19.Aug.2008 at 9:59 am | Sunny
Olympic Medal Count Fluid Bubble Chart Online Map
Here’s a fluid bubble chart of the Olympic medal count, the coolest online map ever. Move the scale on the top to get a feel of how powerful this flash powered application really is.
One interesting note in the geopolitical context is how in 1980, USSR, the eastern block, Cuba and all the communist governments dominated the show (in the absence of US), but China, which we believe was strongly influenced by USSR, did not medal at all.
As for this year, the larger dots are mostly represented by developed nations, with only a few exceptions.
1. Paul | August 21, 2008 #
China did not participate in the 1980 Moscow games, it chose to boycott them with the West (http://www.china.org.cn/english/null/116819.htm, see the single line about two-thirds down the page). In fact, the PRC and the USSR had suffered a division of interests several years earlier and were not nearly as friendly as the USSR and every other communist regime.
As for this year, I certainly hope you are not insinuating that China is not among the “developed” nations. Despite their miserable per-capita income level, the national production is greater than any country except the U.S. (yes even more than Japan when you consider the productivity of domestically consumed products and services). In terms of the development of human rights, you may have an arguement.