10 maps that defined 2015 by Laura Bliss on Jan 3, 2016, 1:14 PM 
Here's a cartographic tour through the year's biggest stories. SEE ALSO: Japan's low birthrate is causing a vacant-property crisis 1) All the ways to Cuba  It was December 2014 when President Barack Obama announced the U.S. would restore full diplomatic relations with Cuba, ending more than half a century of economic embargo and political stalemate between the two countries. As a result, throughout 2015 new non-stop flights to Cuba from U.S. cities suddenly appeared, while cruise-ship itineraries quickly tacked on days at the Havana port. The map above, by Cuba Standard reporter Armando Portela, shows the ferry routes proposed by entrepreneurial Floridians who snapped uplicenses to serve Cuba before officials could even say “go.”
2) Nepal's devastating earthquake RAW Embed In April, Kathmandu was near the epicenter of a 7.8 magnitude earthquake, Nepal’s deadliest ever. More than 8,500 people perished in the resulting devastation, with more than half a million structures (including centuries-old monuments) demolished in the city and surrounding villages. This map, by the digital cartography firm Esri, compares satellite imagery of the city before and after the earthquake, revealing the extent of the devastation. Like many South Asian cities, Kathmandu has been rapidly urbanizing without strong enforcement of building codes and safety regulations. Experts warn that if cities in developing countries don’t address these types of issues, staggering earthquake death tolls like Nepal’s could become the norm.
3) The spread of ISIS RAW Embed The self-proclaimed Islamic State expanded the territory under its control in 2015, continuing to take over key cities and oil-rich lands in Iraq and Syria. From its growing, tightly governed base—mapped by the Independent in June— ISIS orchestrated or inspired more than 50 terrorist attacks in at least a dozen countries this year alone.
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