This fascinating map shows how the Gross Domestic Products (GDPs) of some countries compare to the GDPs of the US states. The numbers may be slightly outdated– go here for the exact numbers from 2005– but the map is interesting nonetheless. California has the largest economy of any state in the US, and it would rank in the top ten worldwide if it were its own country (which it kind of is).
A country’s GDP is the value of all the goods and services it has produced in a given time span. The GDP of the US for 2007 was roughly $13.22 trillion, still far ahead of its nearest competitors despite the notoriously weak US dollar. Predictions of GDP for 2007 and 2008 show, however, that countries like China and India are catching up.
Link via Strange Maps.