In Mathematica 10, Wolfram Research introduced an extended version of the Graphics package; it is called the GeoGraphics package. It provides several useful functions to visualize maps and cartographic data. However, there is a limitation in the usage of this package as of now. Some of the data and map loaders in the new geological functions require Internet connectivity and Wolfram|Alpha API calls. The number of API calls is usually restricted to a fairly small number per month. This can be a limiting factor if you are trying to work on a data-intensive project.

In this chapter, we will see some examples of using the GeoGraphics package. Then, just like the other chapters in this book, we will develop our very own interactive map visualization code from scratch, using raw (and offline) datasets. This gives us the ability to produce similar visualizations such as GeoGraphics, but with more interactivity and control over our data.