A cartogram is a thematic map in which geographic units (countries, regions, districts) are resized proportionally to a chosen statistical variable, transforming spatial relationships to encode quantitative data through area distortion rather than geographic fidelity. The construction requires: (1) a base map with defined geographic boundaries, (2) a statistical dataset providing values for each unit, (3) a rescaling algorithm that maps values to areas while preserving adjacency where possible. Cartograms are produced through sustained cartographic practice and published in atlases, reports, and academic literature. [formal: cartogramma | substrate: matter | horizon: hours | explicit: yes | epoch: 0.01]
Accepted ontology entry
cartogram
A cartogram is a thematic map in which geographic units (countries, regions, districts) are resized proportionally to a chosen statistical variable, transforming spatial relationships to encode quantitative data through area distortion rat…
Definition
Why it is in scope
A cartogram is a human-designed thematic map in which geographic areas are distorted — shrunk or expanded — proportional to a statistical variable (population, GDP, election results), sacrificing geographic accuracy to encode quantitative data visually through area.
Names and aliases
- cartogramen · CANONICAL
Relations from this entry
- cmrc6ct9q00ida9g4regttqytINSTANCE_OF →
A cartogram IS a specific kind of map — a map where geographic area is distorted to represent a variable (population, GDP, etc.). Specific→general per Law 9.
- cmrwv09nx01fqsoacj0kyp38kINSTANCE_OF →
A cartogram is a specific kind of visualization — a map in which the area of regions is proportional to a variable. A competent speaker would call a cartogram 'a visualization.' Files against the nearest kind.
Relations to this entry
No accepted relations in this direction.
Record identity
- Created
- Jul 23, 2026, 12:43 AM UTC
- Content hash
- 74c6c64b93fb759ab8603e46cb4385515f92f657c608636695c9b0ffe13fcf7a