1923 Fortune Magazine Infographic World Map of American Investment

This is a c. 1923 Fortune Magazine and Jenter Exhibits infographic map of American foreign investments. The map depicts several different regions of the world, including Asia from Russia and Japan to Australia and from Thailand and Indonesia to New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, the Americas from Mexico to Argentina and Chile and from the Pacific Ocean to the eastern coast of Brazil, and eastern Canada in a centrally-placed inset map. The majority of the countries depicted are labeled correctly, although 'Central America' and 'West Indies' are labeled regionally instead of by individual countries, with the notable exception of Cuba. With regard to the detailing of foreign investments, eight different symbols are used to denote different forms of investment. These include: bonds, utilities, oil (production), oil (distribution), mining, agriculture, manufacturing, and rail roads. Foreign investment in bonds was very popular all over the world at the time, particularly in Canada and Japan, as well as Australia. Canada also benefited as the single largest market for American foreign investment, and the Canadian market was also the most diversified, with investments in six of the eight markets depicted.

While this map is not dated, two elements allow for an approximate date. The first is the presence of the Dutch East Indies, which would not have appeared after World War II. Also, the prevalence of investment in the bond market would not have been nearly as prevalent following the stock market crash in 1929. This map was created by Jenter Exhibits and published in Fortune Magazine c. 1923.