The FORTUNE Global 500 used to be a scorecard by which Western companies measured their dominance. Today the list is more diverse than ever: Our map shows the headquarters cities of the list companies, layered over data showing each country's gains in gross national income from 2000 to 2010. This suggests that the Global 500 isn't just a way to measure corporate muscle -- in some cases it is an indicator of prosperity too.
All companies on the list must publish financial data and report part or all of their figures to a government agency. In the U.S., private companies and cooperatives... More
