How to create population maps in ArcMap

Dr. Huidae Cho
Institute for Environmental and Spatial Analysis...University of North Georgia

1   How to create a world map

1.1   Download data

  1. Search for world shapefiles
  2. Download TM_WORLD_BORDERS-0.3.zip
  3. Extract TM_WORLD_BORDERS-0.3.zip into a folder you can remember
    • Readme.txt: Metadata about this Shapefile
    • TM_WORLD_BORDERS-0.3.shp: Main Shapefile
    • TM_WORLD_BORDERS-0.3.*: Auxiliary files accompanying the main file; Should reside in the same folder with the corresponding shp file

extract-tm-world-borders-0.3.zip.png

1.2   Start ArcMap

  1. <Windows Key>, Type “ArcMap”
  2. Optionally, pin ArcMap to taskbar
  3. Start ArcMap
  4. Create a blank map

windows-key-type-arcmap.png create-a-blank-map.png

1.3   Add the Shapefile to the map

  1. Drag and drop TM_WORLD_BORDERS-0.3.shp into the blank map

drag-and-drop-the-tm-world-borders-0.3-shapefile.png tm-world-borders-0.3-map.png

1.4   Symbolize countries in different colors

  1. Right click on the layer title and go into the Properties
  2. Move to the Symbology tab
  3. Expand Categories under Show and select Unique values
  4. Select the NAME field under Value Field
  5. Click Add All Values and OK

layer-properties-menu.png layer-properties-symbology-unique-values.png

1.5   World map

world-map.png

2   How to create a population-by-country map

2.1   Change the symbology

  1. Again, go to the Symbology tab under the Properties
  2. Expand Quantities under Show and select Graduated colors
  3. Select the POP2005 field under Fields => Value
  4. Type 10 in Classes under Classification and Classify; Hit OK in the Classification window
  5. Click OK

layer-properties-symbology-graduated-colors.png

2.2   Population-by-country 2005 map

population-by-country-2005-map.png

3   How to save the map

  1. Click the Save icon
  2. Browse to the folder where your Shapefile resides
  3. Name the output file as POP2005 (no .mxd)
  4. Click Save

arcmap-save-icon.png arcmap-save-as-dialog.png saved-mxd.png

4   How to add 2019 population data to the layer

4.1   Download 2019 population by country data

  1. Search for 2019 world population by country
  2. Download data.csv as pop2019.csv from the 2019 World Population by Country table into the same folder

download-pop2019.csv.png

4.2   Import the 2019 population table to ArcMap

  1. Click Add Data and go into Home
  2. Select pop2019.csv and add it.

add-data.png add-pop2019.csv.png

4.3   Join the 2019 population table and the world layer

  1. Right click on the world layer
  2. Select the Join menu
  3. Select the NAME field in step 1
  4. Select the name field in step 3
  5. Click OK

join-menu.png join-pop2019.csv.png

4.4   Check if join worked

  1. Right click on the world layer
  2. Open the attribute table
  3. Scroll to the right and make sure that you can see all the fields from pop2019.csv including name and pop2019
  4. Note that there may be <Null> data in the table because some countries may have slightly different names in the CSV file; You can fix this issue by changing country names in the CSV file and re-joining it
  5. Also note that the new population fields are in thousands, not in ones; For example, the population of Algeria in 2019 is 42,679,018, not 42,679.018, which doesn’t make sense

open-attribute-table.png check-attribute-table.png

5   How to create a population-density-by-country map

5.1   Add new fields

  1. Add a new field
  2. Add the POPDENS05 field as Double
  3. Rename the alias of this field to POPDENS05
  4. Repeat and add the POPDENS19 field as Double

add-field.png add-popdens05-field.png rename-popdens05-alias.png rename-popdens05-alias-properties.png

5.2   Select records with a positive area

  1. Right click on the AREA field header
  2. Sort ascending
  3. Select all records with AREA 0
  4. Switch selection

sort-ascending.png select-area-0-and-switch-selection.png

5.3   Calculate the population density in 2005

  1. Right click on the POPDENS05 field header
  2. Select the Field Calculator and hit OK
  3. Type [TM_WORLD_BORDERS-0.3.POP2005] / [TM_WORLD_BORDERS-0.3.AREA]
  4. Click OK

field-calculator-menu.png field-calculator-popdens05.png

5.4   Calculate the population density in 2019

  1. Repeat the same process, but this time type [pop2019.csv.pop2019] * 1000 / [TM_WORLD_BORDERS-0.3.AREA]
  2. Remember that the pop2019 field is in thousands

5.5   Change the symbology

  1. Change the symbology to Graduated colors by the POPDENS05 field

5.6   Population-density-by-country 2005 map

population-density-by-country-2005-map.png

6   How to unjoin the 2019 population table

  1. Right click on the layer title
  2. Select Join and Relates / Remove Join(s) / pop2019.csv

unjoin-pop2019.csv.png

7   Homework: Population-density-by-country 2005 map

Create a map that shows the population density by country in 2005, screenshot it with the legend*, and answer the following questions:

  1. Which country has the highest population density?
  2. Which country has the lowest positive population density?

Export the report to PDF format and submit it to D2L (Assignment 2).

*Please make the legend readable in your report.