Lab 8: Mapping Census Data

     In the final lab for Geography 7, we were asked to use data from the 2000 Census to map population distributions throughout the continental United States.  Data was taken for Black, Asian, and 'Other' populations and mapped, per county, according to percent of total population.  To further examine the analytical possibilities of GIS, data was classified using both the equal interval and natural breaks methods.

      As seen in the above maps, the Black population across the United States is highly concentrated in the South.   Both maps indicate a prominent Black population in Louisiana and in Georgia.  In addition, both maps illustrate a "belt" across the South that spans from Louisiana through the Carolinas.  Interestingly, the population in Florida remains very much concentrated in the north and does not extend south into the state.  The different classifications show important disparities in the distribution.  According to the natural breaks map, the population seems to be very widespread and highly concentrated throughout the belt.  However, in the equal interval map, the population looks more dispersed.  One advantage of the natural breaks map is that a clear majority (population greater than 50% of the total population) is visible.  Because the equal interval map does not make such a distinction, the majority remains a bit more uncertain. 

     The graphical representation of the Asian population distribution is highly dependent on the choice of data classification, as evident in the differences between the two maps.  While both show that the largest Asian presence in on the west coast of the country, the equal interval map makes the population much less pronounced.  As seen on the first map, the Asian population has a significant presence in Southern California.  In the densest areas, the population ranges from 9-20%.  It is important to note, however, that the greatest population percent is 46%.  This indicates that nowhere in the continental United States is the Asian population a majority of the county's population. 

    Here, we see how the different classifications affect the representation of the 'other' population distribution.  In both maps, the concentration of peoples of other races is highly distributed in the western part of the country.  Additionally, this distribution is most apparent in along the Southwestern border, which may indicate that this influx of peoples of 'other' races may be due to immigration from Latin America.  As seen in both maps, the highest percentage of 'other' races is California and New Mexico.  For this particular distribution, the equal interval map is telling, for it specifically shows where the highest percentage of peoples of 'other' races reside, in the narrowest margin.  The natural breaks map shows this as well, but suggests that people of 'other' races make up a much larger majority of the total population.
   Clearly, the Census maps show important trends in population distributions in the United States.  Using either equal interval or natural breaks classifications, one can learn significant information about the US population.  As evidenced in the Black population maps, the largest percentage of Black population is in the South.  This poignantly illustrates an important component of United States' history, for the Black population historically orginated in the tobacco-farming areas pertinent to the slave trade.  Similar population migration is evident in analysis of the Asian population, as many Asian peoples would have come to the United States from the West.  Finally, the presence of peoples of 'other' population in the Southwest show a growing trend in immigration and population distribution.

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When I first signed up for this class during the summer, I did not know what to expect - to be perfectly honest, I thought it would be quite boring.  However, the first day of class, and the rest of the quarter, far exceed my expectations.  I thoroughly enjoyed lecture and feel like I learned a valuable skill in GIS.  Professor Shin was very entertaining and his lecturing style was engaging. I really enjoyed learning about GIS and using ArcMap and I'm sad to see this  class end.  I wish I would have taken a GIS class earlier in my career at UCLA because I feel like I would have really liked picking up the GIS minor.  If the opportunity ever arises, I hope to use GIS again in the future and I can honestly say, as cheesy as this is, that I have a new appreciation for maps and cartography in general.