PROJECT 2
Answer the Following Questions :
On a separate sheet of paper provide a typed response to each of the following questions.
Type the questions and the answers. Be sure your name is on the typed page of answers
and on your map. Keep in mind that the required readings for this exercise will help
you answer these questions.
1. What is the geographical (spatial, temporal, and thematic) topic addressed in this
assignment?
Spatial – world; temporal – 1994; thematic – population distribution/density
2. In a one-to-many dot map, how does the unit value of the dot (e.g. if one dot
equals 100, 100 is your unit value) affect the map-reader’s ability to recover the
original data? With regard to map design, how did you determine what unit value
to set each dot equal to? What about dot size?
How the unit value of the dot affects the map-reader’s ability to recover the
original data: the larger the unit values of the dot, the smaller number of
dots you would need to represent the total population of a particular country,
you will see the dots more clearly (more readable), but information is less
accurate (farther from the reality); By contrast, the smaller the unit values of
the dot, the larger number of dots you would need to represent the total
population of a particular country, you will see the dots less clearly (less
readable), but information is more accurate (closer to the reality)
So, you need to determine a unit value with which you can achieve a balance
between (map) readability and (information) accuracy.
Dot size is also important in achieving a balance of readability and accuracy
as well as aesthetics. Too small size of dots definitely prevents the mapreader from reading your map clearly and accurately. Similarly, if you use
too large of dots, they may overlap one another and even cover the entire
area (in this project “country”), you would lose readability and accuracy too
(and it would also be less aesthetically pleasing)
3. What effect does the enumeration unit have on the display of information for a
one-to-many dot map (in this project your enumeration unit was the country)?
What would happen if you had a smaller enumeration unit; a larger enumeration
unit? How would you interpret the data if all the enumeration units were of the
same size, for example 2000 square miles?
The enumeration unit affects how accurately the population distribution is
represented. The dots within an enumeration unit (country) are randomly
placed. The larger the enumeration unit, the less accurate the representation
of population distribution; the smaller the enumeration unit, the more
accurately population data will be represented (and therefore interpreted)
(i.e., closer to the “real” distribution). For example, if the study area is North
America and the enumeration units are counties and provinces, then the dots
will be placed much closer to the actual population centers than if the
enumeration units were countries.
If all of the all the enumeration units were of the same size that would make
interpretation easier: more dots within a unit (country), larger population
density that unit/country has.
4. What issues did you consider when designing your legend?
Title, dot value, symbology (dot size, color etc), font, border, background
5. Which projection seems more appropriate for this attribute and mapping
technique (i.e. dot density)? Why?
Mollweide Projection. The Mercator projection does make the (world) map
visually look good, perhaps because we are used to this projection. But since
we are trying to represent population density, it is more important to
preserve accurate areal relationships than to preserve shapes. Mollweide
projection is more appropriate because it provides a better representation of
countries (in terms of their area sizes).
In this sense, we somehow sacrifice some aesthetics for accuracy.
6. Using the map that you found most appropriate, describe in your own words what
patterns (spatial relationships) of world population distribution can be interpreted.
Very high concentration of population: India, Pakistan, and China
(Relatively) Less concentrated: Southeast Asia, Europe, the US (continent),
South America, Western and Southern Africa.
Very sparse: Canada, Russia, and Australia
Essentially not populated: Antarctica and the Arctic