Title text: Does the screeching chill your blood and herald death? If yes, banshee. If no, seagull.

The comic consists of a flowchart depicting various ways to tell what era a map is from based on present country borders and land forms. (Except in the Not a Political Map Branch (from "Can you see the familiar continents?" downwards), the comic applies to a political map.) While many of the options are very serious, a few bizarre options reference fictional maps (Discworld, Narnia, and Tolkien's Middle-earth), or consider that seagulls, staplers, tubas, or breadboxes could be mistaken for a map. Randall also mentions US President Jimmy Carter being attacked by a giant swimming rabbit, an event previously referenced as one we must never forget in 204: America.

The flowchart, although probably effective in eventually identifying the production year of certain maps, is designed in a rather inefficient way, as some early distinctions are already on a very detailed level before some really important distinctions (fictional or non-political map) are made. This, of course, adds to the humorous tone of the comic. It is also hampered by several smaller or larger error (see trivia), the biggest being a whole section on I-25 that gives years in the range 1948–1952, before I-25 was built, and coming from a question that fixed the year range to 1960–1961.

Additionally, (possible) future maps including a "Radioactive Exclusion Zone" in the place of Colorado are mentioned. It predicts that some kind of nuclear incident will occur in Colorado (possibly at Rulison or Rio Blanco nuclear testing sites) in 2022. It also predicts that the area will be infested by radioactive spiders one year later.

The title text continues the path where the user has confused a seagull for a map by inquiring if the (presumed) seagull might be a banshee based on the effect of its screams.

# Question Explanation Prior Date Range Question Date Range New Date Range

1 Istanbul or Constantinople The largest city in Turkey is famous for having different names at different times or to different people. Variations on both names go back at least 1,000 years. Other names have also been used at various points. Istanbul has been the official name in Western languages since the 1920s (although it's been the native name since 1453), although Western maps often referred to it as Constantinople as late as the 1960s; on the flowchart, the choice of name appears to go with the 1920s date. The name changes are the subject of a song, originally by the Four Lads, but now mainly known for the They Might Be Giants recording. Start here Constantinople: 330 – 1928

Neither: inconclusive

Istanbul: 1928+ Constantinople: 330 – 1928 (Go to 2)

Neither: inconclusive (Go to 19)

Istanbul: 1928+ (Go to 51)

Note: the chart splits here into three divisions, each from a choice in question 1. The Neither Division will attempt to use other indicators to sort maps into one of the other two divisions or branches thereof, or, after 5 failures to find a country, conclude that the "map" in question is not a political map and proceed to find out what it is (the Not a Political Map Branch). The Constantinople and Istanbul Divisions are linear except where the Neither Division joins them as stated above.

Constantinople Division

2 Do any of these exist? Independent Canada

US Territory of Alaska

Tokyo All these seem to specify a date cut-off of 1867/8, but there are caveats attached to each: Canada gained its independence gradually, but it would appear as its own country (the Dominion of Canada) on maps sometime between the Constitution Act, 1867 (which created Canada as a British dominion) and the Statute of Westminster 1931 (which made Canada largely self-governing).

The Territory of Alaska existed between 1912 (previously, it was a US district) and 1959 (when it became a state). The US has owned Alaska since the 1867 Alaska Purchase, but it was not a territory then.

Tokyo was once called Edo. It was renamed Tokyo (which means "Eastern Capital") when it became the capital in 1868. Most English books around then would actually have called it "Tokei," the Chinese reading. The name Tokyo didn't take off until Hepburn romanization was popularized in the 1880s. 330–1928 (from 1) 1299–1922 (from 19 in the Neither Division) (from 24 in the Neither Division) No: 1867-

Yes: 1868+ No: 330–1867 (Go to 3)

Yes: 1868–1928 (Go to 11)

Holy Roman Empire Branch

3 The Holy Roman Empire? The predecessor to modern Germany, the Holy Roman Empire was a union of hundreds of small states in Central Europe. Nationalism and the concept of the nation state hadn't taken off yet, so countries as we know them didn't really exist. There were just small lands, often with keenly contested borders, owned by minor aristocracy who pledged allegiance to one of the big powers. The HRE was dissolved in 1806 after it was invaded by Napoleon, arguably the first leader to realise the potential of making a nation salute a flag. 330–1867 Yes: 899–1806

No: 899- or 1806+ Yes: 899–1806 (Stated in comic as "1805 or earlier," since modern map-making was fuzzy as a concept prior) ( Stop )

) No: 330–899 or 1806–67 (Go to 4)

4 The United States? The original 13 colonies declared independence in 1776. A map that does not include either the HRE or the USA must be older than the HRE, which would put the map sometime prior to 1000 AD, when there really were no countries, and English wasn't used yet, hence Randall's comment. 330–899 or 1806–67 No: 1776-

Yes: 1776+ No: 330–899 (Not stated in comic, since a map in this period is probably not in English, which violates a proviso of the comic) ( Stop )

) Yes: 1806–67 (Go to 5)

5 Texas is...

Part of Mexico?

Independent?

Part of the US? Mexico (and before its independence, New Spain) occupied the area modern-day Texas from around 1718 (when the first permanent Spanish settlements were founded) to the Texas Declaration of Independence in 1836 (the comic apparently cited 1834 as the date) – the land called "Texas" was only a small part of the modern-day state. The Republic of Texas only lasted a decade and joined the US in 1846. 1806–67 Part of Mexico: 1718–1836

Independent: 1836–46

Part of the US: 1846+ Part of Mexico: 1806–36 (Go to 6)

Independent: 1836–46 (stated in comic as 1834–45 – a discrepancy) ( Stop )

) Part of the US: 1846–67 (Go to 9)

6 Florida is part of...

Spain?

The US? Spain occupied Florida (as East Florida and West Florida) but frankly they didn't actually want it – it was expensive to send people to settle it, and there wasn't much economic value in it. So they gave it to the US for free in the 1819 Adams–Onís Treaty (which took effect in 1821) in exchange for the US giving up parts of Mexico and paying off angry Spanish settlers. (For some reason, the comic treats Florida as part of the US in 1818; see questions 7 and 8.) 1806–36 Spain: 1565–1763 or 1783–1821

The US: 1821+ Spain: 1806–21 (Go to 7)

The US: 1821–36 (Go to 8)

7 Paraguay? Declared independence from Spain in 1811 (although it might appear on older maps as the Spanish Province of Paraguay). 1806–21 No: 1811-

Yes: 1811+ No: 1806–11 (stated in comic as 1806–10) ( Stop )

) Yes: 1811–21 (stated in comic as 1811–17 – a discrepancy (see question 6)) (Stop)

8 Venezuela and/or Ecuador? Both declared independence from Gran Colombia (Greater Colombia) in 1830. 1821–36 No: 1830-

Yes: 1830+ No: 1821–30 (stated in comic as 1818–29 – a discrepancy (see question 6)) ( Stop )

) Yes: 1830–36 (stated in comic as 1830–33 – a discrepancy (see question 5)) (Stop)

9 Does Russia border the Sea of Japan? The 1858 Treaty of Aigun brought the Russian Empire's border to the Sea of Japan. 1846–67 No: 1858-

Yes: 1858+ No: 1846–58 (Go to 10)

Yes: 1858–67 (Stop)

10 The US's southern border looks... The last southward expansion of the US is the 1854 Gadsden Purchase, where the US bought a chunk of what is now Arizona and New Mexico so they could build a railway that avoided unfavourable terrain. The southern border looks "weird" before that because we are accustomed to the current border shape. 1846–58 Weird: 1854-

Normal: 1854+ Weird: 1846–54 (stated in comic as 1846–53) ( Stop )

) Normal: 1854–58 (stated in comic as 1854–56 – a discrepancy (where is 1857?)) (Stop)

South Africa Branch

11 South Africa? The Union of South Africa was created in 1910 out of the four British colonies (Cape Colony, Natal, Transvaal, and Orange River), although South Africa was then not yet fully independent from the United Kingdom (which would not happen until 1931). 1868–1928 No: 1910-

Yes: 1910+ No: 1868–1910 (Go to 12)

Yes: 1910–28 (Go to 16)

12 Rhodesia? The region that now makes up Zambia and Zimbabwe was named "Rhodesia" by the British South Africa Company in 1895. An unrecognised state (1965–79) and a colony (1923–80 on-and-off) also bore this name, but they are both outside the Prior Date Range. 1868–1910 No: 1895-

Yes: 1895+ No: 1868–95 (Go to 13)

Yes: 1895–1910 (Go to 15)

14 "Buda" and "Pest" or "Budapest"? In 1873, the Hungarian cities of Buda and Pest joined together to form the city of Budapest. 1868–84 Buda and Pest: 1247–1873

Budapest: 1873+ Buda and Pest: 1868–73 (stated in comic as 1868–72) ( Stop )

) Budapest: 1873–84 (stated in comic as 1873–83) (Stop)

15 Is Norway part of Sweden? Norway was ceded to Sweden in 1814, from which it separated in 1905. 1895–1910 Yes: 1814–1905

No: 1814- or 1905+ Yes: 1895–1905 (Stated in comic as 1896–1905) ( Stop )

) No: 1905–10 (Stated in comic as 1906–09) (Stop)

16 Austria-Hungary? Austria-Hungary formed in 1867 and dissolved in 1918. (Clueless bureaucrats of the time loved to abbreviate the name to just "Austria", but mapmakers tended to be more careful than that.) 1910–28 Yes: 1867–1918

No: 1918+ Yes: 1910–18 (Go to 17)

No: 1918–28 (Go to 18)

17 Albania? Albania declared independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1912. 1910–18 No: 1912-

Yes: 1912+ No: 1910–12 ( Stop )

) Yes: 1912–18 (stated in comic as 1913–18) (Stop)

18 Leningrad? Saint Petersburg was known as Leningrad between 1924 and 1991. The city was founded in 1703 as Saint Petersburg (specific spellings vary); in August 1914, due to major anti-German sentiment related to WWI, it was renamed Petrograd (essentially the Russian translation of Petersburg). On January 26, 1924, five days after the death of Vladimir Lenin (the main revolutionary leader), the new Communist government (hostile to both the the Orthodox Saint Peter the city was named after and the Czar Peter the Great who named it) renamed the city Leningrad in his honor. After the decline of the Soviet government in 1991, the name became unpopular, and a referendum in June 1991 (concurrently with the first Russian presidential election) restored the name Saint Petersburg for the city (officially in September 1991), which it holds to this day. 1918–28 No: 1924- or 1991+

Yes: 1924–91 No: 1918–24 (stated in comic as 1919–23) ( Stop )

) Yes: 1924–28 (stated in comic as 1924–29) (Stop)

Neither Division

19 Does the Ottoman Empire exist? The Ottoman Empire was founded in 1299, and defeated and dissolved on November 1, 1922 when the sultanate was abolished. Inconclusive Yes: 1299–1922

No: 1299- or 1922+ Yes: 1299–1922 (Go to 2 in the Constantinople Division)

No: 1299- or 1922+ (Go to 20)

20 The Soviet Union? The Soviet Union is one of the largest countries ever to exist consisting of Russia and large portions of eastern Europe and central Asia. It was a major political force from December 28, 1922, when several allied Soviet republics united, to 1991, when it broke up. Note: This question is the same as question 51 in the Istanbul Division, but because there a Prior Date Range of 1928+ has already been established by the presence of Istanbul, we need one more question to determine whether we are within the range of 1928+. 1299- or 1922+ Yes: 1922–91

No: 1922- or 1991+ Yes: 1922–91 (Go to 21)

No: 1299- or 1922 (November 1–December 28) or 1991+ (Go to 22)

21 Saudi Arabia? The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was founded in 1932. It is the first modern state to exert control over the area it claims, which previously were controlled by various tribal leaders. Most maps before 1932 will not mark the area as belonging to a nation at all, will attempt to mark the various shifting chieftains, or will attribute the land to the Ottoman Empire, which claimed the land but did not effectively control it. 1922–91 Yes: 1932+

No: 1932- Yes: 1932–91 (Go to 52 in the Istanbul Division)

No: 1922–32 (Stop)

22 North Korea? The Korean Peninsula was divided into two regions, the north of which would be known as North Korea, at the end of World War II in 1945. This resulted in the inconclusive Korean War. 1299- or 1922 (November 1–December 28) or 1991+ Yes: 1945+

No: 1945- Yes: 1991+ (Go to 69 in the Istanbul Division)

No: 1299- or 1922 (November 1–December 28) (Go to 23)

23 Saint Trimble's Island Since Randall just made up this place, it is impossible that a map would include it, probably as a cartographer's fingerprint indicating plagiarism? 1299- or 1922 (November 1–December 28) No: inconclusive

Yes: impossible No: 1299- or 1922 (November 1–December 28) (Go to 24)

Yes: impossible (Stop)

24 Is Jan Mayen part of the kingdom of Norway? Jurisdiction over the island of Jan Mayen was given to Norway around 1920, and it officially joined in 1930.



Note: Strictly speaking, it should be almost impossible to answer "Yes" to this question – the Ottoman Empire existed until 1922, the Soviet Union existed from 1922 to 1991, and North Korea from 1945 onwards, so by answering "No" to the previous three questions, the user has ruled out the entire period during which Norway has officially owned Jan Mayen, and almost the entire period it controlled it barring an extremely slim sliver of time between November 1, 1922 to December 28, 1922. The following questions ignore the previous ones (East Germany only existed at the same time as the USSR, and Pakistan was founded later than North Korea, so both should have already been excluded) – essentially, the Jan Mayen question reboots the test. 1299- or 1922 (November 1–December 28) Not yet: prior to 1930

What?: Not a political map

Yes: 1930+ Not yet: (Go to 2 in the Constantinople Division)

What?: (Go to 25)

Yes: (Go to 53 in the Istanbul Division)

Not a Political Map Branch

25 Can you see the familiar continents? At this point, it is clear that the map in question is not a political map from any time. Therefore, the comic tries to determine whether it is a map of the Earth at all by asking if the continents are there. Yes: map of the Earth

No: not a map of the Earth Yes: map of the Earth (Go to 26)

No: not a map of the Earth (Go to 32)

Topographical Map / Satellite Image Subbranch

26 This sounds like a physical map or satellite photo. A map of the Earth that does not label political regions must be a topological map; or, it can be a satellite image of the Earth. Map of the Earth Yes, that's it: topographical map or satellite image of the Earth Yes, that's it: topographical map or satellite image of the Earth (Go to 27)

27 Is Lake Chad missing? Lake Chad lost 75% of its area in the 1970s, becoming too small to be included in a map or picture of the Earth. Topographical map or satellite image of the Earth No: 1970s-

Yes: 1970s+ No: 1970s- (Go to 28)

Yes: 1970s+ (Go to 31)

28 How far east do the American prairies reach? As settlers made their way west, the prairie land in the Great Plains region was steadily replaced by farmland and ranches. By the 1920s, most of the land had been converted to agricultural use, and the last of the prairie was largely obliterated by the Dust Bowls in the 1930s. The dividing lines correspond roughly to the three types of prairie: tallgrass prairie grew between the Mississippi and Indiana, mixed grass prairie covered Nebraska and other states on the 100th meridian west, and shortgrass prairie covered the remaining area east of the Rocky Mountains. There's some overlap in the dates, since it's fairly arbitrary at what point you say the prairies stopped existing. There are still patches of prairie (covering about 1% of their former reach), but these are probably not visible in a satellite image. 1970s- Indiana: Before 1830

The Mississippi: 1830–1880s

Nebraska: 1860s–1910s

What prairies?: 1920s+ Indiana: Before 1830 ( Stop )

) The Mississippi: 1830–80s ( Stop )

) Nebraska: 1860s–1910s (Go to 29)

What prairies?: 1920s–1970s (Go to 30)

29 Is there a big lake in the middle of Southern California? (created by mistake) This is Salton Sea, a previously dry lake bed accidentally flooded in 1905 while attempting to increase irrigation to the area from the Colorado River 1860s–1910s No: before 1905

Yes: 1905+ No: 1860s–1900s ( Stop )

) Yes: 1910s (Stop)

30 Is there a big lake in the middle of Ghana? (created on purpose) Lake Volta, formed by the Akosombo Dam which was built in the 1960s 1920s–1970s No: before 1960s

Yes: 1960s+ No: 1920s–50s ( Stop )

) Yes: 1960s–70s (Stop)

31 Is the Aral Sea missing? Shrinking since the 1930s, the Aral Sea would be too small to be on maps or images of the Earth by the 2000s. 1970s+ No: 1990s-

Yes: 2000s+ No: 1970s-90s ( Stop )

) Yes: 2000s+ (Stop)

Topograpical Map / Satellite Image Subbranch ends

Fictional Map / Non-Map Subbranch

32 Rivers "Sirion" or "Anduin"? The rivers Sirion and Anduin are part of Middle-earth, the fictional setting of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings books. Not a map of the Earth Yes: map of Middle-earth

No: inconclusive Yes: map of Middle-earth (Go to 33)

No: not a map of the Earth (Go to 37)

Middle-earth Subbranch

33 Mordor? Mordor is the base of operations of Sauron, who settled there c. 1000 in the Second Age (which lasted for 3,441 years). Map of Middle-earth No: S.A. c. 1000-

Yes: S.A. c. 1000+ No: S.A. c. 1000- (Go to 34)

Yes: S.A. c. 1000+ (Go to 35)

34 Beleriand? Beleriand was broken in the War of Wrath in the year 583 in the Years of the Sun in the First Age. The First Age itself ran for 450 Valian Years and 590 Years of the Sun, adding up to between 5,023 and 65,390 Years of the Sun, depending on the conversion factor used (J. R. R. Tolkien has given several during the years). Note that Randall has apparently ignored the time before the First Age (4,550 Valian Years). S.A. c. 1000- Yes: Y.S. 583 First Age-

No: Y.S. 583 First Age+ Yes: Y.S. 583 First Age- (stated in comic as First Age) ( Stop )

) No: Y.S. 583 First Age–S.A. c. 1000 (stated in comic as early Second Age) (Stop)

35 Númenor? The island of Númenor was raised from the sea at the start of the Second Age. It sank back into the sea in 3319 in the Second Age, as the formerly flat Earth was made into a globe. S.A. c. 1000+ Yes: S.A. 1–3319

No: First Age- or S.A. 3319+ Yes: S.A. c. 1000–3319 (stated in comic as late Second Age) ( Stop )

) No: S.A. 3319+ (Go to 36)

36 The forest east of the Misty Mountains is... The forest Mirkwood was called Greenwood the Great from its discovery by the Elves c. V.Y. 4620 in the First Age to 1050 in the Third Age when the shadow of Sauron fell upon it and it was renamed. It was cleansed on 'March' 28, 3019 in the Third Age (which ran for 3,021 years), after which it is called the Wood of Greenleaves. Note that Randall ignores the Fifth Age and onwards; although Tolkien said that the present day is about the end of the Sixth Age or the beginning of the Seventh, nothing is written about these later Ages. S.A. 3319+ Greenwood the Great: c. V.Y. 4620–T.A. 1050

Mirkwood: T.A. 1050–3019–03–28

The Wood of Greenleaves: T.A. 3019–03–28+ Greenwood the Great: S.A. 3319–T.A. 1050 (stated in comic as early Third Age) ( Stop )

) Mirkwood: T.A. 1050–3019–03–28 (stated in comic as Late Third Age) ( Stop )

) The Wood of Greenleaves: T.A. 3019–03–28+ (stated in comic as Fourth Age) (Stop)

Middle-earth Subbranch ends

37 Cair Paravel? Cair Paravel is the fictional castle where the Kings and Queens of Narnia rule in The Chronicles of Narnia. Not a map of the Earth Yes: map of Narnia

No: inconclusive Yes: map of Narnia (Go to 38)

No: not a map of the Earth (Go to 42)

Narnia Subbranch

38 Calormen? Calormen is a foreign empire in The Chronicles of Narnia. While it was indirectly referenced in the first three books, it was not included in maps until the later books in the series. Map of Narnia No: 3-

Yes: 4+ No: 3- (Go to 39)

Yes: 4+ (Go to 41)

39 Lotta islands? Refers to this map from The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, which focused on a ship voyage from Cair Paravel to the eastern edge of the world and back. 3- No: not 3

Yes: 3 No: 2- (Go to 40)

Yes: 3 (Stop)

40 Beruna Refers to the map of Narnia originally published in Prince Caspian. During the time of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, the people of Beruna crossed the Great River via a ford, but it had been replaced by a bridge at the beginning of Prince Caspian. 2- Ford: 1

Bridge: 2 Ford: 1 ( Stop )

) Bridge: 2 (Stop)

41 Weird recursive heaven? Refers to The Last Battle, where the protagonists find themselves in Aslan's Country, a glorious afterlife of which Narnia (along with Earth and presumably every other world) is only a shadowy reflection. 4+ No: 6-

Yes: 7 No: 4–6 (stated in comic as one of the random later books) ( Stop )

) Yes: 7 (Stop)

Narnia Subbranch ends

42 Mossflower? A forest from the Redwall book series. See also the comic 370: Redwall and 1722: Debugging that references the books. Not a map of the Earth Yes: Redwall

No: inconclusive Yes: Redwall ( Stop )

( ) No: not a map of the Earth (Go to 43)

43 Is the world on the back of a turtle? The comic fantasy book series Discworld is set on the fictional Discworld, a flat disc balanced on the backs of four elephants which in turn stand on the back of a giant turtle. Not a map of the Earth Yes: Discworld

No: inconclusive Yes: Discworld ( Stop )

( ) No: not a map of the Earth (Go to 44)

44 Are you sure this is a map? After incorrectly guessing several popular fictional world, it is fair to doubt whether the subject being identified here is a map at all. Not a map of the Earth Yes: a map for sure , just not of the Earth

, just not of the Earth No: not a map Yes: a map for sure , just not of the Earth (Go to 45)

, just not of the Earth (Go to 45) No: not a map (Go to 47)

45 Did you make it yourself? At this point, the map can only be a homemade map of some other fictional world. (Although it might be a published map of another world, such as Pern, Oz or Mars but there isn't enough room for these options.) A map for sure, just not of the Earth Yes: a homemade map Yes: a homemade map (Go to 46)

46 It's very nice. A stock response to "[It's] Very nice" is "Thanks, I made it myself". Since we have already done the "made it myself" part, we need to do the other parts too, albeit out of sequence. A homemade map Thank you!: something "very nice" Thank you!: a "very nice" homemade map (Stop)

Not a Map Subbranch

47 Is it trying to bite you? Now we are trying to guess something that is not a map. Makes sense to ask if it's something that bites, right? Right? Not a map No: doesn't bite

Yes: bites No: doesn't bite and not a map (Go to 48)

Yes: bites (Go to 49)

48 Is it larger than a breadbox? A typical, generic question asked by Steve Allen on What's My Line?, and is often used when playing Twenty Questions. However, instead of asking further questions to narrow down the choices, the comic just gives a guess for each response. The comic guesses a breadbox itself as something about the same size as a breadbox. Doesn't bite and not a map Yes: larger than a breadbox

No: smaller than a breadbox

About the same: about the same size as a breadbox Yes: larger than a breadbox, doesn't bite, and not a map (comic guesses a tuba) ( Stop )

) No: smaller than a breadbox, doesn't bite, and not a map (comic guesses a stapler) ( Stop )

) About the same: about the same size as a breadbox, doesn't bite, and not a map (comic guesses a breadbox) (Stop)

49 If you let it go, what does it do? This assumes that you are holding the biting object. While holding it, the object may have already bitten you, and the consequences of this would most likely be painful. Bites Hisses and runs away: hisses and runs away if let go

Screeches and flaps around the room breaking things: screeches and flaps around the room breaking things if let go Hisses and runs away: bites, and hisses and runs away if let go (comic guesses a cat) ( Stop )

) Screeches and flaps around the room breaking things: bites, and screeches and flaps around the room breaking things if let go (comic guesses a seagull) (Stop (however, see 50))

50 Does the screeching chill your blood and herald death? Note: Title text question. Likely, if a banshee is being held, or flapping around the room, one would have bigger problems than its identification. Also, heralding of death is a difficult quality to identify. Bites, and screeches and flaps around the room breaking things if let go Yes: Screeching chills your blood and heralds death

No: Screeching does not chill your blood and herald death; or does not screech Yes: bites; screeches and flaps around the room breaking things if let go; screeching chills your blood and heralds death (title text guesses a banshee) ( Stop )

) No: bites; screeches and flaps around the room breaking things if let go; screeching does not chill your blood and herald death (title text guesses a seagull) (Stop)

Istanbul Division

51 Does the Soviet Union exist? The Soviet Union, officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, existed from 1922 to 1991. After 1991, the Soviet Union split up into Russia and 15 other post-Soviet states. 1928+ Yes: 1928–1991

No: 1991+ Yes: 1928–1991 (Go to 52)

No: 1991+ (Go to 69)

West Africa branch

52 Is most of West Africa a giant French blob? Before 1960, most of West Africa consisted of a number of French colonies united under French West Africa. 1928–1991 Yes: 1928–1960

No: 1960–1991 Yes: 1928–1960 (Go to 53)

No: 1960–1991 (Go to 60)

53 Pakistan? Pakistan was officially recognized as its own country in 1947, when British India was granted independence and partitioned into two nations. Pakistan was created at the request of Muslims who wished for a Muslim majority state. 1928–1960 No: 1928–1947

Yes: 1947–1960 No: 1928–1947 (Go to 54)

Yes: 1948–1960 (Go to 56)

54 How many Germanys are there? During WWII, the Nazi Party invaded a large swath of Europe, which would make Nazi Germany huge on the map during that period. After the war, it split up into two countries — West Germany which was part of NATO, and East Germany which was part of the Warsaw Pact. Note that by modern standards, pre-WWII Germany was also quite huge, since at that point Germany included Prussia which contained much of modern Poland as well as Russian Kaliningrad, and in 1938 Germany took control of Austria in the Anschluss and the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia following the Munich Agreement. Not all maps produced during WWII used the Nazi borders, since the Allies refused to recognize German occupation and supported the governments-in-exile. 1928–1947 One: 1928–1940

One, but it's huge : 1941–1945

: 1941–1945 Two: 1946–1947 One: 1928–1940 (Go to 55)

One, but it's huge : 1941–1945 ( Stop )

: 1941–1945 ( ) Two: 1946–1947 (Stop)

55 Persia or Iran? In 1935 the Iranian Government requested that westerners call it by the name its own people had used for hundreds of years, rather than after a tribe within it that gained prominence 2500 years earlier. The interval from 1928 to 1930 is dropped from this branch, but it would fall under Persia. 1928–1940 Persia: 1930–1934

Iran: 1935–1940 Persia: 1930–1934 ( Stop )

) Iran: 1935–1940 (Stop)

56 Cambodia? Cambodia (or Kampuchea) declared independence from France in 1953. 1948–1960 No: 1948–1953

Yes: 1953–1960 No: 1948–1953 (Go to 57)

Yes: 1953–1960 (Go to 59)

57 Eritrea is a part of... Eritrea declared independence from Italy in 1952, joining Ethiopia to create the Federation of Ethiopia and Eritrea. 1947–1953 Italy: 1948–1952

Ethiopia: 1952–1953 Italy: 1948–1952 (Go to 58)

Ethiopia: 1952–1953 (Stop)

58 Canada is... In 1949, the Dominion of Newfoundland became a part of Canada. Before that, it was marked as its own country on the map, so maps from 1948 and before would have Canada "missing a piece" on its east coast as compared to how it looks today. 1947–1952 Missing a piece: 1948

Fine: 1949–1952 Missing a piece: 1948 ( Stop )

) Fine: 1949–1952 (Go to 63)

59 The United Arab Republic? The The United Arab Republic was a short-lived political union between Egypt and Syria. The union began in 1958 and existed until 1961 (although Egypt continued to call itself the United Arab Republic for several years after Syria left the union). 1953–1960 No: 1953–1958

Yes: 1958–1960 No: 1953–58 (stated in comic as 1954–57 – a discrepancy) ( Stop )

) Yes: 1958–60 (Stop)

61 Bangladesh? Bangladesh (formerly East Pakistan) declared independence from Pakistan in 1972, as they had different languages, cultures, and the Bengalis felt their country was being run from West Pakistan without their input. The resulting war lasted just over 8 months and ended in Indian intervention. 1960–1975 No: 1960–1972

Yes: 1972–1975 No: 1960–1972 (Go to 62)

Yes: 1972–1975 (Stop)

62 Is the area south of Lake Victoria... The area south of Lake Victoria was called Tanganyika, and it declared independence from the United Kingdom to form its own country in 1961, and unified with Zanzibar to create Tanzania in 1964. 1960–1972 British: 1960–1961

Tanganyika: 1961–1964

Tanzania: 1965–1971 British: 1960 ( Stop )

) Tanganyika: 1961–1964 ( Stop )

) Tanzania: 1965–1972 (stated in comic as 1964–1971 – a discrepancy) (Stop)

63 The town on I-25 between Albuquerque and El Paso is... I-25 didn't exist for any of the years listed for this item, since the Interstate Highway System wasn't launched until 1956. The highway designation on maps printed during the years listed was US-85, and it was first replaced by I-25 in 1970–1990. The town changed its name from Hot Springs to "Truth or Consequences" in 1950, although locals say that it provides more of the latter than of the former. Initially there was an error as this question was on a path from the British Tanganyika (directly above it) instead of from the "Fine" option of "Canada is.." but this has been fixed. 1949–1952 Hot Springs: 1916–49

Truth or Consequences: 1950+ Hot Springs: 1948–49 ( Stop )

) Truth or Consequences: 1950–52 (Stop)

64 Jimmy Carter is... On April 20, 1979, Jimmy Carter was "attacked" by a swamp rabbit, a fact referenced in 204: America. This fact would not normally be referenced on a map, however, and is simply a joke entry that leads to the next question. 1975–1991 Being attacked by a giant swimming rabbit: April 20, 1979

Fine: 1975–1991 Being attacked by a giant swimming rabbit: April 20, 1979 ( Stop )

) Fine: 1975–1991 (Go to 65)

65 The Sinai is part of what country? In 1979, Israel signed a peace treaty in which it would gradually retreat from the entire Sinai Peninsula, handing that area to Egypt. This happened over a period of three years, completing in 1982. 1975–1991 Israel: 1976–1979

Mostly Israel: 1980

Mostly Egypt: 1981

Egypt: 1982–1991 Israel: 1976–1979 (missing 1975?) ( Stop )

) Mostly Israel: 1980 ( Stop )

) Mostly Egypt: 1981 ( Stop )

) Egypt: 1982–1991 (Go to 66)

66 What's the capital of Micronesia? The Federated States of Micronesia are a group of small islands in the Pacific Ocean. Their capital was Kolonia until 1989, when it changed to Palikir, on the same island. 1982–1991 Kolonia: 1982–1988

Palikir: 1989–1991 Kolonia: 1982–1988 (Go to 67)

Palikir: 1989–1991 (Go to 68)

67 Republic of the Upper Volta or Burkina Faso? Burkina Faso was named the Republic of the Upper Volta until 1984, when the president Thomas Sankara decided to rename it to promote a sense of unity in the nation and in an anti-colonial statement. 1982–1988 Upper Volta: 1982–1984

Burkina Faso: 1985–1988 Upper Volta: 1982–1984 ( Stop )

) Burkina Faso: 1985–1988 (Stop)

68 (Number of Yemens) + (Number of Germanys) = ? In 1990, two unification events took place: Yemeni unification on May 22, and German reunification on October 3. Before these events, in early 1990, there would have been four Yemens and Germanys total. In mid-1990, when only the Yemeni unification had taken place, there would be one Yemen and two Germanys, for a total of three. and in late 1990, after both events took place, there would be one of each for a total of two. 1989–1991 Four: 1989–early 1990

Three: mid-1990

Two: late 1990–1991 Four: 1989–early 1990 ( Stop )

) Three: mid-1990 ( Stop )

) Two: late 1990–1991 (Stop)

Post-Soviet branch

69 Zaire? or: "Hong Kong (UK)" Zaire was one of a series of names for what is today called the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In 1996 a (successful) revolt began to oust the reigning government from power. As part of this revolution, the country was renamed. The original name change away from 'Congo' was part of an 'Africanisation' naming campaign, although 'Congo' is in origin an authentic African name for the river that set the boundaries of the nation. Hong Kong was taken by the British in 1843 at the end of the First Opium War, and an additional area (the New Territories) were leased from China in 1898 on a 99-year lease. When the lease expired in 1997, the whole of Hong Kong was returned to China. 1991+ Yes: 1992–1996

No: 1996+ Yes: 1992–1996 ( Stop )

) No: 1996+ (Go to 70)

70 Serbia and Montenegro are... The Union of Serbia and Montenegro was a remnant of Yugoslavia. Montenegro voted to become its own country in 2006.



Note: For much of the prior date range, "Serbia and Montenegro" did not appear on maps–the states still went by the name Yugoslavia. Serbia and Montenegro only came into existence in 2003. 1996+ One country: 1996–2006

Two countries: 2007+ One country: 1996–2006 (Go to 71)

Two countries: 2007+ (Go to 72)

71 East Timor? East Timor (also known as Timor-Leste) is a nation north of Australia and south east of Indonesia. During the Dutch colonization of Indonesia, East Timor remained in Portuguese hands. While occupied and annexed by Indonesia in 1976, East Timor retained its own culture and voted for independence, then had a nasty militia action that required UN peacekeeping action, and finally become independent in 2002. 1996–2006 No: 1997–2001

Yes: 2002–2006 No: 1997–2001 ( Stop )

) Yes: 2002–2006 (Stop)

72 How many Sudans are there? In 2011, after a long history of violence between the two portions of the country (which can be characterized as Islam vs. Christianity and traditional religions), South Sudan became independent from Sudan. 2006+ One: 2007–2011

Two: 2011+ One: 2007–2011 ( Stop )

) Two: 2011+ (Go to 73)

73 Is Crimea disputed? In 2014, a revolution ousted the current Ukrainian president. Crimea had its own civil unrest, and Russian troops exploited the unrest to launch an invasion. A referendum was held on March 16 2014 and ostensibly decided in favor of Russian annexation. Many nations, including all member states of the EU, the USA, and Canada, disputed the democratic legitimacy of the referendum. As a result, depending on where you get your maps, Crimea may be marked as disputed or as part of one or the other countries. Google Maps Ukraine shows it as solely Ukrainian while Google Maps Russia shows it as Russian. 2011+ Yes: 2014+

No: 2012–2013 Yes: 2014+ (Go to 74)

No: 2012–2013 (Stop)

74 "Colorado" or "Danger—Radioactive Exclusion Zone—Avoid"? This entry and the one below it are now referring to hypothetical future events: specifically, a huge radioactivity event in Colorado that takes place some time in 2022. Colorado has a previous history of radioactive contamination–it was home to uranium mines, nuclear tests (including Project Rulison, an attempt to use nuclear bombs to drill for natural gas that ended up making the gas radioactive) and the controversial Rocky Flats Plant, a nuclear weapons manufacturing facility that suffered several fires and leaks and was ultimately raided and shut down by the FBI. None of these has yet caused spiders to mutate.[citation needed] 2014+ Colorado: 2014–2021

Danger: 2022+ Colorado: 2014–2021 ( Stop )

) Danger: 2022+ (Go to 75)