Map of the world's countries, equal-area projection
Cartogram based on the top map, with size of countries proportional to the size of population, based on 2005 figures.
EDINA newsline
June 2012: Volume 17 Issue 2
Map of the world's countries, equal-area projection
Cartogram based on the top map, with size of countries proportional to the size of population, based on 2005 figures.
A “cartogram” is a map on which statistical information is shown in diagrammatic form. It attempts to convey a general sense of geography in addition to one or more other important statistical elements. The primary concern is with accurately portraying a unique data set, while secondarily doing the best it can to stay true to geographic accuracy.
Cartogram creation tends to use complex tools, often needing specialist knowledge, and can demand a significant computational overhead.
The Cartogrammar project, funded by ESRC, attempts to break down some of the barriers in the creation and use of cartograms.
This project aims to create a production-strength service and associated toolset for the benefit of a broad social science audience. It will develop an open web service, a supporting website gallery and tools that will allow social scientists to create, share and reuse bespoke cartograms.
The website will use a “wizard” to handle the uploading of user supplied data (a shapefile), and the gathering of the information required to produce the cartogram itself. It will also host the gallery of user contributed cartograms so that these can be showcased and reused.
It is intended that Cartogrammar will be demonstrated at the ESRC booth at the NCRM Methods Festival in July of 2012.