Ecoclimax

We're feeding the planet on three crops. Seriously, just three. These grains make up 89% of cereal production , and in 2009 they supplied 43% of all the calories people ate. That number hasn't dropped much since. Vivid Maps team put together maps showing exactly where wheat, maize, and rice grow around the world.  Where Does All the Wheat Come From? People started growing wheat in the Fertile Crescent 10,000 years ago. From there it moved into every place with decent soil and cool enough weather. It stores without rotting, survives frost better than other grains, and becomes bread, pasta, noodles, you name it. China leads wheat production. They grew 136.6 million tonnes in 2023. India was second with 110.6 million tonnes. Russia produced 91.5 million tonnes. The U.S., France, Pakistan, Canada, Germany, Ukraine, and Turkey all grow substantial amounts. Here's what gets me though. Somalia harvests 401 kg per hectare. New Zealand gets 9,668 kg from that same hectare. Why s...

We've got 8.2 billion people on Earth now. VividMaps created some visualizations tracking when countries hit major population numbers. The timing is crazy. China had 20 million people in 1000 BC. Kazakhstan just got there in 2023. 20 Million in the Ancient World Having 20 million people was huge back then. China got there around 1000 BC, which seems impossible when you think about feeding everyone. Persia reached it by 480 BC. Greece by 400 BC. Rome by 60 BC. They'd figured out irrigation and food storage at levels other civilizations couldn't touch. Centuries went by before more countries joined. France around 1100 AD. Mali by 1400. Ancient Mexico around 1250. The 1700s and 1800s saw acceleration. Russia hit it in 1765. Germany in 1770. Japan around 1815, Britain in 1837, the US in 1844. Recent entries? Kazakhstan and Zambia both last year. The Netherlands won't make it until the 2050s, maybe later. 50 Million Needs Industrial Muscle India hit 50 million around 727 BC...