Cartisan > Types of Maps > Contigious Area Cartograms

Cartograms are advantageous when you want a map that makes a sudden impact on the reader. Geographic accuracy, such as size and area of the land being mapped, takes a backseat to the data. In our map of the allotment of electoral votes, you can see that the District of Columbia is the same size as Wyoming and Montana despite having an incomparable land size. In this case, since electoral votes are based upon population, DC's much higher population density accounts for the explosion in size.

While a cartogram pays no respect to geographic area, shape, or orientation, this is an utmost concern of the cartographer when developing the map. In order to increase the legibility of the data the map maker must not only have a good hold of the geographic attributes behind the cartogram, but they must be imaginative in how they bend the landscape to fit the cartogram. Because of this, all cartograms are unique. Referring to our map sample again, you can see that Idaho shares a boundary with California...simply because this is Idaho fits due to the exaggeration caused by the data.