As part of a term paper on demographic trends in Alabama, a college sophomore needs to present a report that accounts for trends in key demographic indicators over several decades. The data needed for this project was downloaded from the US Census Bureau in spreadsheet form and several graphs were created. However to fully appreciate the spatial nature of the data, the Census information needs be displayed on a map. Having never taken any Geographic Information System courses, traditional GIS software is beyond the capability of the student so an easy-to-use alternative must be found.
Solution:
XMap 5.0 GIS Editor was developed on the same foundation as DeLorme’s consumer-level mapping products yet it includes all of the spatial tools that most GIS users will need. First, ZIP Code polygons, freely available for download from DeLorme data archives, are imported and displayed on the map. The relevant demographic data is linked to each ZIP Code polygon and the classification tool is then used to expose patterns in the data. Finally XMap’s powerful print tools are used to generate presentation quality maps. Because XMap is easy to learn, GIS users in an academic setting can focus more on the application of the technology rather than spending valuable classroom time learning how to use the software.
Built With:
XMap 5.0 GIS Editor
None
User Additions:
US States Openspace layer Alabama ZIP Code polygons Openspace layer with Census data linked
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