14X as much copper as Chile. The reality was that shortages in capital, organization, and water kept the country’s massive, low-grade deposits from being developed at any significant scale. The Copper Standard Things would change dramatically for Chile. The country has been the world’s top copper producer now for over 30 years, and today close to 50% of the country’s exports come from copper-related products....

When the Canadian dollar is strong, it means that going south of the border is cheaper. Whether it’s a vacation in Hawaii or a shopping spree in New York City, a strong Canadian dollar can buy more in terms of U.S. dollars. Likewise, a weak Canadian dollar can buy fewer U.S. dollars – meaning that travel, shopping, and other expenses in U.S. dollars are more expensive. The Same Effect The impact of currency fluctuations isn’t limited only to foreign purchases....

It’s actually quite miraculous: a complex system of substations, transformers and wires allow electricity to be instantly accessed at your convenience, even though it is generated hundreds of miles away. The following infographic shows how the power grid works – and it helps explain how electricity gets from the power plant to your household socket: The power grid has four important parts: Generation: Electricity is created by burning fossil fuels, nuclear reactions, or collecting wind, solar, or water energy....