5 replies to this topic

[frax]

Mapping the Swiss political landscape, you might have seen this:
http://www.swissinfo...107&sid=4626385
http://www.vdf.ethz....s/Landkarte.jpg

I am not sure it is that useful, but it looks good at least (and makes you think?).


Personally, I don't regard this as "real" cartography, it is more a form of diagram. Imaginary spaces, huh? I do like the graphic design of the "map" though.

[Hans van der Maarel]

I'd say it's a diagram. The geographic link is severely limited. A clever diagram though, but still a diagram. In fact, I'm not sure whether this would work better than a 'standard' choropleth map with political colors.

[frax]

it can not be compared to a choropleth map in information content, it is basically a beautified 2-dimensional chart. the third dimension could be illustrated with the sizes of the dots (for population size, for instance -- I think that is peaks in that map)

[Kartograph]

Dear Forum,

Isn´t a map just a clever diagram too?
As long as Information is coded by a systematic geometric partition of "paper"-space, I say it´s cartographers work. Might not be a map, but still cartographers work.
Bertin´s writings apply to Maps and Diagrams.

Regards,

Andreas

[Nick Springer]

Oooh, good discussion.

In general I agree with Andreas that while this may not be a traditional map it is still a "mapping" of information in a 2D (and 3D) space relative to each other. In that sense it is a "map" of the political landscape, and the realm of cartographers.

Now... I'm not sure this particular diagram does a good job of relaying the information. Maybe it makes more sense to people familiar with politics in Switzerland.

[Kartograph]

Now... I'm not sure this particular diagram does a good job of relaying the information. Maybe it makes more sense to people familiar with politics in Switzerland.

I support you there. I daresay the author produced a nice looking but not very informative diagram.
To be more precise, the relief shading is good looking, but misleading.
It conveys the sense of being an anamorphosis (skewed geometries were topography and thematic data mismatch to make some point e.g. population vs. country area)
whereas it is a totally new space continuum which is shown.
I think a standard isopleth-diagram would have been more correct.

Regards,

Andreas