Where does the North Begin?

One of the perennial questions in UK politics and geography is “where is the border between the North and South?” I can now definitively answer that question thanks to MapSplit.

Giuseppe Sollazzo’s MapSplit interactive map allows you to map any UK-specific dataset and then “draw a movable straight line across the UK” to view a statistic for each side. This means I was able to upload all the Greggs outlets in the UK onto Giuseppe's map and instantly discover the dividing line across the country where there are an equal number of Greggs north and south of the line. Ending, forever, the debate about the border between the North and South.

MapSplit is a wonderfully simple idea, but one that opens up all kinds of possibilities for exploring geographic data. Choose one of the datasets provided by the map, drag the line across the UK and the statistics for either side are recalculated instantly. You can rotate the line using the handle, or snap it to a horizontal or vertical position. As you move it around the map, the totals and partial breakdowns update to show exactly what is being counted on each side.

Best of all, you aren't limited to the datasets supplied with the map. You can upload your own data in CSV or TSV format, GeoJSON, or even JSON and ESRI-ASCII grids. MapSplit can work with points or polygons (reducing polygons to their centroids), provided the data includes geographic coordinates and a numerical value. This turns what initially looks like a playful geography experiment into a genuinely useful little data-exploration tool.

For example, for my Greggs experiment I loaded in the Greggs geojson from the Greggs and Pret Heatmap. I was then able to use the Balance N-S and Balance W-E buttons to divide the UK in half based on equal numbers of Greggs. I was also able to rotate and move the line to discover the breakdowns of Greggs on either side of any arbitrary boundary. This makes it surprisingly easy to experiment with different ways of dividing the country and see how the distribution of your data changes from one side of the line to the other.

BTW: Based on the Greggs Method, the North begins at Leicester.