Adding map images and political boundaries to graphs provides visual context to geospatial data. For example, you can add a map to the graph that displays an image of the U.S. Another option is displaying the boundaries for each state (when data includes the latitudes and longitudes for the U.S.).
The data should have latitudinal and longitudinal coordinates. Otherwise, the map has no meaning in the context of the data. The x and y axes also have range requirements based on the type of map. These requirements are described in the following sections.
Two tools are especially helpful when you are viewing a map:
• The grabber tool () lets you scroll horizontally and vertically through a map.
• The magnifier tool () lets you zoom in and out.
For more information about adding maps, see Maps in Essential Graphing.