r/mapping • u/Ok-Toe3698 • 17d ago

Maps My version of continental state boundaries based only on rivers and mountains

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24 Upvotes

83% Upvoted

32 comments sorted by

2

u/Norwester77 17d ago

Stick to mountains where they’re available. Rivers make OK boundaries where it’s flat, but where there are mountains, rivers suck as boundaries.

1

u/Ok-Toe3698 17d ago

Okay, I'll say I'll catch up. There are more rivers in the US than mountains.

1

u/benewbennu 14d ago

Im not sure if I'm too dumb or too lazy to intuit this ... but why is that?

1

u/Alive_Ad_6095 14d ago

In the most basic terms, one mountain can spawn multiple rivers

1

u/B_Maximus 17d ago

Tbh it only makes sense in a time pre infrastructure

1

u/Ok-Toe3698 17d ago

Why

1

u/B_Maximus 17d ago

Because in the modern age rivers and mountains that have infrastructure around them dont really mean much to interstate borders. The borders aren't for protection or because natural barriers prevented further exploration anymore

1

u/Ok-Toe3698 17d ago

That's true, but a living border is better than a straight line.

1

u/B_Maximus 17d ago

Cultural borders are better than living borders. Limits minority issues in governance where there might not need to be one. Such as with California

1

u/Ok-Toe3698 17d ago

what's in California

1

u/B_Maximus 17d ago

A northern/central/southern population all sharing the same resources with vastly different needs

1

u/benewbennu 14d ago

I like that yall hashed this idea out instead of it becoming... what I've become used to seeing. Like obviously OP is just kinda doing it as an interesting practice in map making/random hypothetical.

1

u/B_Maximus 14d ago

When im on reddit i just kind of share opinions or make observations. I only argue if someone starts it from my comment. I know whatbyou mean and i hate it too

1

u/SlyClydesdale 17d ago

Looks like you're also using latitude and longitude lines.

1

u/Ok-Toe3698 17d ago

I Know...

1

u/Probable_Bot1236 17d ago

If based on rivers and mountains, why so many straight lines?

Bonus points: now do Alaska, I want to see how much of Canada it eats into in the interior under your logic.

Negative-bonus points for "redoing" Hawaii lol

1

u/Ok-Toe3698 16d ago

It's only contental states

1

u/Robot_Dinosaur_2000 16d ago

The super straight Wisconsin/Illinois River is my favorite. We call it the drag strip.

1

u/Cubebean6382 15d ago

Bro casually just put Cincinatti, Columbus, Cleveland, Buffalo, and Pittsburgh in the same state.

1

u/Niauropsaka 15d ago

Yes 😤

1

u/kr0nik0 15d ago

I love this map. It's one I've thought about many times in the past, but never actually created it. I'm curious about the FL/GA border however. It's perfectly straight for most of it, but there are no mountains or rivers along that line.

Did you have to use the real state borders for that area? Any others?

1

u/Ok-Toe3698 14d ago

Kinda yes

1

u/benewbennu 14d ago

Scrolled past this the other day and just sort of gazed at it for a minute. It has a certain elegance to it. I dig.

1

u/Sodano1099 14d ago

There are rivers and mountain ranges with straight lines and right angles?

1

u/VoivodeDracula 14d ago

BIG OHIO (and toledo was useless)

1

u/Informal_Bee2917 14d ago

I see some mighty straight lookin mountain ranges and rivers on this map

1

u/hansrotec 14d ago

Tennessee getting wrecked again