Comparing U.S. States to Countries, Based on GDP and Population

The Economist put together an interesting graphic that shows which countries match the GDP and population of America's states?

You  probably know that California, on its own, would rank as one of the biggest economies of the world.  As a result of its recession, these days, it would rank eighth (falling between Italy and Brazil).

But how do other American states compare with other countries?

Taking the nearest equivalent country from 2009 data reveals some surprises. Who would have thought that, despite years of auto-industry hardship, the economy of Michigan is still the same size as Taiwan's?

 

By the way, this is similar to a map I first saw in 2007 at "StrangeMaps".  More on that here; and it gives you a chance to see how things have changed since then.

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