I absolutely love propaganda maps. I think they are effective for doing what every map does – making an argument about the environment.

Yes, I find some propaganda maps abhorrent – particularly the ones that fly in the face of my own beliefs. (Though, I’m still fascinated by them.) Others, I smile and applaud – because they are witty or really sticking it to belief systems or institutions I don’t much respect. And sometimes… Well, I really just enjoy making propaganda maps myself. Particularly based on classic propaganda maps that preceded them, in this case a World War II German one that I find quite effective.

So without further ado, here is today’s map celebrating International Day of Friendship.

It’s just a map making a visual argument about the world like any other. My perspective of the situation.

View map at full-scale here

ChatGPT Image Creator Prompt

Please create an official looking, CIA World Factbook-style looking map titled: United States International Friendships, July 2026 The map should have the US in the middle of the map in bright yellow.

It should be a rectangular map of the world, Mercator-esque projection. Every country in the world except Saudi Arabia, Israel, and Argentina should be colored in 95% black. The oceans should be 80% black. The country boundaries (internal, not on coastlines, i.e., islands won’t have any boundaries) should be 80% black too (same color as the ocean fill.

I’ve attached an image to inspire how I would like this map to look. Do not include a page fold, though.

If you can add the same old school book texture, that would be great!

Also, the title should be at the bottom, and please include a solid neatline – would be great. Label the countries that are friends. The US should be yellow too.

In the lower right, please put a free to distribute, reuse, and modify with attribution CC abbreviation (I don’t know what that one is, exactly, e.g., CC-BY-NY-BYOB ;-)) with attribution to “Ian Oas”. Thanks!