In this chapter, we covered the Mapnik map-generation library and how to use it within a Python program to create great-looking maps. You installed Mapnik, looked at a simple example of how it could be used, and then began to learn more about the process of constructing and styling a map.

We then examined Mapnik in more detail, looking at the various types of datasources which you can use to load spatial data into a map layer. We also examined the various symbolizers which can be used to display spatial features, how the visible extent is used to control the portion of the map to be displayed, and how to render a map as an image file. We then created a useful Python program called shapeToMap.py, which can be used to generate a map out of any spatial data stored in shapefiles, and finally looked at some of the ways in which shapeToMap.py could be improved to make it even more useful.

In the next chapter, we will look at various tools and techniques for analyzing spatial data, including...