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Build a geography map

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Geography maps (Map - Geography chart type) support datasets with Geography data, or Variant or Text data in GeoJSON format, and are typically used to illustrate geospatial objects on a map. Create a connection map to display spatial networks, correlations, and relationships, or build a choropleth map to identify variability and patterns across distinct geographic areas.

Geography map of Manhattan and western Queens with bike lanes drawn as blue, green, and purple lines over a light base map.

Example use cases:

  • Land use analytics: Represent land parcels by zoning code to identify land use patterns and conflicts with proximal areas
  • Marketing analytics: Quantify customers across specific regions to analyze customer distribution and understand market reach.
  • Environmental analytics: Map oil and gas pipelines to assess proximity to residential areas and natural resources.

User requirements

The ability to create geography maps and other charts requires the following:

  • You must be assigned an account type with the Create, edit, and publish workbooks or Explore workbooks permission enabled.
  • You must be the workbook owner or be granted Can explore or Can edit workbook permission.

If you’re granted Can explore access to the workbook, you can create and modify chart properties and formatting in Explore mode, but you cannot publish your changes.

Data prerequisites

A geography map requires one of the following data types:

  • Geography data 1
  • Variant or Text data in GeoJSON format

If your dataset isn’t compatible, you might be able to use functions (such as type or geography functions) to convert data to a supported type. If you have Text data in WKT format, you can convert it to Geography first using the Geography function.1 Alternatively, when building a choropleth map, you can also use the Map - Region chart.

1The geography data type is not supported on all data platforms. For more information, see Supported data platforms and feature compatibility.

Geography map variations

Connection map of the NYC bike lane network, with bike lanes drawn as red lines across Manhattan and western Queens and a legend labeled NYC bike lane network.

Connect geographic locations (cities, landmarks, points of interest, and more) to illustrate spatial networks, correlations, and relationships.

Choropleth map titled Registered retail businesses by neighborhood, with San Francisco neighborhoods shaded on a 0 to 1200 blue scale and the Mission District and nearby downtown areas darkest.

Choropleth map

Define regions and compare values to identify variability and patterns across distinct geographic areas.

If points are represented by the geography data type, use the Latitude and Longitude functions to extract the coordinates. If points are represented by the variant data type, select the Extract columns option in the column menu to extract the coordinates from the GeoJSON format. You can then plot the extracted data in the Map - Point chart.

Basic geography map configurations

Geography maps require the following element properties:

  • Chart: chart type used to illustrate the data
  • Geography: source column that defines the geospatial objects

At the core of every chart is an underlying data table (derived from the data source) that supplies the information visualized by the chart. As you build a geography map, Sigma automatically calculates and structures the data to map the element properties to source columns in the underlying data table. For information about how to view the underlying data while you configure the chart, see Maximize or Minimize a Data Element.

Add a geography map

Add a new chart element and designate it as a geography map.

  1. Open a workbook in Explore or Edit mode and add a new chart element.

  2. In the new element’s Chart property, click the dropdown field and select Map - Geography from the list.

    The Visualization dropdown open in the element properties panel, with Map - Geography under the cursor at the bottom of the list.

Define the geospatial objects

Configure a source column that defines the geospatial objects (lines or polygons) representing landmarks, routes, regions, or other features. The column must contain geography data, or variant or text data in GeoJSON format.

  1. In the Geography property, click Add column and select an option from the menu:

    • To map objects from an existing column, search or scroll the Select geography/variant column list and select the column name.

    • To create a new column using a custom formula, select Add new column and enter the formula or value in the toolbar.

    You can also select or replace an existing column by dragging and dropping a column name from the Columns list to the Geography property.

    The Geography property menu open with Add new column and a Select geography/variant column list, with Bike lane network under the cursor.

    When the Geography property is configured, the map illustrates the geospatial objects represented by the source column data.

    Geography map with the Bike lane network column in the Geography property and bike lanes drawn as blue lines across Manhattan and Queens.

Advanced geography map properties and formatting

Configure mark colors

Configure the line or polygon mark colors in the Element properties > Marks > Color tab to visualize patterns, highlight variations, improve readability, and more.

The Marks section with the Color tab selected, showing the Single color option and a blue color swatch.

Mark color

Single color

Enter a hex code or select an option from the color palette or color picker.

Choropleth map of the contiguous United States with every state filled in the same orange.

By scale

Select a source column to define the color scale, then select a color range to apply to the marks.

Column values associated with color scale are automatically included in the mark tooltips. For more information, see Customize tooltip fields.

Choropleth map of the United States with states shaded on a color scale from pale yellow to dark gray, with California and Texas darkest.

Customize tooltip fields

Configure source columns in the Element properties > Marks > Tooltip property to add fields to the map tooltips.

The Marks section with the Tooltip tab selected, showing an empty Select column field with an add button.

If a source column is configured in the Marks > Color property, its values are automatically displayed in the tooltips. For information about changing tooltip defaults and adding fields, see Customize chart mark tooltips fields.

Tooltip on the Mission neighborhood of a San Francisco choropleth map, showing # of retail businesses as 1007 and Neighborhood as Mission.

Change map style

Change the base style of your map in the Element format > Map style section.

The Map style section of the Element format panel, with Base Style set to Light and an empty access token field.

Base style
LightBike lane map of Manhattan and western Queens using the Light base style, with a pale gray background.
DarkBike lane map of Manhattan and western Queens using the Dark base style, with a near-black background.
StreetsBike lane map of Manhattan and western Queens using the Streets base style, with green parks, blue water, and orange highways.
SatelliteBike lane map of Manhattan and western Queens using the Satellite base style, with aerial imagery behind the bike lanes.
Custom (example)Bike lane map of Manhattan and western Queens using an example custom base style, with a solid blue background and white street lines.

All geography map format options