How to Create Maps in Excel?

Creating maps in Excel allows you to visualize geographic data easily. Excel's built-in Filled Map chart type is designed specifically for this purpose.

To create a map chart in Excel, you first need data that includes geographic regions (like countries, states, provinces, or even postal codes).

Here are the simple steps based on the reference provided:

Steps to Create a Filled Map in Excel

1. Prepare your data: Ensure your Excel sheet contains at least two columns: one with geographic names (e.g., "Country", "State", "Region") and another with the corresponding values or categories you want to display on the map (e.g., "Sales", "Population", "Status").

   • Example Data Structure:

     Region	Value
     United States	50000
     Canada	30000
     Mexico	20000
     Germany	45000
     France	38000

2. Select your data: Select any cell within the data range you want to use for the map chart. Excel is smart enough to automatically select the entire range.

3. Insert the Map Chart: Then go to the Insert tab on the Excel ribbon.

4. Find the Charts Group: In the Insert tab, locate the Charts group.

5. Select Maps: Within the Charts group, click on Maps.

6. Choose Filled Map: From the options that appear under Maps, select Filled Map.

7. Review and Confirm: Excel will generate a preview of the map chart. If the preview looks good, then press OK.

Understanding Map Types: Value vs. Category

As the reference mentions, depending on your data, Excel will insert either a value or category map.

• Value Maps: If your data column contains numerical values (like sales figures, population numbers, etc.), Excel will create a Value Map. This type of map uses a color gradient to represent the magnitude of the values across different geographic regions. Higher values will have a darker or different shade compared to lower values.
• Category Maps: If your data column contains text categories (like "North", "South", "Status A", "Status B"), Excel will create a Category Map. This map assigns a different distinct color to each unique category found in your data, making it easy to see which region belongs to which group.

Once the map is inserted, you can further customize it by changing titles, colors, labels, and more using the chart design and format tabs that appear when the map is selected.