It may not be the most prosperous nor the smartest country on earth, but the U.S. leaves the rest of world in the dust in one important area—innovation.

The map of the most innovative countries—as measured by the number of patents filed between 1977 to 2015—shows that when it comes to new ideas and technology, the U.S. is in a league of its own. It is so far ahead of other competitors, in fact, that many U.S. states eclipse bigger nations.