<p><i>Building Bridges of Peace Across the World</i>, by Ada Maria Ciontu of Romania, age 11. This map won third place in the 9-12 age group.</p>

Building Bridges of Peace Across the World, by Ada Maria Ciontu of Romania, age 11. This map won third place in the 9-12 age group.

Map courtesy International Cartographic Association

These Amazing Maps Show How Kids See Their Place in the World

Children from 38 countries submitted some impressive entries for a competition judged by the International Cartographic Association.

If you want to see the world through a child’s eyes, ask her to draw a map. Or you could spend some time with this collection of maps from the International Cartographic Association’s (ICA) biennial children’s map competition. Kids between the ages of 5 and 15 from all over the world entered the 2015 contest, whose theme was “My Place in Today’s World.” Their work is captivating.

The range of styles, themes, and skills on display is really impressive. Some of the maps are disarmingly adorable, such as the winner of the under-6 age group below (by Adam Paketur of Lithuania, who was 5 years old when he made it). Some of the maps in the older age

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