Geographic Visualization
Harnessing the Power of Maps for Insightful Data Representation
Overview
Maps are powerful tools for visualizing geographic data and conveying complex information in an easily digestible format. In the context of FAO's work, maps play a crucial role in illustrating global agricultural patterns, food security issues, and environmental challenges. They enable stakeholders to quickly grasp spatial relationships, identify trends, and make informed decisions based on geographical insights.
When creating maps for FAO projects and communications, it's essential to adhere to specific guidelines to ensure accuracy, consistency, and compliance with international standards. These guidelines help maintain the integrity of FAO's visual communications and respect geopolitical sensitivities.
All maps should follow the maps available on the website of the UN. In particular, the delineation used by the UN for the representation of international borders must be followed.
This standard map uses the correct UN layers and country names, as derived from FAO NOCS https://www.fao.org/nocs/enhttps://www.fao.org/nocs/en.
Additional OCC guidance is available here as well as the Administrative Circular.
Usage
To implement a basic map using the FAO Design System, follow these steps:
- Install Leaflet.js
- Include a container element with a unique ID in your HTML, you can use the CSS classes
ratio
andratio-21x9
for proper sizing:
- Import Leaflet JavaScript and Styles
- Initialize the map with the following JavaScript code:
This will create a map centered at coordinates [0, 0] with a zoom level of 2, using the UN's official map tiles. The map includes attribution to the UN and has a maximum zoom level of 18.
Map with Off Canvas
The Map with Off Canvas feature enhances user interaction by providing a dynamic way to display additional information about map markers.
When a user clicks on a marker, an off-canvas panel slides into view, presenting detailed content related to that specific location.
This approach allows for a clean map interface while still offering rich, contextual information on demand. It's particularly useful for projects that require displaying complex data sets or narratives tied to geographical points, without cluttering the main map view.