Chapter 5

Lines and Areas

Lines are more or less the defining characteristic of maps, invested with all kinds of meaning, not least the demarcation of nation states, properties, and all kinds of administrative entities. In giscience this is recognised most obviously in the modifiable areal unit problem, setting to one side many of the deeper questions that the arbitrariness of such lines—their fiat nature raises (see §Fiat and Bona Fide Boundaries and Objects in particular).

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Links for Chapter 5

Figure 5.1 The 9-intersection model of topological relations

Figure 5.5 Maps of areas with widely varying populations

Figure 5.6 Simple illustration of the modifiable areal unit problem

Figure 5.7 The MAUP aggregation effect

Figure 5.10 Simple regionalization of San Francisco Bay Area

Discussion questions