kartograms

A kartogram is a thematic map used in cartography where areas are distorted to represent the magnitude of a particular variable. Instead of geographical accuracy, the size of each region on a kartogram is proportional to the data it represents. This means that a country with a large population might appear much larger on a population kartogram than its actual geographical size, while a sparsely populated country would appear smaller.

The primary purpose of a kartogram is to visualize and emphasize the distribution of a specific statistical data set. By altering the area of regions, kartograms can make it easier to compare the values of the variable across different places. They are particularly useful for highlighting disparities or concentrations of a phenomenon that might not be immediately apparent on a standard map.

Commonly, kartograms are used to display demographic data such as population density, economic indicators like GDP or income, or social statistics like literacy rates. The visual distortion can be striking, drawing the viewer's attention to areas with high or low values of the variable being mapped. However, this distortion can also be a drawback, as it sacrifices geographical accuracy and can sometimes lead to misinterpretations if the viewer is not aware of the underlying principle of area proportionality. The creation of kartograms typically involves specialized software that can adjust the boundaries of geographical units based on the input data.