Lab 7: Population Census Map

         The map above displays the population density of Blacks per U.S. county according to Census information from the year 2000. The density is in percentage, and the differences in percentage are indicated by a red color scale gradually moving from lighter red (small Black population) to darker red (large Black population). Using this map as a reference, you can see that the counties with the higher population densities of Blacks are mainly located in the South-eastern part of the United States. Some of those counties are colored the darkest red, which means that the density of the Black population within these counties could range anywhere from 53% to 86%, which is a significant amount because that is more than half of the entire population of those specific counties.  The fact that there is more of an abundance of Blacks in that part of the country relates and corresponds to the history of the United States, as that is where most of the awful institution of black slavery occurred before the Civil War. Even though some have migrated to other parts of the country over the years, like California, it seems like most Blacks, after they were freed, stayed in that relative area to start their families.

        In the map above, U.S. counties are shown according to the percentage of Asian population density within each of them given by Census data in the year 2000. According to the legend and color scale, the counties colored the darker purple are those in which most Asians reside. From this map, you can see that much of the Asian population of the United States is concentrated on either the West Coast or the East Coast. This fact it somewhat intuitive and can, again, relate to United States history as most Asian immigrants throughout the years have come to either the East or West Coast. More specifically, the state of California is clearly shown to have the highest percentage of Asians, with some Californian counties having an Asian population density ranging from 21% to 46% according to its darker purple coloring. Historically, Asians worked on railroads and gold mines of California and many probably stayed and raised generations of families. Also, crossing the Pacific Ocean from Asia to get to the West Coast of the United States may have been a more direct, easier route. Therefore, California was the most accessible state to reach when migrating from the Asian continent and the Asian immigrants chose to stay and live there. 

        The last map above indicates the population density of "some other race" per U.S. county according to Census data of the year 2000. The differences in population numbers between counties is again represented through percentage that corresponds to a green color scale. Although "some other race" is not specified, you might infer that it could be the Hispanic race, as statistics show that a higher number of Hispanics reside in the South-west and that is the part of the map where there is more dark green. Regardless of what race population (or maybe even a combination of races) this map is actually showing, you can definitely see from this map that the Western part of the country seems to have more diversity in comparison to other parts of the country such as the mid-west. This could possibly be because the West coast is the newer part of the country, in regards to American history.

        In conclusion, this census map series conveys a lot of information in an easy to understand way. Many people could look at these maps and realize what information it is sharing. I also personally enjoyed this lab because I could really see and understand the resulting map products. However, it was a bit of a struggle to begin, with going through the tutorial which had a couple of mistakes relating to the actual program. Also having to change the headers on the Excel data tables downloaded from the Census website was a bit confusing. Despite all this, once I made the first map and understood how to synthesize all the data, join the tables, etc., the lab became a lot more comprehensive and easier to do.  And, again, I really like the end results. These maps look like something I would Google and use as references on other projects, but I actually created them myself!

        Overall, I have mixed impressions and feelings about GIS. I can see that it is very useful and very prominent in today's society. Since taking this class, I've noticed aspects of GIS everywhere! The types of information conveyed using GIS are numerous and are super important in today's world, from social media applications to aiding in emergency situations, etc. I am also impressed by the end results of maps made through GIS. Once you utilize the program and follow the right steps, you can create something pretty cool and informative. However, a lot of the GIS concepts and aspects were confusing to me because I was so new to them. Labs using ArcGIS, especially, are sometimes super frustrating because I don't fully understand how to navigate the program, or all the technological terminology and processes, etc. Also, because I am taking this class as just a GE, I've never really been too interested in things like GIS. Even though I probably won't continue with GIS, my newfound knowledge has made me more aware of my spacial surroundings and I get to show everybody all the cool things that I, myself, have created.