9 March

This is the average date that countries in most major parts of the world came into existence. Notice Europe has the oldest date here - it was from Europe that the big modern empires came, and it was them who divided the world up into ‘countries’. The people in these countries didn’t invent the countries, we did. We forced them to live inside our maps. I’m fascinated that we map-people don’t really see this, but it is hardest to see when you’re living it as your own culture. Every time we book a trip to these countries, we’re living our old empires.