Charts are useful for visual visualization of your data. They can facilitate data visualization and analysis, especially for your audience. Then, for geographic data, Why not use map chart type in Microsoft Excel?
Whether you want to display multi-country populations for your sales team or US abbreviations for your elementary school class, you can easily create map chart in Microsoft Excel. Then you can format it with tags, a legend and an appropriate color scheme.
Prepare your data
As with other types of charts in Microsoft Excel, it is better to start with complete data. This enables you to choose the cells that contain that data and simply insert the respective chart.
Select a single data type for the map. In the same way as the previously listed examples, this can be the population or abbreviation that you can get from the geographic data type embedded in Excel. O, alternatively, could be the amounts of your sales, the number of stores, average operating costs or other data you have already prepared in your spreadsheet.
Although you can use the chart for smaller areas, like cities, the map won't be as effective. You will only see points that represent those types of locations. Map chart in Excel works best with large areas like counties, state, regions, countries and continents.
Create the map chart
When you're ready to create the map chart, select your data by dragging cells, open the tab “Insert” and go to section “Graphics” of the tape. Click the drop-down menu of “Maps” and choose “Full map”.
Your newly created chart will appear directly on your sheet with your data mapped.
Format the map chart
The next steps include formatting your map to include useful components and a color scheme.. You can add a title, Some labels, a legend and a style.
Add a title
If your map contains the “Chart title” predetermined, you can just click on that text box on the map and write your own title. If the map does not include a title, you can easily add one and change its position.
Select the chart and click “Chart items” (icon “+”) on the right. Check the box “Chart title”, then enter the title in the text box that appears on the map.
Hover over the arrow to the right of “Chart title” in the Chart Items box, and choose a different position for the title if you want.
You can also choose “More title options”, which will display a sidebar on the right. Here, can select position, use a fill color or apply a text outline.
Include data labels
If the data you are showing on the map is small enough, you might want to include data labels. These will display the data directly at each location on the map.
Select the chart and click “Chart items” on the right. Check the box “Data labels”.
To adjust text and label alternatives, select “More data label options”. As with the chart title, the right sidebar will open with formatting functions for the labels.
Insert a legend
Another useful element for almost any chart is a legend.. This handy tool is a key to the data displayed on the chart.
Select the chart and click “Chart items” on the right. Check the box “Legend”.
Hover over the arrow to the right of “Legend” in the Chart Items box, and choose a position for the legend.
You can also choose “More legend options” to open the sidebar and format additional text and alternatives.
Apply a style
The map graphic is pretty basic in color, but you can fix it with a theme or color scheme.
Select the chart and click “Chart Styles” (found in the brush) on the right. Click on “styles” to scroll through pre-made themes or “Color” to select a colorful or monochrome scheme.
Whichever you choose, you will see your updated map immediately.
Mover, resize, edit or remove the map
You can easily move the map chart anywhere you want on your sheet. Just select it and drag it to its new place. If you want to avoid changes, you can lock the Microsoft Excel chart instead. And to resize the chart, drag one of the corners or edges.
To edit the data displayed on the map, as an example, if you add more locations, right-click the chart and click “Choose data”. Alternatively, you can go to the tab “Graphic design” and click on “Choose data” on the tape.
Enter the cells in the box “Chart data range” at the top, or drag the cursor through the cells. Click on “To accept” Confirmed email address.
If you decide that, after all, you don't want to use the map chart, you can remove it easily. Select the chart and press the Erase key or right-click and choose “Cut”.
If you want to display geographic data in your Excel sheet, the map graphic is a great visual tool. For other types of data, take a look at how to make a bar chart in Microsoft Excel.
RELATED: How to make a bar chart in Microsoft Excel
