Cartogram

Concept
Also known as diagrammatic maps, or value-by-area map;
Draw the areas of the enumeration (political) units proportional to some
geographic variable, such as, total population, aggregated income, and retail sales.
Transforming familiar geographical space into some other space.
Mapping requirements include the preservation of shape, orientation, contiguity,
and data that have suitable variation.
Successful communication depends on how well the map-reader recognizes the
shapes of the internal enumeration units, the accuracy of estimating these areas,
and effective legend design.
Twisted and distorted image that only vaguely resembles the geographic base
map.
In other thematic forms, data mapped by selecting a symbol and placing it in
enumeration units. In area cartogram, the actual enumeration unit and its size
carry the information.
Contiguous and Non-contiguous Cartograms
Contiguous Cartograms
Drawn so that the enumeration unit boundaries are tangent to one other.
Shapes must be distorted to some extent to maintain common boundaries.

Noncontiguous Cartograms
Advantages:
They are easy to scale and construct
The true geographic shapes of the enumeration units can be preserved
Disadvantages
Enumeration units will not fit together to maintain the contiguous character of the
map. They do not convey the continuous nature of geographical space.
Empty space between the enumeration units. They do not possess an overall
compact form, and it is difficult to maintain the shape of the entire study area.

Mapping Requirements
The map-reader is familiar with the overall shape of the study area
Also, the map reader must be familiar with the shape of the individual
enumeration units and relative locational relationships.
Preservation of general shape of the enumeration units is crucial to the
effectiveness of the map. Individual unit shapes on the cartogram must be similar
to their geographical shapes. Shape is a bridge that allows the reader to perceive
the transformation of the original.
Maintaining recognizable geographic orientation is another important element in
cartogram
Enumeration units must be kept in appropriate locational relationship to one
another.
 Contiguity, while not as critical as shape and orientation, should be adhered to
when possible.
Enumeration units of non-contiguous cartograms should be arranged to minimize
open space between them.
Design issues
Shape-recognition clues along the outline of enumeration units must be
maintained.
Complex shapes can be converted to more simplified forms if the points of major
direction change are preserved. Use a series of straight-line segments to
approximate the shape of enumeration units.
A geographic inset map should be included if the map-reader may not know the
true geographical relationships of the mapped area.
Data that has a reverse correlation to the area of the enumeration units is generally
a good candidate for cartogram mapping.
A well designed legend

Legend
The psychophysical estimation of area magnitudes is influenced by the shapes of
the representative areas in the map legend.
At least one square legend symbol should be used at the lower end of the data
range.
It is best to provide three squares in the legend, one at the low end, one at the
middle, and one at the high end of the data range.