SpatialStat is an independent publication exploring our changing planet through maps, satellite images and spatial data. Every map has a source.https://spatialstat.com/https://spatialstat.com/deep-dives/aral-sea-60-years/https://spatialstat.com/deep-dives/aral-sea-60-years/Mapping one of the largest human-made environmental disasters, decade by decade, with satellite images and the stories of the people who live on its former shore.Mon, 02 Nov 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://spatialstat.com/maps/doubly-landlocked/https://spatialstat.com/maps/doubly-landlocked/To reach the ocean from Uzbekistan or Liechtenstein, you have to cross at least two borders. Here is what that looks like on a map.Fri, 23 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://spatialstat.com/maps/aral-sea-then-and-now/https://spatialstat.com/maps/aral-sea-then-and-now/Once the fourth-largest lake in the world, the Aral Sea lost most of its water after its rivers were diverted for irrigation. Satellite images show the change.Wed, 21 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://spatialstat.com/maps/fire-on-earth/https://spatialstat.com/maps/fire-on-earth/NASA satellites detected 5.6 million vegetation fires between late July and mid-October. 50% of them burned in Africa, most of them set on purpose.Mon, 19 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://spatialstat.com/maps/kazakhstan-size-of-europe/https://spatialstat.com/maps/kazakhstan-size-of-europe/Laid over Europe at true scale, Kazakhstan stretches from France to the Black Sea. It is the world's ninth-largest country and the largest with no coastline.Mon, 19 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://spatialstat.com/maps/mercator-central-asia/https://spatialstat.com/maps/mercator-central-asia/On a standard web map, countries far from the equator look much bigger than they are. Here is how much Mercator inflates Central Asia and its neighbours.Fri, 16 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT