MAP CRITIQUE LAB

http://piratemapster.com/maps/free/PM1209001.gif

Above, you will find my example of a bad map. It is safe to assume that this is a treasure map, and we can only hope that the cartographer's intention was to make the treasure hard to find (or to fill a page in a coloring book). The map has a North seeking arrow; however, the only other geographic references are some poorly defined symbols. Presumably, you are approaching the area by sea, so why not land your craft closer to the "destination" to avoid the walk of doom past the giant bear? Is there cliff in the way, or a rocky coastline?

(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/73/US_presidential_election_2004_results_by_county.jpg)

Above is my example of a good map. This map illustrates the 2008 presidential election results by county. Sen. John McCain received a majority of the votes in the red counties. President Obama received a majority of the votes in the blue counties. This map would be a great foundation for other layers of data such as population density, demographics, and even poverty. The first thing I thought when I saw this map is, "it is really, really red, how did President Obama win?!". A second look at this map confirms that President Obama carried more densely populated areas such as counties in the Northeast, much of the Pacific coast, counties with major cities, and counties where major universities are located. For an example of the significance of demographics, look at how President Obama fared around the US Highway 80 corridor through central Alabama and Georgia. I have titled this area "The Civil Rights Belt". I believe this is a great map because it caused me to think about whole new sets of data, and it inspired more study. My only concern: why is Alaska white?