What type of map displays data using various colors to represent different values?

A choropleth map is designated for displaying data using various colors to represent different values across specific geographic areas. Each area on the map is shaded or patterned in relation to the value it represents, allowing for an immediate visual understanding of the data distribution. For instance, different shades of color can indicate varying levels of population density, income level, or other statistical data, enabling users to easily identify trends and patterns across a region.

This type of mapping is particularly effective for showcasing how a variable changes across a certain geography, providing insights at a glance. While graduated symbol maps use varying size symbols to indicate differences in quantity for specific locations, choropleth maps excel in visualizing aggregated data over a broader landscape. Heat maps represent data density through gradient colors and intensity, focusing more on data concentration rather than exact values, while topographic maps provide physical features of a landscape rather than statistical data representation. Each of these alternatives serves different purposes in data visualization but does not achieve the same clear comparison of values that choropleth maps offer.