Lab 7: Census 2000 Data

This map shows the percentage of black people relative to the total population in the U.S. According to this map, the black population is mostly concentrated in the Southeast region of the country. This pattern makes sense, as the black population were enslaved in the South for centuries. In contrast, there is a very small black population in the North and Northwest parts of the country. There are small pockets of black people in the Midwest and Northeast, as well as California.  

This map shows the percentage of Asians living in the country relative to the total population. The Asian population is mostly concentrated in the West, particularly in California. As in the previous map, this trend makes historical sense, as large waves of Asian immigrants arrived in California in the Twentieth Century. The second largest concentration is in the Northeast, and there are smaller pockets located in Florida and the Midwest. 

This map shows the percentage of people who identify as some race that is different from the racial categories specified by the Census Bureau. In the West and Southwest, there is a high percentage of people who fall into this category. One possible explanation for this trend is that immigrants often locate in the states that share a border with Mexico, including Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, and California. There are additional pockets of people who identify with this category in Florida and parts of the Northeast, however there are very few in the Midwest and Northern regions of the country.  

These geographic maps, derived from Census 2000 are very interesting because they illustrate that people of different backgrounds tend to live in the same areas. Overall, GIS is an excellent tool that can be used to create visual images of spatial data, such as the dispersion of demographic groups in the United States, fairly easily.  

Lab 6: DEMs in ArcGIS

These four maps depict various topographical features of a southern mountain range in Nevada. In decimal degrees, the area included in the maps is between 39.83 N and 39.38 N, -105.79 E and -104.97 E. The geographic coordinate system used to produce this data was the GCS North American 1983. The maps highlight the types of spatial analysis that can be achieved using ArcGIS; once data is obtained, one can input, assess, and draw conclusions about it.

Lab 4: ArcGIS Tutorial

As a geographic information systems tool, ArcMap has become one of the most widely used data systems to date. Overall, the program has opened doors to contemporary mapping technology and allowed geographers to share and compile complex information.

ArcMap is extremely useful for several reasons. For example, it can be used to store detailed spatial data. Moreover, it provides very precise measurements that are useful when trying to determine distance and sizes of different geographical features. Finally, ArcMap is useful because it can create multiple map layers in order to highlight the relationship between different topographical features. In this way, users can manipulate several data sets simultaneously, rather than having to work with a number of separate maps at the same time. Therefore, ArcMap is very helpful for inputting and analyzing spatial information.

Despite its positive attributes, ArcMap also has noteworthy shortcomings. Because the program has an extensive set of features, the program becomes very confusing for new users trying to input and manage a lot of data. In this way, the program is not one that anybody with a computer or internet connection can use; instead, ArcMap requires extensive knowledge about mapping and data systems to be of use.

Evidently, ArcMap has positive and negative attributes. Although it is widely utilized by professionals, it is not an easily accessible program.