Table of Contents

Introduction.................................................................................................................................................2

History of Thematic Maps...........................................................................................................................2

Types of Thematic Maps..............................................................................................................................3

Why Cartographer need to classify quantitative data?...............................................................................4

Question 2...................................................................................................................................................5

Conclusion.................................................................................................................................................25

References.................................................................................................................................................26

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Introduction
A thematic map is a map that emphasizes a particular theme or a special topic such as the average
distribution of rainfall in an area. They are different from general reference maps because they do not
just show natural features like rivers, cities, political subdivisions and highways. Instead, if these items
are on a thematic map, they are simply used as reference points to enhance one's understanding of the
map's theme and purpose. Normally, however, all thematic maps use maps with coastlines, city
locations and political boundaries as their base maps. The map's specific theme is then layered onto this
base map via different mapping programs and technologies like a geographic information system (GIS).

History of Thematic Maps

Thematic maps did not develop as a map type until the mid-17th Century because accurate base
maps were not present prior to this time. Once they became accurate enough to display coastlines,
cities and other boundaries correctly, the first thematic maps were created. In 1686 for example,
Edmond Halley, an astronomer from England, developed a star chart. In that same year, he published
the first meteorological chart using base maps as his reference in an article he published about trade
winds. In 1701, Halley also published the first chart to show lines of magnetic variation -- a thematic map
that later became useful in navigation.

Halley's maps were largely used for navigation and the study of the physical environment. In
1854, John Snow, a doctor from London created the first thematic map used for problem analysis when
he mapped cholera's spread throughout the city. He began with a base map of London's neighborhoods
that included all streets and water pump locations. He then mapped the locations where people died
from cholera on that base map and was able to find that the deaths clustered around one pump and
determined that the water coming from the pump was the cause of cholera.

In addition to these maps, the first map of Paris showing population density was developed by a
French engineer named Louis-Leger Vauthier. It used isolines (a line connecting points of equal value) to
show population distribution throughout the city and was believed to be the first use of isolines to
display a theme that did not have to do with physical geography.

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Types of Thematic Maps
Although cartographers can use these datasets in many different ways to create thematic maps,
there are five thematic mapping techniques that are used most often. The first and most commonly
used of these is the choropleth map. This is a map that portrays quantitative data as a color and can
show density, percent, average value or quantity of an event within a geographic area. Sequential colors
on these maps represent increasing or decreasing positive or negative data values. Normally, each color
also represents a range of values. Proportional or graduated symbols are the next type of map and
represent data associated with point locations such as cities. Data is displayed on these maps with
proportionally sized symbols to show differences in occurrences. Circles are most often used with these
maps but squares and other geometric shapes are suitable as well. The most common way to size these
symbols is to make their areas proportional to the values to be depicted with mapping or drawing
software.

Another thematic map is the isarithmic or contour map and it uses isolines to depict continuous
values like precipitation levels. These maps can also display three-dimensional values like elevation on
topographic maps. Generally, data for isarithmic maps is gathered via measurable points (e.g. weather
stations) or is collected by area (e.g. tons of corn per acre by county). Isarithmic maps also follow the
basic rule that there is a high and low side in relation to the isoline. For example, in elevation, if the
isoline is 500 feet (152 m) then one side must be higher than 500 feet and one side must be lower. A dot
map is another type of thematic map and uses dots to show the presence of a theme and display a
spatial pattern. On these maps, a dot can represent one unit or several, depending on what is being
depicted with the map. Finally, dasymetric mapping is the last type of thematic map. This map is a
complex variation of the choropleth map and works by using statistics and extra information to combine
areas with similar values instead of using the administrative boundaries common in a simple choropleth
map.

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4
Question 1

Why Cartographer need to classify quantitative data?

When cartographers design thematic maps today, there are several important things to
consider. The most significant though is the map's quantitative data. This is important because it helps
determine what items should be included on the thematic map as reference points in addition to the
map's theme. A map being made for a political scientist, for example, would need to have political
boundaries, whereas one for a biologist might instead need contours showing elevation. The sources of
a thematic map's data are also important and should be carefully considered. Cartographers must find
accurate, recent and reliable sources of information on a wide range of subjects- from environmental
features to demographic data to make the best possible maps.

In addition to making sure a thematic map's data is accurate, there are various ways to use that
data and each must be considered with the map's theme. Univariate mapping, for example, is a map
dealing with only one type of data and therefore looks at the occurrence of one type of event. This
process would be good for mapping a location's rainfall. Bivariate data mapping shows the distribution
of two data sets and models their correlations such as rainfall amounts relative to elevation.
Multivariate data mapping is mapping with two or more datasets. A multivariate map could look at
rainfall, elevation and the amount of vegetation relative to both for example.

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Question 2
1. Natural Breaks

The natural breaks (or Jenks) classification method utilizes an algorithm to group values in classes
that are separated by distinct break points. This method is best used with data that is unevenly
distributed but not skewed toward either end of the distribution. "Natural Breaks" shows the natural
breaks classification for the 1997 US county population density data. One potential disadvantage is that
this method can create classes that contain widely varying number ranges. Accordingly, class 1 is
characterized by a range of just over 150,000, while class 5 is characterized by a range of over 6,000,000.
In cases like this, it is often useful to either “tweak” the classes following the classification effort or to
change the labels to some ordinal scale such as “small, medium, or large.” The latter example, in
particular, can result in a map that is more comprehensible to the viewer. A second disadvantage is the
fact that it can be difficult to compare two or more maps created with the natural breaks classification
method because the class ranges are so very specific to each dataset. In these cases, datasets that may
not be overly disparate may appear so in the output graphic.

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 2. Equal Interval

The equal interval (or equal step) classification method divides the range of attribute values into equally
sized classes. The number of classes is determined by the user. The equal interval classification method
is best used for continuous datasets such as precipitation or temperature. In the case of the 1997
Census Bureau data, county population values across the United States range from 40 (Yellowstone
National Park County, MO) to 9,184,770 (Los Angeles County, CA) for a total range of 9,184,770 − 40 =
9,184,730. If we decide to classify this data into 5 equal interval classes, the range of each class would
cover a population spread of 9,184,730 / 5 = 1,836,946 ("Equal Interval Classification for 1997 US County
Population Data"). The advantage of the equal interval classification method is that it creates a legend
that is easy to interpret and present to a nontechnical audience. The primary disadvantage is that
certain datasets will end up with most of the data values falling into only one or two classes, while few
to no values will occupy the other classes. As you can see in "Equal Interval Classification for 1997 US
County Population Data", almost all the counties are assigned to the first (yellow) bin.

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 3. Quantiles

The quantile classification method places equal numbers of observations into each class. This method is
best for data that is evenly distributed across its range. "Quantiles" shows the quantile classification
method with five total classes. As there are 3,140 counties in the United States, each class in the
quantile classification methodology will contain 3,140 / 5 = 628 different counties. The advantage to this
method is that it often excels at emphasizing the relative position of the data values (i.e., which counties
contain the top 20 percent of the US population). The primary disadvantage of the quantile classification
methodology is that features placed within the same class can have wildly differing values, particularly if
the data are not evenly distributed across its range. In addition, the opposite can also happen whereby
values with small range differences can be placed into different classes, suggesting a wider difference in
the dataset than actually exists.

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 4. Standard Deviation

The standard deviation classification method forms each class by adding and subtracting the standard
deviation from the mean of the dataset. The method is best suited to be used with data that conforms
to a normal distribution. In the county population example, the mean is 85,108, and the standard
deviation is 277,080. Therefore, as can be seen in the legend of "Standard Deviation", the central class
contains values within a 0.5 standard deviation of the mean, while the upper and lower classes contain
values that are 0.5 or more standard deviations above or below the mean, respectively.

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 5. Jenks Optimization

The Jenks optimization method, also called the Jenks natural breaks classification method, is a data
clustering method designed to determine the best arrangement of values into different classes. This is
done by seeking to minimize each class’s average deviation from the class mean, while maximizing each
class’s deviation from the means of the other groups. In other words, the method seeks to reduce the
variance within classes and maximize the variance between classes. Jenks was a cartographer by
profession. His work with statistics grew out of a desire to make choropleth maps more visually accurate
for the viewer. In his paper, The Data Model Concept in Statistical Mapping, he claims that by visualizing
data in a three dimensional model cartographers could devise a “systematic and rational method for
preparing choroplethic maps”. Jenks used the analogy of a “blanket of error” to describe the need to use
elements other than the mean to generalize data. The three dimensional models were created to help
Jenks visualize the difference between data classes. His aim was to generalize the data using as few
planes as possible and maintain a constant “blanket of error”.

Question 3

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1) Table 1.0 shows the average temperatures in January and July in the capitals of the EU
countries. Use the i)Natural Break ii) Equal Interval and Quantiles to classify the cities in
3 groups for January temperature attributes. Use bar graphs to display the data and
show the class limits.

Table 1.0

Answer :

11
 BAR GRAPH OF TEMPERATURE IN JANUARY
14

12

10

0
Natural Break EQUAL INTERVAL QUANTILES

CLASS 1 CLASS 2 CLASS 3

Natural break

Class 1 (-11 to -4)

Class 2 (-4 to 1)

Class 3 (1 to 10)

Equal interval

Class 1 (-11 to -5)

Class 2 (-5 to 1)

Class 3 (1 to 10)

Quantile

Class 1 (-11 to -4)

Class 2 (-4 to 3)

Class 3 (3 to 10)

4. Table 2.0 lists population data for four cities in four districts of a particular country.

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 Use i) the Square root method and ii) the Flannery method to calculate the size of the
proportional symbols. Show all the calculation. Plot the symbols onto the given map for
each of the method used.

CITY POPULATION
A 100,000
B 250,000
C 500,000
D 900,000
Table 2.0

Square root method Flannery Method

Population of city A Population of city A
√value = radius Log 100000 = 5
√100000 = 316.228 5 x 0.57 = 2.85
Anti logarithm 2.85 = 707.946
Population of city B
√value = radius Population of city B
√250000 = 500 Log 250000= 5.398
5.398 x 0.57 = 3.077
Population of city C Anti logarithm 3.077 = 1193.988
√value = radius
√500000 = 707.107 Population of city C
Log 500000 = 5.699
Population of city D 5.699 x 0.57 = 3.248
√value = radius Anti logarithm 3.248 = 1771.793
√900000 = 948.683
Population of city D
Log 900000 = 5.954
5.954 x 0.57 = 3.394
Anti logarithm 3.394 = 2476.956

POPULATION (SQUARE ROOT METHOD)

100,000

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250,000
500,000
900,000

A
B

Map 1

CITY POPULATION
A 100,000
B 250,000
C 500,000
D 900,000

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 POPULATION (Flannery Method)

100,000
250,000
500,000
900,000

D
A

Map 1

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5. You are required to produce a thematic map showing the 1990 population density of the
different districts of a particular state. Use the given data to calculate the population density.
Classify the values and use the choropleth mapping technique to display the population density
onto the given Map 2. The given numbers on the map correspond to the numbers for districts
listed in Table 3.0.

DISTRICTS AREA (SQ. KM) POPULATION POPULATION

1990 DENSITY
1 652.6 352,906 540.769
2 628.2 406,832 647.615
3 839.1 129,695 154.564
4 1181 123,095 104.229
5 486.9 633,144 1300.357
6 999.7 100,053 100.083
7 619 54,653 88.292
8 828.7 410,491 495.343
9 1745.6 78,366 44.8934
Table 3.0

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 2
3

4
1 5

6
9

Population CLASSIFICATION
Density
0-100

100-200

200-300

300-400

400-700

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6) Suppose you were required to display the given data in Table 4.0 on children reported missing in nine
selected districts of a particular state from January to July 2010. Show all the steps taken in
classifying the data. Justify your decisions for the classification method you think best suited for
the distribution. Use suitable quantitative mapping techniques to present the information onto
the Map 3. The given numbers on the map correspond to the number for the districts listed in
Table 4.0.

Districts Missing
Girls Boys

1 80 28
2 112 31
3 155 30
4 21 6
5 15 4
6 44 19
7 21 8
8 60 13
9 32 12
Table 4.0

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Girl

Class 1 : 15-21

Class 2 : 32-60

Class 3 : 80-155

Boys

Class 1 : 4-8

Class 2 : 12-19

Class 3 : 28-31

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7. Table 5.0 listed data on migrants of age 15-34 and their education background compiled for years
2000-2005 and 2010 - 2015. Construct two pie graphs and explain the difference between the
two data sets.

Education Level 2000 - 2005

Primary (17%) 81,420
Secondary (64%) 302,340
Tertiary (16%) 77,750
No formal education (3%) 15,050
Table 5.0
Education Level 2010 - 2015
Primary (11%) 42,300
Secondary (59%) 234,720
Tertiary (28%) 112,560
No formal education (2%) 7,370

EDUCATION LEVEL 2000-2005

3%
16% 17% PRIMARY
SECONDARY
TERTIARY
NO FORMAL EDUCATION

63%

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EDUCATION LEVEL 2010-2015

2% 11%
PRIMARY
28% SECONDARY
TERTIARY
NO FORMAL EDUCATION

59%

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8. What are flow line maps? What is Minard’s map of Napoleon’s Russian campaign and why is it
significant?

The year is 1812, and Napoleon is doing pretty well for himself. He has most of Europe under his control,
except for the UK. No matter how many times he tried to invade them, he couldn’t break through their
defenses. His plan was to place an embargo on them, forcing the other European countries to stop trade
with the UK which would weaken them enough so that Napoleon could invade and take over easily.

Czar Alexander of Russia sees that Napoleon was becoming too powerful, so he refuses to participate in
this embargo. Angry at Czar Alexander’s decision, Napoleon gathers a massive army of over 400,000 to
attack Russia in June of the year 1812. While Russia’s troops are not as numerous as France’s, Russia has
a plan. Russian troops keep retreating as Napoleon’s troops move forward, burning everything they
pass, ensuring that the French forces could not take anything from their environment. Eventually the
French army follows the Russian army all the way to Moscow during October, suffering major losses
from lack of food. By the time Napoleon gets to Moscow, he knows he has to retreat. As winter settles
into Europe and the temperature drops, Napoleon’s troops suffer even more losses, returning to France
from lack of food, disease, and weather conditions.

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9. What is: a Cartogram? A Dasymetric mapping?

Cartogram

Cartograms on the other hand take some measurable variable: total population, age of inhabitants,
electoral votes, GDP, etc., and then manipulate a place’s area to be sized accordingly. The produced
cartogram can really look quite different from the maps of cities, states, countries, and the world that
are more recognizable. It all depends on how a cartographer needs or wants to display the information.
Cartograms come in all shapes and sizes, literally, and with the continuous advances in technology of
geographic information system (GIS) software cartograms are produced with more precision and greater
graphics than ever. There are two main types of cartograms: area cartograms and distance cartograms.

1. Area Cartogram

An area cartogram is a map that alters an entire physical location by scaling a chosen economic, social,
political, or environmental factor. Take total population for example, the area cartogram to the right
displays the current world population of 7.2 billion people. In this cartogram the size of a country is built
using square grids, each representing 1 million people – the larger the total population, the larger the
country. 

2. Distance Cartogram

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The second type of cartogram is a distance cartogram. In this form, cartograms are used to display the
relative time and distance within a chosen network. Though the exact time and distance from one
location to another is distorted, these cartograms are still useful for moving about. One distance
cartogram familiar to many Americans is the metro system of Washington, DC. The distance between
stops seems uniform when in fact the actual distance between one stop and another may be far greater
or far less than displayed on the cartogram. In either case, statistical information dictates how physical
geography will be mapped.

Desymetric Map

The dasymetric map is a method of thematic mapping, which uses areal symbols to spatially classify
volumetric data. The method was defined and developed in 1911 by Benjamin (Veniamin) Petrovich
Semenov-Tyan-Shansky and popularised by J.K. Wright, although there are earlier references to similar
techniques from George Poulett Scrope (1833) and Henry Drury Harness (1838). The term "dasymetric"
was invented by Semenov-Tyan-Shansky using the Greek translation for "measuring density" (dasys
dense, metreo to measure). Semenov Tyan Shansky defined dasymetric maps as maps "on which
population density, irrespective of any administrative boundaries, is shown as it is distributed in reality,
for example by natural spots of concentration and rarefaction." Cartographers use dasymetric mapping

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for population density over other methods because of its ability to realistically place data over
geography. Considered a hybrid or compromise between isopleth and choropleth maps, a dasymetric
map utilizes standardized data, but places areal symbols by taking into consideration actual changing
densities within the boundaries of the map. To do this, ancillary information is acquired, which means
the cartographer steps statistical data according to extra information collected within the boundary. If
appropriately executed, it is far superior to choropleth maps in relaying statistical data within areas of
interest. Like other forms of thematic mapping, the dasymetric method was created and historically
used because of the need for accurate visualization methods of population data. Dasymetric maps are
not widely used because of the limited options for producing them with automated tools such as
geographic information systems. Although fields such as public health still rely on choropleth maps,
dasymetric maps are becoming more prevalent in developing fields, such as conservation and
sustainable development.

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Conclusion

As a conclusion, Thematic maps are maps are maps that emphasize a specific subject area or theme
connected to a specific geographical area. Thematic maps are maps are maps that emphasize a specific
subject area or theme connected to a specific geographical area. Unlike general reference maps which
show variety of features, thematic maps focus on a specific feature. Thematic maps use base data only
as points of reference and do not show natural features such as boundaries, rivers, cities, or even
highways. Instead, if the show these features, they are only used as reference points to make it easy for
the users to understand the map. The map emphasizes spatial variation of a number of variations such
as climate, population density, and health. Thematic maps may also show the interrelationship of
geographical distributions.

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References
Brewer, c. L. (2013). Dasymetric Mapping and Areal Interpolation: Implementation and Evaluation.
Cartography and Geographic Information Science,
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1559/152304001782173727.

Dash. (2019, 5 4). Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/thematic-maps-overview-1435692

Farlex. (2003-2009). Natural Break. The frame Dictionary of Farlex, https://medical-

dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/natural+break.

GRAPHICSMAP. (2019, MAY 4). Retrieved from https://www.graphicmaps.com/what-is-a-thematic-map

GROVER, D. (August 29,2014). What is a Cartogram. Population Education,

https://populationeducation.org/what-cartogram/.

Maps, A. (2017). The Basics of Data Classification. https://www.axismaps.com/guide/data/data-

classification/.

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