Here’s How America Uses Its Land by Bloomberg LP

How do Americans use their land? Bloomberg’s exploration uses a series of unique 8,000-pixel maps in a distinctive, scrolling web experience.

A mash-up of the latest data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service and the Interior Department’s National Land Cover database, the final product is a compelling analysis of our 2 billion-acre jigsaw puzzle of cities, farms, forests and pastures.

What takes up the most space? Cows.

Forty-one percent of land in the contiguous states revolves around livestock and livestock feed. What about land used to grow crops we eat? It’s almost an afterthought in U.S. overall land use, just 4 percent of the contiguous states. A slightly bigger area, at 6 percent, is designated for park and wilderness areas. Side by side, all U.S. golf courses would be larger than Delaware.

Lauded on social-media equally for its information as well as its presentation, educators, foresters, environmentalists, politicians and farmers found something to marvel at in this non-partisan look at the country.