This map reflects the data from the Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. It reveals the two most common crops in proportion to each other, by area harvested, in each country. A crop is a plant that can be grown and harvested for profit or subsistence. The three most common crops across the world are rice, wheat, and corn. Rice cultivation is concentrated in East and South Asia, usually in hot, humid climates. Wheat tends to be grown in Europe and the Middle East. Corn is spread out in a wide variety of regions, including the Americas, the Balkans, Africa, and China.
It is interesting to compare this map to the most common starches consumed per county map, since they differ in some significant ways. Not all crops are consumed by people and many are exported to other countries. Please note that crops are obviously not evenly distributed across countries, but treating it this way is the simplest way to convey the information. Furthermore, this map does not show the fact that some countries have a far higher percentage of agricultural land than others.
North America
Corn is the most common crop on the continent. Canada has a colder climate, so wheat and rapeseed are more often grown there. In tropical regions, sugarcane, coffee, and rice become more common crops.
South America
Soybean and corn are common in South America, especially in the eastern half of the continent. Rice cultivation is concentrated around the Caribbean region. Chile appears to be an outlier, unlike other countries, mostly grows wheat, but also many grapes.
Europe
Wheat and barley are the two most commonly grown crops in Europe. Corn looks to be highly correlated with countries in the former Austro-Hungarian Empire. Along the Mediterranean, olives are more prevalent, due to the warmer and drier climate.
Africa
Africa has a wide variety of different crops. Corn is the most common, especially in East Africa. The cultivation of sorghum and millet occurs primarily in the Sahel region, since they are drought and heat tolerant plants. Cassava is concentrated in Central Africa.
Asia
In Asia, wheat (along with barley) dominates in the north and west, while rice is much more common in the south and east. The Arabian peninsula does not have a lot of agricultural land, but dates are their most common crop. Cotton is concentrated in Central Asia. Corn, rice, and wheat are grown in nearly equal amounts in China.
Oceania
Due in part to European immigration, the cultivation of wheat and barley are now common in Australia and New Zealand. In tropical regions, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea have a lot of palm oil producing lands. Another plant commonly harvested in tropical regions is coconut.
