Glossary ** Graduated Symbols**
- Definition: A type of thematic map where the size of the symbol representing each data point is proportional to the value of the data.
- Purpose: To show variations in the magnitude of a variable across geographic space.
- Characteristics:
- Symbols are typically circles, squares, or triangles.
- The size of the symbol is determined by a graduated scale, which assigns different sizes to different ranges of data values.
- The legend shows the correspondence between symbol size and data value.
- Advantages:
- Easy to understand and interpret.
- Can effectively show large amounts of data.
- Can be used to compare data values across different geographic areas.
- Disadvantages:
- Can be difficult to create accurate graduated scales, especially when data values vary greatly.
- Symbol overlap can occur in areas with high data values.
- May not be suitable for representing data that is distributed unevenly across the map.