How to use Maps in Tableau

By now, you must have realized the importance of using filters on your data set. 

You were introduced to the concept of hierarchies in the segment on data tables. In this segment, you will learn about another important chart type, that is, maps. 

In the next video, you will learn how geographical hierarchies contribute immensely to data visualization and analysis.

As you saw in the above video, "maps" is an online functionality provided in Tableau. To build a simple map, your data source must contain the location data (location names or latitude and longitude coordinates). The map that contains points in each state is called a point map, whereas the map that contains states filled with varying colors is called a filled map or a polygon map.

Although maps charts can be created in Tableau, better mapping software are available. One can specialize in mapping data. 

In the next video, Sean will talk about other available mapping options. 

In the next segment, you will learn about another important map type. 

Now, let's explore options that are available for mapping in Tableau. In the next video, Sean will explain the background options available in Tableau. 

As seen in the video, a few backgrounds are available in Tableau. You can select the background based on the theme of the visualization that you want to create. Not just the backgrounds, other options are available as well. You can add or remove specific information from the maps. You can even add custom locations. In the next video, you will learn about the additional options available for maps. 

With that, we have reached the end of the section on maps. You learned a lot of various options available for creating maps.