choropleth map
nounUK /ˈkɔːɹəˌplɛθ/
Etymology From Ancient Greek χώρα (khṓra, “location”) + πλῆθος (plêthos, “a great number”) + English map. First proposed in 1938 by American geographer John Kirtland Wright to mean "quantity in area," although maps of the type have been used since the early 19th century.
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A thematic map in which the distribution of some property is shown using different colours.
- The scale and unit of analysis for choropleth maps depends upon the area to be mapped.1999, Jeffery T. Walker, Statistics in Criminal Justice: Analysis and Interpretation, page 66:
- The choropleth map, which shows distributions by area, is one of the most frequently used maps in geography.2004, Gerald R. Pitzl, Encyclopedia of Human Geography, page 29:
1 more example
- As the Mercator is to Web projections, choropleth maps are to thematic cartography (i.e., they are overused).2013, Ian Muehlenhaus, Web Cartography: Map Design for Interactive and Mobile Devices, page 147:
- Related terms
- area-class, isarithmic