cartogram

American  

[kahr-tuh-gram] / ˈkɑr təˌgræm /

noun

1. a diagrammatic presentation in highly abstracted or simplified form, commonly of statistical data, on a map base or distorted map base.

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cartogram British  

/ ˈkɑːtəˌɡræm /

noun

1. a map showing statistical information in diagrammatic form

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Etymology

Origin of cartogram

From the French word cartogramme, dating back to 1885–90. See carte, -o-, -gram ¹

Explanation

A cartogram turns a map into a graphic representation of facts and numbers associated with different countries or regions. As an example, to dramatically show which countries on a continent have the largest populations, a cartogram might distort the relative sizes of each country. Those with larger populations are made to appear larger in comparison to those with smaller populations — despite their actual relative sizes. In this way, the map is changed into a picture that conveys specific information about the places, showing different populations as the sizes of the countries. Cartograms may have odd-looking shapes and dimensions, but they can be a good way to show important information.

Example Sentences

Take a look at Campaign Zero's policing reform legislative cartogram.

From Salon • Jun. 9, 2020

A far better solution would be to use a conformal population cartogram.

From New York Times • Oct. 18, 2016

If States Were as Big as Their Vote Counts A cartogram of votes cast, state by state.

From Slate • Nov. 9, 2012

As opposed to the broad dispersal of economic development funds, the security assistance cartogram demonstrates the targeted nature of the American national military strategy.

From Washington Post

FiveThirtyEight uses hexagonal tiles to create the cartogram below.

From National Geographic