Click here for a full-size version of this week’s map.

This map is a dot map of the world. (Do you need a refresher on what a dot map is? Visit our “Basics” page for a quick primer.) After several weeks with very serious maps, we figured it was time for a fun map. This is a fairly simple map that doesn’t have all that many dots. Your job is to figure out what this dot map represents.

Stumped? Check back Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday for hints about where to focus your investigation. The answer will be posted on Monday, March 13. Good luck!

Tuesday’s hint: This dot map, which was made in 2017, would look slightly different from a similar map made, for example, a decade or more ago. But it’s worth noting that on no historical version of this map would you find any dot in California.

Wednesday’s hint: The next dot that will need to be added to this map will be just to the northwest of Beijing, China. We’ll probably need to add it in 2020, or maybe 2021. Either way, it will be before 2022.

Thursday’s hint: Many of the dots on this map line up with cities that have hosted (or will soon host) the Winter Olympics. These include PyeongChang (2018), Sochi (2014), Vancouver (2010), Salt Lake City (2002), Nagano (1998), Lillehammer (1994), Albertville (1992), Calgary (1988), Lake Placid (1980 and 1932), Innsbruck (1976 and 1964; two separate dots), Cortina d’Ampezzo (1956), and St. Moritz (1948 and 1928). But this list leaves off some Olympic hosts that are not on this map: Turin (2006), Sarajevo (1984), Sapporo (1972), Grenoble (1968), Squaw Valley (1960), Oslo (1952), Garmisch-Partenkirchen (1936), and Chamonix (1924). There are also a lot of dots that are on this map that correspond with cities that have never hosted the Winter Olympics: four dots in Germany, one in Latvia, and one in Russia. Obviously, the solution to this map is somehow related to the Winter Olympics...but why are there six other dots?

Friday’s hint: Maybe it would help if you knew the names of the towns with the six dots that have not hosted the Olympics. In Latvia, the dot represents Sigulda. In Russia, the dot near Moscow corresponds to Paramonovo. And in Germany, those four dots are for Altenberg, Königssee, Oberhof, and Winterberg.

Answer: Click here to see an explanation of the answer to this week’s map question.

Next map: Click here to try out our newest map question.