Imus Geographics

The Art of Cartography

The Essential Geography of the United States of America

An award-winning map that advances geographic literacy

"This one will remain a classic!" Stuart Allan, Raven Maps Benchmark Road and Recreation Atlases "The Essential Geography...strikes the information balance perfectly." Tom Patterson, Former President, North American Cartographic Information Society "...this map shows our discipline at its best." - Nathaniel Kelso, Kelso Cartography

Contents A new standard of cartographic expression that advances geographic literacy 1 How does The Essential Geography advance geographic literacy? 2-5 An award-winning design 6 Results: Cartography and Geographic Information Society, 38th Map Competition Selected comments on The Essential Geography of the United States of America 8 About the cartographer and a list of his national map design awards back cover Ordering information back cover 7

The Essential Geography of the United States of America

A new standard of cartographic expression that advances geographic literacy

David Imus, Cartographer August 8, 2011, Eugene, Oregon, USA The foundation of geographic literacy is the ability to visualize the physical arrangement of the world. So, when we read that half of all Americans ages 18-24 can't locate New York City on a US map, and 6 out of 10 can't locate Ohio (Daniel Edelson, VP-Education, NGS, 2009), we are reading that around half our young adults cannot visualize the physical arrangement of their own country. We are reading that around half the young adults in the US are functionally illiterate in geography. Occasionally, we hear calls to correct geographic illiteracy by reintroducing geography curricula into schools using new technology. We should do this. I believe we should also consider the educational value of a new generation of state and US wall maps that express geography with the depth, clarity, fidelity, and realism needed to make map reading interesting and geographic visualization possible. I made The Essential Geography of the United States of America to be the first map of this new generation. In the pages that follow, "side-by-side" examples contrast the Essential Geography with the oldstyle US maps we currently use. These examples demonstrate that the Essential Geography represents a new standard of cartographic expression that advances geographic literacy. Following the comparisons, an essay looks deeper inside the design of the Essential Geography. This essay accompanied the Essential Geography's winning entry into the 38th Annual Map Competition of the Cartography and Geographic Information Society. After the essay, you'll find a list of other entries that received recognition in the competition. Selected comments on the Essential Geography fill the last page of this booklet. On the back cover, my bio and a list of the map design awards I have received provide personal background. Information for placing orders is on the back cover, too. When more Americans have access to geographically expressive maps like the Essential Geography, I believe we will enjoy the benefits of a more geographically literate society.

Imus Geographics

The Art of Cartography

The Essential Geography of the United States of America

The foundation of geographic literacy is the ability to visualize the physical arrangement of the world. How does the Essential Geography advance geographic literacy?

The Essential Geography of The United States of America

Imus Geographics

The Essential Geography allows us to visualize the physical arrangement of the United States.

National Geographic Michelin GeoNova Rand McNally

The United States

By clearly representing ten basic geographic elements, the Essential Geography allows us to visualize the physical arrangement of everything from rivers and landforms to cities and states. No other US map represents the arrangement of geographic elements as comprehensively or as clearly as The Essential Geography of the United States of America. In this example, the Essential Geography allows us to visualize the physical arrangement of Tulsa, Oklahoma. 1. Global position: Follow grid lines to the margins (of the whole map) to find that Tulsa lies at about 36 north latitude and 96 west longitude. All US maps represent latitude and longitude. 2. Relative elevation: The Essential Geography indicates a 744' elevation for Tulsa and a 607' elevation for Oologah Lake. From this we can conclude the Tulsa area lies at a relatively low elevation. No other US map assists our understanding of relative elevation in this way. 3. Landforms: Detailed shaded relief on the Essential Geography reveals the gently-rolling terrain of the Tulsa vicinity. Virtually all US wall maps depict landforms, though most fall short of depicting subtle landforms of the type surrounding Tulsa. 4. Land cover: The Essential Geography represents forest with shades of green, allowing us to see the area around Tulsa is mostly non-forested. Yellow represents continuous urban areas, letting us observe that urban Tulsa extends to both sides of the Arkansas River and includes the suburban cities of Broken Arrow and Sand Springs. Only the Essential Geography and a US wall map published by the United States Geological Survey, which is far less comprehensive than the maps sampled here, depict both forests and continuous urban areas. 5. Water: On the Essential Geography, we clearly see rivers and other water features. All US maps depict water, but only The Essential Geography and the Michelin map make it clear, for example, that a major US river contributes to the geographic composition of Tulsa.

Mapa de los Estados Unidos

United States

United States of America

Imus Geographics

The Art of Cartography

2011 by Imus Geographics

The Essential Geography of the United States of America

6. Political and administrative units: The Essential Geography uses only one color (green, left) for state boundaries. This lets us distinguish each state by its unique combination of geographic elements, instead of by an arbitrary color. 7. City population: The Essential Geography indicates that Tulsa's population falls between 200,000 and 500,000, with the city of Broken Arrow being Tulsa's largest suburb. The Essential Geography depicts six ranges of city population (see legend on map). City names on other US maps are not population specific. Population density is covered on page 4. 8. Landmarks: The Essential Geography includes one thousand iconic American landmarks, seven hundred of which are not on other US maps. In the Tulsa examples on page 2, we find Oral Roberts University, the *Osage Reservation, Fort Gibson, and Historic Route 66 threading through the area, only on The Essential Geography (*also shown in the Michelin example). 9. Transportation: Like other US maps, the Essential Geography represents major elements of our transportation network. Unlike other US maps, the Essential Geography indicates which freeways require tolls, revealing that numerous toll freeways radiate from Tulsa. Intercontinental airports are the most important elements of air transportation, so they are the airports we see on the Essential Geography. The closest intercontinental airport to Tulsa is in Dallas, Texas. 10. Time zones: The Essential Geography represents time zone boundaries as a series of 'T' symbols. Not all US maps show time zones see examples at right. (Tulsa is in the Central Time Zone.)

Imus Geographics

Imus Geographics

National Geographic

Nat'l Geographic

This map makes it possible to form clear visualizations. For example, when studying Tulsa, Oklahoma on the Essential Geography we can see: Tulsa is a mid-sized city situated in gently-rolling, low-elevation, mostly non-forested terrain, just southeast of the Osage Reservation and approximately 100 miles northeast of state capital, Oklahoma City. Tulsa's urban area straddles the Arkansas River and includes Broken Arrow and the smaller suburban city of Sand Springs. South of downtown Tulsa, Oral Roberts University makes its home on the banks of the Arkansas River. Toll freeways provide access to this city, and Historic Route 66 parallels Interstate 44 through the area. Tulsa is located in the Central Time Zone at 36N and 96W. When we can visualize the physical arrangement of a place with this much clarity, we are literate in the geography of that place. From cities and states to rivers and mountain ranges: Diamond Head on the southern tip of O'ahu to the entire sweep of the Great Plains, this map makes it possible to visualize The Essential Geography of the United States of America.

Imus Geographics

The Art of Cartography

2011 by Imus Geographics

The Essential Geography of the United States of America

The foundation of geographic literacy is the ability to visualize the physical arrangement of the world. How does the Essential Geography advance geographic literacy?

The Essential Geography provides a conceptual foundation that supports geographic literacy.

The Essential Geography

National Geographic

The Essential Geography looks a lot like the landscapes it represents. This bridges the conceptual gap between map and realty, and establishes in the minds of its readers that geography is the study of the real world, not the study of spatial abstractions.

Mississippi Delta

NW Ohio

The Essential Geography allows us to recognize and appreciate geographic variations.

Important to geographic literacy is the ability to recognize and appreciate geographic variations that distinguish one place or area from another. Population density is one of these distinguishing variations. The Mississippi Delta, presented in two details at far left, has a population density of approx. 44 people per square mile. The part of NW Ohio detailed at near left, has a population density of approx. 104 people per square mile, or 2.3 times the population density of the Mississippi Delta. The Essential Geography represents only the principle cities and towns of a given area. The result is localized variations in place name density that reflect localized variations in population density, letting us accurately conclude, for instance, that the Mississippi Delta is less densely populated than the part of NW Ohio detailed here. Conversely, the roughly equal density of place names on the National Geographic map could lead us to believe these two areas have roughly the same population density. Additionally, showing only principle cities and towns leaves space on the Essential Geography to identify iconic areas like the Mississippi Delta, birthplace of the Blues.

The Essential Geography

The Essential Geography

Mississippi Delta

NW Ohio

National Geographic

National Geographic

Imus Geographics

The Art of Cartography

2011 by Imus Geographics

The Essential Geography of the United States of America

The foundation of geographic literacy is the ability to visualize the physical arrangement of the world. How does the Essential Geography advance geographic literacy?

The Essential Geography provides appealing tactile and visual experiences, both of which contribute to learning.

Photo: Mike Dean

This candid photograph shows 8th grade students at James Madison Middle School in Eugene, Oregon interacting spontaneously and independently with the Essential Geography.

Imus Geographics

The Art of Cartography

2011 by Imus Geographics

The Essential Geography of the United States of America

An award-winning design
The 38th Annual Map Competition of the Cartography and Geographic Information Society (CaGIS) selected The Essential Geography of The United States of America as the best map published in North America for 2010. A complete list of award recipients is at right (page 7). Below is the essay that accompanied the winning entry.

David Imus, Cartographer January 25, 2011, Eugene, Oregon, USA The Essential Geography of the United States of America represents a new generation of US general reference maps. In addition to the traditional function of locating individual states, populated places, and National Parks and Monuments, this map uses improved legibility and a greater diversity of content to make basic US geography understandable and relevant to more Americans. An emphasis on legibility allows readers to simultaneously see each geographic element, thus providing readers with a means to visualize the spatial associations that form the foundation of geographic understanding. Improved legibility is achieved by controlling the graphic variables of value, hue, style and orientation to maximize the visual contrast between dissimilar elements. Likewise, the same variables are controlled to create unity among similar elements. Legibility is further improved with adequate spacing and a level of generalization in keeping with the size and quantity of detail readers can reasonably be expected to perceive. On the Essential Geography all political boundaries are green. This has four advantages over the traditional variegated approach: 1. it increases overall color contrast by eliminating the need to use the other two secondary colors of orange and purple anywhere on the map; 2. it allows each primary color to be dedicated exclusively to the representation of a single geographic element, making the spatial arrangement and the interrelatedness of those elements maximally accessible to the eye; 3. it permits the depiction of land cover; and 4. most importantly, homogeneous political boundaries allow each state to be distinguished by its unique geographic character rather than by an arbitrary color. To better express the geographic depth of the US and to allow a diverse readership to find more relevance in US geography, this map depicts approximately 1,000 iconic American landmarks, 700 of which are overlooked by traditional US reference maps. Five of the 700 landmarks that appear for the first time on a US reference map are the Statue of Liberty, Navajo Nation, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Historic Route 66, and The Alamo. Our most important Native American reservations and Civil Rights Movement sites; plus 92 world-class universities and all 50 state high points are some of the other landmarks that appear for the first time on a map of this kind. Finally, this is the first US reference map to recognize the three principal language groups found within the coverage area, and the first to delineate both oceanic divides. The Essential Geography of the United States of America reconsiders how a US reference map can be made and what should be on it.

Cartography and Geographic Information Society

P.O. Box 1107 Mt. Pleasant, SC 29465 Phone 843.324.0665 http://www.cartogis.org

38th Map Competition Results

Best of Show The Essential Geography of the United States of America David Imus, Imus Geographics Thematic Best of Category Shipwrecks of the Delmarva Robert Pratt, Shomette & Pratt Associates Honorable Mentions West Bank and Gaza Vickie Taylor and Alex Tait, International Mapping Associates, Inc. The Mississippi River System Daniel Huffman, University of Wisconsin-Madison Japan's Swirling Seas Virginia White Mason, National Geographic Magazine Reference Best of Category The Essential Geography of the United States of America David Imus, Imus Geographics Honorable Mentions High-Stakes Mine Virginia White Mason, National Geographic Magazine Tea Horse Road Martin Gamache, National Geographic Magazine Recreation/Travel Best of Category Yellowstone National Park Will Robertson, Beartooth Publishing Honorable Mentions Rothrock Pennsylvania State Forest Trail Map Michael Hermann, Purple Lizard Maps

Recreation/Travel, Honorable Mentions. cont. A Guide to the San Jacinto Wilderness Daniel Spring, General Dynamics Information Technology (for the USDA Forest Service) Bartram Trail Kristian R. Underwood, KRU Cartographics Book/Atlas Best of Category The National Geographic Atlas of the World, Ninth Edition Carl Mehler, National Geographic Honorable Mention Archaeology and Landscape in the Mongolian Altai: an Atlas Esther Jacobson-Tepfer, James E. Meacham, and Alethea Steingisser, University of Oregon Interactive/Digital Best of Category Battle of the Wilderness Alex Tait and Vickie Taylor, International Mapping Associates, Inc. Honorable Mentions ESRI World Topographic Map Viewer Mamata Akella, Kelly Ling, Charlie Frye, ESRI, Inc. Michigan Department of Community Health Atlas of Health Facilities Kirk Goldsberry, Sarah Battersby, and Kristie Socia Michigan State University/University of South Carolina/MDCH Student Competition Arthur Robinson Award for Best Printed Map Population and Recreation in East Central California Adam Thom, Sir Sandford Fleming College

Member of the International Cartographic Association (ICA)

The Essential Geography of the United States of America

Selected Comments
"The Essential Geography" map of the United States is terrific. It is filled with all the information you'd expect, and a great deal more you'll find entertaining and enlightening, but so artfully executed that it looks clear and uncomplicated. Only professional cartographers will appreciate the enormous effort that went into this map; everyone else will like it for its combination of comprehensiveness and apparent simplicity. An elegant map is a difficult task, and a new and notable US map a real trick, but Imus' "Essential Geography" manages to achieve both. This one will remain a classic!" - Stuart Allan, Raven Maps / Benchmark Road and Recreation Atlases __ "The success of any map hinges on information: maps with too much detail appear cluttered, repelling readers. And those with sparse detail do not do justice to the cornucopia of features that make our nation such a fascinating place. The Essential Geography of the United States, a wall map by Imus Geographics, strikes the information balance perfectly. Seen from across a room, the first impression is one of pleasing forms and soothing colors - the map has a decorative quality that begs you to hang it up. But it is from close range that The Essential Geography really shines. The information that you expect to find is just there: roads, towns, forests, mountains, time zones, states, and much more. Look closely to find these geographic nuggets: historic Route 66 threading through the American heartland, the Deepwater Horizon wreckage in the Gulf of Mexico, and handy lists of city tourist attractions. Imus Geoographics has delivered all of this in a carefully researched, meticulously crafted, and clearly labeled map that is oh so easy on the eyes." - Tom Patterson, Former President, North American Cartographic Information Society __ "The Imus map of the United States can be used by students, travelers and professional geographers. All will find relationships among regions and places within them. - Dr. Susan Hardwick, author of The Geography of North America __ "...this map shows our discipline at it's best." - Nathaniel Kelso, Kelso Cartography ___

"Dave Imus' new United States map confirms what I've long believed to be true as an author, journalist and lover of topography: the difference between something good and something great is the attention to detail. I have seen Imus at work. He is both scientist and artist, raising the art of map making to an all-new level." - Bob Welch, author and columnist for The (Eugene, Ore.) Register-Guard __ "The blend of information in the new Essential Geography of the United States of America map is thoroughly captivating. Like a beautifully illustrated manuscript the map engages both sides of the human brain. And it's large enough to peruse for hours, like the pelagic ocean." - Barry Lopez, writer

Imus Geographics

The Art of Cartography

The Essential Geography of the United States of America

ABOUT THE CARTOGRAPHER DAVID IMUS makes maps as Imus Geographics. A lifetime Oregonian, Dave received his Bachelor of Arts degree in geography from the University of Oregon in 1982. In 1983 he founded Imus Geographics, originally working under contract for street map publishers including Rand McNally. However, a passion for the outdoors led him to produce maps of scenic areas in Oregon like Willamette Pass, the Wallowa
Photo: Mike Dean

Mountains and the Metolius River. In 1998, Dave published a travel/reference map of the State of Oregon. Since that time he has teamed up with Massachusetts cartographer Pat Dunlavey to produce maps such as Chugach State Park, Alaska, the State of Alaska, and The Essential Geography of the United States of America. The Wallowa

Dave Imus

Mountains map, the first Oregon map, the Chugach State Park map, and The Essential Geography of the United States of America each received top national honors in ACSM/CaGIS Annual Map Design Competitions.

NATIONAL MAP DESIGN AWARDS from ACSM/CaGIS. * The Essential Geography of the United States of America, 2010; Reference Maps - 1st Place, and Best in Show. * State of Oregon, USA, 2008; Reference Maps - honorable mention. * Sierra Nevada, California-Nevada, USA, 2006; Reference Maps - 2nd Place. * State of Alaska, USA, 2004; Reference Maps - 1st Place. * Chugach State Park, Alaska, 2002; Reference Maps - 1st Place, and Best in Show. - State of Oregon, 1998; Reference Maps - 1st Place, and Best in Show. - Metolius River, Oregon, 1996; Reference Maps - 2nd Place. - Wallowa Mountains, Oregon, 1995; Reference Maps - 1st Place, and Best in Show. - Santiam Pass Winter Recreation, 1991; Thematic maps - 2nd Place. - Willamette Pass Cross-Country Ski Trails, 1989; Thematic Maps - 1st Place.

ORDERING INFORMATION (for the Essential Geography) Available at www.imusgeographics.com: $29.95 for poster paper wall map, $39.95 for laminated wall map, $12.95 for folded (durable map paper), $77.70 for 10-pack folded (durable map paper). Retailers and distributors: for ordering information please email Dave Imus: dave@imusgeographics.com. 2011 by Imus Geographics