I love this map. Via NewScientist, Where’s the Remotest Place on Earth?

[Larger version available here.]

The map shows the travel times from anywhere on earth to the nearest city with a population of 50,000+. Taking into account roads, navigable waterways, and shipping lanes, the map shows how less than 10% of the earth’s (non-Antarctica) surface area is more than two days travel time away from an urban area. Also cool is how they calculated the travel times, as shown by this chart.

The remotest place of all is located on the Tibetan Plateau (34.7°N, 85.7°E). From this location, “it is a three-week trip to the cities of Lhasa or Korla – one day by car and the remaining 20 on foot.”

-Susan