Choropleth Maps

Introduction

Choropleth maps hold a significant place in the geospatial analysis and visualization domain. They are thematic maps in which areas are shaded or patterned according to the value of an associated variable being displayed on the map. This variable can be categorical, such as the major ethnic group in that region, or continuous measurements, such as population density or per-capita income. This results in a powerful visualization that can instantly communicate complex data in an intuitive geographical format.

For example, by color-coding regions based on the proportion of votes for different candidates, a choropleth map can instantly convey which areas are supporting which candidates. Similarly, a public health researcher could use a choropleth map to understand the distribution of a particular health condition, like asthma or diabetes, across different neighborhoods or states.

In the next section, we are going to cover some examples ...