Thursday, October 10, 2024

A case study of change and why - let's drink to some geographical analysis!

Map created by Näytä Data

The map above shows how alcoholic drink preferences in Europe are not static. Between 1990 and 2015 several countries switched their preferred alcoholic beverage, most notably Russia and Eastern Europe moving from spirits to beer.

Everything is subject to change over time, alcohol preference is no exception. The above maps are a very relatable and an interesting example of change over a relatively short term. The maps shows what has changed (or not change) in relation to alcohol preference across Europe from 1990 to 2015. Beyond the description of change, the geographical question is what has driven and caused this change. This is a great conversation and an invitation to seek other maps to help explain the change or not the change. For example, economic maps, demographic maps, climate maps, migration maps (and many others) may help explain the change but it could just be that change happens and cannot be explained. As geographers, we are always looking for the reasons for change in cultural, economic, political and environmental terms via the spatial representation of maps. Do you think we would see a similar change across the States of Australia?  

Go to https://brilliantmaps.com/preferred-alcohol-1990-vs-2015/ for an analysis of what the maps show - not why the change or not the change occurs across space.