You can communicate complex geographic information more effectively using maps than with tables or lists because maps take advantage of our natural abilities to distinguish and interpret colors, patterns, and spatial relationships. When you display your data on a map, you'll see distributions, relationships, and trends that you couldn't see before.
Choosing how to represent your data on a map may well be your most important mapmaking decision. Symbolizing your data involves choosing colors and styles that will represent features. It also involves grouping or classifying features according to their attribute values.
This chapter shows you how to create attractive maps and use symbolization as a powerful tool for exploring, understanding, and analyzing your data.