15. Maps: Showing Maharashtra on a Map
15.1 Which Map Visual?
Start with a problem
Raja must show dark-store sales on a map for a Maharashtra review. He is unsure whether to use bubbles, shaded districts or a custom shape.
Explain simply
Pick the map from the question. Map (bubbles) shows values at points – stores or cities. Filled map shades whole areas such as states. Shape map shades your own regions from a TopoJSON file. Azure Maps adds layers such as heat maps.
Show the data
| Question | Visual |
|---|---|
| Where are my stores and how big is each? | Map / Azure Maps (bubbles) |
| Which district sells most? | Shape map (custom districts) |
| Which state is ahead? | Filled map |
About this data: This table uses columns: Question, Visual. This table uses columns: Visual, Result. This table uses columns: Visual, What it shows, Needs, Good for, Notes. This table uses columns: Wrong result, Reason, Correction. Values shown are the lesson examples already on this page (not a new dataset).
Fictional sample data. Practice file: visuals_orders_apr_may_2026.csv, dark_stores_maharashtra.csv (source: src/practice/).
Demonstrate
- Write the question: How big is each city's sales and where is it?
- It needs points sized by value → choose Map or Azure Maps.
- Insert the visual: Location
City, Bubble sizeTotal Sales.
Show the result
Your result should look like this (fictional sample):
| Visual | Result |
|---|---|
| Map (bubbles) | Pune ₹850, Nashik ₹800, Kolhapur ₹450 |
| Filled map by State | One shaded state (Maharashtra ₹2,100) – not useful here |
Explain what happened
A filled map shades a whole area. All rows are in Maharashtra, so a state-level filled map has one colour – the question needs points, not areas.
Explore further
- If location is not the insight, use a bar chart – it compares faster.
Detailed reference for this lesson:
| Visual | What it shows | Needs | Good for | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Map (bubble map) | Bubbles at points, sized by a measure | Location text or Latitude/Longitude | Orders by city or dark store | Uses Bing Maps; Microsoft is moving users to Azure Maps (15.7) |
| Filled map (choropleth) | Shades whole areas by value | Area names (state, district, postal code) | Orders by district | Only as good as the boundaries the service knows |
| Shape map | Shades regions using a custom TopoJSON map | A TopoJSON file with matching region names | Maharashtra districts or your own delivery zones | Preview feature; turn on in Options |
| Azure map | Modern map with layers: bubble, heat map, 3D columns, filled map, reference layer (GeoJSON) | Location or Latitude/Longitude | Customer density around Kothrud, Hinjewadi; many dark stores | May need an admin setting |
| ArcGIS for Power BI | Esri maps with demographics and spatial analysis | Location data; some features need an ArcGIS account | Advanced GIS use | May be disabled by admins |
Do you really need a map?
With six cities, a sorted bar chart often answers "which city has the most orders?" faster. Use a map when position matters, for example dark store coverage, or distance between stores and customers.
Ravindra Bagale's Tip
Friends, many students choose a map because "we have a City column", even when a bar chart would answer the question better. Use a map only when location patterns matter (for example gaps between dark stores). Otherwise, a sorted bar chart by city is easier to read. It's very simple – just make it a habit.
Ravindra Bagale's Tip – मराठी
मित्रांनो, bar chart ने प्रश्नाचं उत्तर जास्त चांगलं मिळत असतानाही बरेच students "आपल्याकडे City column आहे" म्हणून map निवडतात. Location चे patterns महत्त्वाचे असतील तरच map वापरा (उदाहरणार्थ dark stores मधली अंतरं). नाहीतर city नुसार sorted bar chart वाचायला सोपा असतो. एकदम simple आहे, फक्त सवय लावून घ्या.
Ravindra Bagale's Tip – हिंदी
दोस्तों, bar chart से सवाल का जवाब बेहतर मिलने पर भी बहुत से students "हमारे पास City column है" इसलिए map चुन लेते हैं. Map तभी इस्तेमाल करो जब location के patterns मायने रखते हों (जैसे dark stores के बीच की दूरियाँ). वरना city के हिसाब से sorted bar chart पढ़ने में आसान है. बहुत आसान है, बस आदत बना लो.
Fix common mistakes
| Wrong result | Reason | Correction |
|---|---|---|
| Filled map shows one colour | All rows in one area | Use bubbles at city or store level |
| Shape map shows nothing | Region names do not match the map keys | Match names exactly (15.6) |
| Readers compare bubble sizes poorly | Area is hard to judge | Add data labels or a bar chart beside it |
Practise independently
Practice task
Which map would you use to compare Pune's two stores, Kothrud and Baner?
Hints
- Two points close together.
Solution
A Map/Azure Map with Latitude and Longitude per store (15.4), zoomed to Pune: Kothrud ₹650, Baner ₹200.
Think like a professional
In interviews, explain why you used a map. A good answer: location changed the decision, for example rider allocation by distance.
Revision card
Comparison card