The use of color in a map is one of the most critical decisions a cartographer faces. Color can orient viewers, categorize data, quantify values, and emphasize themes. Modern technology gives us access to a wide range of brilliant colors and visual effects that can make a map leap off the screen or page. But more color does not always improve a map. Often, colors can impede our interpretation of mapped data. Limiting colors, or excluding them altogether, can also be a way to provide striking contrast.
This map from Jack Sapoch of Lighthouse Reports is a powerful example of what can happen when you limit color. It uses thousands of points of data from Movebank to trace the seasonal migration of white storks across Europe, Africa, and part of the Middle East.
The monochromatic map uses nothing but black, white, and gray to tell its story. Dark gray oceans frame the land, which is drawn in black. Migration paths and dwell areas for storks are drawn in a white color with light opacity. In areas where tracks and points overlap, paths become brighter, and the stroke appears thicker.
It’s also notable for what the map doesn’t show. There are no country boundaries or labels. The only context the map provides is the shapes of the landforms. This evokes a similar approach John Nelson used in his map of a migrating bird. But for Sapoch, whose work focuses on international refugees, there’s a deeper motivation behind this choice.
Boundaries aren’t included because they’re meaningless to storks. Contrast this with refugees, who often try to make similar journeys. Storks can move freely across these places as needed. But refugees often face peril and impediments from such boundaries. With this framing, the monochromatic map takes on a somber tone. In doing so, it retains its elegance. And remains just as powerful.
More to Explore
- Discover additional maps related to migration.
- Check out more maps from Jack Sapoch.
