Lab 4: Typography

Creating the typography for a blank map of Harper's Ferry National Historical Park.

Maps with interesting typography

The map maker adjusted the typography so each neighborhood name filled up the area within the neighborhood boundaries.

The map below has the title "The World, Justified". The map makers give four views of the world by using different spacing. The first is justified (aligned with both the right and left margins). The other three views are of the world that is either left-aligned, centered, or right-aligned.

Lab 3

Interesting Projections

Armadillo Projection



Map of Europe projected on WWI soldier's helmet.





Mars

Lab two image

Interesting Map

This is an interesting map that shows strong regional preferences for the local word for 'soft drink'. New England, California, Arizona are firmly in the 'Soda' camp. 'Pop' has a large territory which stretches from western Pennsylvania through the Great Lakes and Great Plains to the Pacific Northwest. 'Soda' has two major outposts in 'Pop'-land: Eastern Wisconsin and the region surrounding St. Louis. The South is firmly in the 'Coke' camp. Coke is based in the Southern economic hub of Atlanta so I think this explains why Coke is a 'Coke' even if it is a Pepsi. Two Southern states, North Carolina and Virginia, show a weaker preference for 'Coke' by leaning toward "Soda". Growing up in the Hampton Roads region of Virginia, we called everything 'Coke'. I never heard anyone refer to Coke as 'Pop' until I was in college and met someone from Pittsburgh. Virginia and North Carolina also have high concentrations of citizens who are originally from other states. This would account for these two Southern states having weak 'Coke' and 'Soda' scores. Also notice that Southwest Virginia is neither a 'Coke' nor 'Soda' region, but a 'Pop' region. A look at the map shows that middle to upper Appalachia is a strong 'Pop' region. Southwest Virginia is physically and culturally part of Appalachia; and, as such, the local soft drink term is consistent with that part of Appalachia.

Geography Links

Geospatial Information and Technology Association
http://www.gita.org/

I chose this link because professional associations are an important source of information to both students and practitioners. By looking at association websites, you will learn the current issues facing the profession, discover the newest research in the field, find opportunities for networking via conferences or local chapters, and usually association websites will also post job opportunities.

University of Michigan Library, Statistical Resources on the Web
http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/stats.html

I chose this link because often people are not sure where to begin their search for the data necessary to make maps. The Government Documents department of the University of Michigan Library has simplified research by providing a portal of sorts to statistical information on a variety of subjects. The site is comprehensive; subject categories include: Agriculture, Weather, Foreign Governments, Demographics, and the Military (to name but a few).

US Census Bureau State and County QuickFacts
http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/index.html

Historic Census Data, 1790-1960
http://fisher.lib.virginia.edu/collections/stats/histcensus/

The US Census Bureau QuickFacts site is a user friendly site when you need information in a hurry. By clicking a state on the map, you will receive that state’s data from the most recent census. You can narrow the data by county or city if you wish. The data can also be downloaded in Excel.

The Historic Census Data webpage from the University of Virginia is a useful complement to the QuickFacts. The page gives you options of searching the data by several interesting categories, including slave population.