New Google Maps Symbols in Action

Darren Wiens has created a quick demo of the  new Symbols feature in the Google Maps API.

Hinton Nordic Centre Ski Trails uses an arrow symbol and animates the arrows along a polyline. The polyline is shown on top of a custom overlay map of the Hinton Nordic Centre. The animated arrows are used to show the direction of the actual ski trail.

Symbols can be one of 5 predefined shapes or you can use SVG path notation to create your own symbols. Here's an example I made of symbols made with SVG path notation. This map includes symbols in the shape of the six states and territories that make up Australia.


You can add event listeners to symbols. In this example I included a tooltip to name each state (mouse-over a state to reveal its name). I could also have added a listener to open an information window when each state symbol was clicked.

If you zoom the map the state symbols will stay the same size - so the symbol will become relatively bigger or smaller than Australia on the map. I could add an event to rescale the symbol when the user zooms the map but I didn't in this example to emphasise how symbols act differently to map overlays. 

The Tour De France on Google Maps

This year you can keep ahead of the peloton on Google Maps with the official Tour de France website.

The Tour de France website has created Google Maps for each stage of the race. The maps show the starting and finishing lines, the last kilometre marker, sprint stages and the feeding zone.

Having a look at the key for each map there is also a  marker set-up for the yellow jersey, so my guess is that the riders could be tracked live on these maps. 

Via: Mapperz

Wildfire Map from Google Crisis Response

The Google Crisis Response team has created a US Wildfires Map to provide information about the current wildfires in Colorado.

The map uses data from the U.S. Geological Survey and the state’s Division of Emergency Management to provide a number of layers that can be viewed on a Google Map. The layers includes Active Fire Perimeters, US Red Cross Shelters and recent (2012-06-28) satellite imagery.

Poetry on Google Maps

London is currently holding a week-long Poetry Parnassus, a festival of poets from all the competing Olympic nations.

To mark the occasion The Guardian has created the Poetry Parnassus Interactive Map. The map features poems from nearly every country in the world.

The Representative Poetry Online (RPO) from the University of Toronto Libraries has created a Google Map called Places of Poems & Poets. The map allows users to search for places mentioned in the RPO poetry collection. Users can also search for poets by birth place, death place and residence.

The Poetry Atlas is a Google Map that is trying to geotag as many poems as they can and also find poems for as much of the world as possible. If you know about a poem that isn't on the map you can e-mail it to Poetry Atlas and they will add it to the map. 

Google Maps Putting on the Style

Submarine Cable Map

Google has added some new features to the Google Maps API to give developers more control over the look of their maps.

One of the most requested features I've heard for the Styled Maps feature in the Maps API is to be able to specify colors as an RGB value. You now can!

You can now also style the outline stroke of features separately from the interior fill, and the label text separately from any icon. So, for example, you could style all text labels on the map to have black outlines with a white fill.

Finally you can now also adjust the width of line features such as roads and rivers, and also the width of feature outlines.

If you want to get some hints for your own map styles check out the Styled Maps label for Google Maps Mania posts.

Via: Google Geo Developers Blog

It's Time for Google Maps

The new Symbols function and Heatmap Layer in the Google Maps API mean that it is now much easier for developers to create compelling map visualisations.

Both these features make it much easier for developers to add animations to maps. The result is that Google Maps can now beautifully render data both spatially and temporally. 

This morning I've been playing with the new Heatmap Layer. The Blitz Map is an animated heat map of the bombs dropped on London on the first night of the London Blitz in the Second World War.

I've cheated a little with the timing on the map. At the moment the map just adds the bombs sequentially, step by step, and doesn't use a real time-frame. It should be simple however to add a real time-line to the map at a later date.

Google Maps API Gets Heat Maps

Google has released yet another new exciting layer for the Google Maps API.

The Heatmap Layer allows developers to render heatmaps with the Google Maps API. Developers can define the colour spectrum, intensity range, and behaviour of the heatmap when the map is zoomed.

Here is an example of the new heatmap layer - an Animated Heatmap of the Growth of Walmart. 

Animated Symbols on Google Maps

Here are another two examples, this time from Google themselves, of the new Symbols feature in the Google Maps API.

This History of Walmart Map uses animated symbols rather than map markers to show the growth of Walmart in the USA between 1962 and 2006.

This Symbols on Polylines Map demo shows Symbols being animated along polylines.

These two examples really show the new possibilities for map developers to create even more compelleing visualisations with the Google Maps API.

Are you excited yet?

Google Maps Symbols Take Off

I have a feeling that the new Symbols feature in the Google Maps API is going to revolutionise online mapping.

I've been playing with it for only a couple of hours and I can already see loads of possibilities. Here is my first attempt at playing with the new Symbols feature (and the new Transit Layer). Press the two 'Take Off' buttons below the map to see how symbols can be made to animate along a polyline.

I'm sure many of you can do much better. If you've already started playing with the new features in the Google Maps API post a link to your examples in the comments below.

Exciting New Features for the Maps API

Google today announced at Google I/O some really exciting new features for the Google Maps API. The new features include a new Transit Layer, Symbols and new Google Places features for the Google Maps API.

Symbols

You can now add symbols to a Google Map. At first this doesn't sound overly exciting but the new Symbols feature really opens some amazing new possibilities for online maps.

Symbols can be used like map markers. However symbols are vectors so they can be styled (e.g. stroke / fill / opacity). They are also dynamic so can be animated. For example you can change symbols to show changes in locations over time.

Symbols can also be added to polylines. So, for example, you can add arrowheads to a polyline. However, again because symbols are dynamic, they can be animated. So you can use symbols with polylines to show movement (e.g. animating a plane flight).

Check out this example with a polygon and an animated symbol to get an idea of what is now possible with the Google Maps API.

Transit Layer

Google Maps API developers can now also add a transit layer to their maps. The transit layer allows you to show a transit network on your maps.

You can also add a routing feature so that users can get Transit directions and times.  

Google Places

Using Google Places you can access Google Reviews. This new feature allows you to get the top 5 reviews for a venue shown on your maps.

You can now also allow users to perform keyword searches. Using this feature users can search for distinct types of place. e.g. 'Mexico Restaurants in San Francisco'.

Offline Google Maps for Android

If you download the latest version of Google Maps for Android you can now download huge areas to use offline. In the latest version of Google Maps for Android you can save up to six large areas.

To save an area you need to navigate to the area you want to download and select 'Make available offline' from the menu. You are then shown the size of the file you want to download so that you know how much space it will take up on your phone.

Via: Google LatLong

London 2012 - Transforming the Lea Valley

In one month's time, on July 27th, just a mile down the road from where I now sit, the 2012 Olympic Games will begin.

Over the last five years I've watched as the Olympics Park has been built on an under-developed and run down part of my home town. Looking at the area now it is quite hard to remember what this area of the East End looked like just five years ago.

Luckily photographer Toby Smith has created a Google Map showcasing his photographs of the area taken in 2007. The Lea Valley Map places Toby's photos on top of Google Map's satellite imagery of the Olympic Park.

The contrast between the bleak landscapes portrayed in Toby's photographs and the shiny new stadiums in the satellite imagery helps to highlight the transformation of this area, whether if it's for the better or not.

Guild Wars 2 on Google Maps

This Guild Wars 2 WvW Map is a Google Map of the world of Tyria used in the massively multiplayer online role-playing game.

The map follows a now familiar pattern for online game maps, allowing the user to view important locations in the game using the Google Maps controls. The map allows users to view the locations of Towers, Keeps, Supply Camps, Spawns, Castles and Orbs.

One nice new feature introduced by the Guild Wars 2 WvW Map is the ability to add weapons to the map. When you add a siege equipment to the map the range of the weapon is also displayed which should greatly help players in planning their campaigns.

Egyptian Real Estate on Google Maps

Betak Online is an Egyptian real estate website that allows users to search for properties with the help of Google Maps.

 It is possible to search for real estate by city, by type of property and by zone. The locations for each search are displayed on the map and also given in list form beneath the map.

If you click on a property's marker on the map you can view a description of the property and click though to get the full details.

I/O, I/O - It's Off to Google we Go

Google's annual developer-focused conference Google I/O starts today. A couple of Google Maps related talks are scheduled to be live streamed. I've posted the times and links below and also added a couple of Android related sessions that might also be interesting for Google Maps API developers.

Today's keynote session could also be worth watching as well to get a general idea of Google's overall plans.

Wednesday
13.30 (PDT)
What’s New in Google Maps

Thursday
14.45 (PDT)
Enterprise Geospatial in the Cloud

Wednsday
13.30 (PDT)
Android Apps in Google Play

Thursday (PDT) 13.30 (PDT)
Making Good Apps Great: More Advanced Topics for Expert Android Developers

Full Schedule

Plane Crash Sites on Google Maps

Colorado Wreck Hunting is a Google Map that has been put together to help a group of friends hike to old plane crash sites in the mountains of Colorado.

The map shows the locations of crash sites in Colorado and can be searched by location, by individual plane and by military or civil crash sites. The map includes layers to also view the current weather and Flickr photos on the map.

Each marker contains a number of other options, including driving directions to the location and viewing the location in Google Earth.

We Want New Street View

Update Google Street View in New Orleans! is a campaign to encourage Google to update the Street View imagery in New Orleans.

The Google Street View car visited New Orleans in 2007, just two years after the destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina. The Street View imagery on Google Maps helps to document the neighborhoods that were flattened by the floodwaters that broke the levees.

'Update Google Street View in New Orleans!' believe that the imagery, now five years old, is "out of date in a city that is continuously changing, demolishing, and rebuilding". The blog has published a series of photographs around New Orleans and are comparing them to the Street View imagery of the same locations to highlight how the city is being rebuilt.

I've used the photographs taken by Annalisa Kelly and Hunter King for the blog and created a little Street View App. The app lets you view the photographs superimposed on top of the Street View image. You can use the slide control to adjust the opacity of the new photographs to compare it with the Street View underneath.

Social Search with Google Maps

Wajam is social search extension for your browser that gives you access to the knowledge of your friends when you search with Google, Bing, Yahoo, Amazon, Yelp, Trip Advisor, YouTube and Ebay.


After you install the search extension on your computer you can log-in with Facebook, Twitter or Google+ to get access to all your friends' social recommendations.

One really neat function of Wajam is that it shows places your friends have recommended on a Google Map. For example, if you are searching for a restaurant you can quickly visualise all the venues that your friends have recommended.

Google Lego Maps

Google has decreed that there shall be no more work done today by releasing a new online LEGO building game. Build, created in partnership with LEGO, is a Chrome application that allows you to play with the world's largest LEGO set.

The application features a LEGO styled map of Australia. Users can choose plots on the Google Map and then use the LEGO set to create their own 3d buildings. Once you have selected a plot you can start building using a wide selection of LEGO bricks.


When you have finished your build you can publish your plot to the map and share a link to your creation with your friends by e-mail or by a Google+ account.

You had better clear your work schedule for the day now!

Introducing the ikiMap API

Popular Google Maps creation tool ikiMap is marking its two year anniversary by releasing a new version of its service.

As part of the new version release, developers of websites and mobile apps can now integrate very easily with ikiMap through an API. OruxMaps, an app created to draw maps from mobile devices, has been the first site to use the ikiMap API. This means that any map created through this app can be seen directly on the internet through ikiMap.

As well as the release of the API ikiMap also has a brand new design. The new design includes tools that make it much easier to create and publish new maps. The new tools also allow users to manage all their maps from their profile. It is possible to decide how and when maps are published, or even limit the access to maps to your friends and clients through the privacy settings.

Trulia's New Commute Time Maps

Trulia Local has today added a new feature that allows users to check out commute times in a number of U.S. cities.

Using the map house hunters can now check out how long it takes to commute to or from any location by public transit or by car. For example you can center the map on your place of work and find out all the areas within your choice of commute time.

A slider tool allows the user to adjust the time of the commute and it is possible to select either driving on public transit times. You can drag and drop the map marker to set the center point of your commute time request.

A Travel Journal with Google Maps

Everlater is an application that allows you to create your own travel journal and travel blog.

As you add entries to your everlater travel blog they are also added to a Google Map of your journey. The map includes markers for each journal entry and all the markers are connected by polylines to show the progression of your trip.

Everlater has an iPhone app which allows you to update your travel blog whilst you are on your travels. Your travel blog can include photos of your trip and you can also connect your everlater account to a Facebook account so that all your entries are also posted to your Facebook wall.

Google Maps for those Ready to Rock

The European Festival Map is a Google Map of all the summer's musical festivals throughout Europe.

You can use the map to find your nearest festivals. When you click on a festival's marker you can find out the dates of the festival and click through and get details about tickets and the festival line-up from ChooseFest.


Festival Searcher is another Google Maps based guide to all of the music festivals taking place this summer.

The map markers are colour-coded by month so that you can get a quick overview of what festival is taking place when. I assume the size of the markers relates to the size of the festival displayed.


Télérama has produced a Google Maps guide to festivals taking place in France this summer. As well as being able to view the locations of all the festivals on Google Maps there is a comprehensive guide with detailed previews.

It is possible to search the map by location, type of music and by date. It is also possible to get driving directions to any of the festivals and to view Street Views of locations.

The Google Maps of the Week

This week saw a trio of promotional campaigns that use Google Maps Street View to allow users to create short personalised videos involving images of their own homes.


Confused.com's Home Sweet Zombie, British Airway's London Calling and Jeep - The Ultimate Search Engine are the latest in a growing trend of company campaigns using Street View to provide a more personalised promotional campaign.

Jeep - The Ultimate Challenge is probably the most effective of the three as it uses Street View to allow the user to actually see what a Jeep Cherokee would like parked outside their home.


The World of Mapcraft was probably the most viral of this week's Google Maps.  This World of Warcraft map seems to have really struck a chord with players of the popular MMORPG.


The idea behind Roadtrip Mixtape is really inspired.

Roadtrip Mixtape allows you to create a play list for a road-trip containing only music by artists that are from the area you are traveling through. Drive through Boston and you might hear Aerosmith or Donna Summer. Drive through New Orleans and you might hear Lil Wayne or Dr. John.

University of Florida Live Bus Tracking

Transloc has created a number of real-time bus tracking maps for universities in the U.S.. The University of Florida Transit map is good example of how Transloc use Google Maps to show the position of buses in and around a university campus.

The map shows the real-time location of buses with color-coded markers. The color of the marker indicates the route of the bus and the arrows show the buses current direction. Users can click on the bus markers to view the bus' destination.

 It is also possible to select a bus route from the map sidebar to view the route on the map and the current position of all buses currently on that route.

The Tour de France on Google Maps

The Tour de France starts next Saturday and Cycling the Alps has put together maps for each of the 20 stages of the race.

The route for each stage can be viewed on a Google Map. Once you select a route you can also choose to view the route's elevation profile and a 3d tour of the route using the Google Earth plugin. The 3d tour allows you to get a first person view of each stage, which is particularly impressive in those precipitous mountain stages of the race.

Lower Prices for the Google Maps API

Google today released some good news for developers by slashing the charges that apply to the use of the Google Maps API.

The API charges only apply to the top 0.35% of sites regularly exceeding the published limits of 25,000 map loads every day for 90 consecutive days. These charges have now been lowered from $4 per 1,000 map loads to 50¢ per 1,000 map loads.

Google has also eliminated the previous distinction between Styled Maps and regular unstyled maps. The same usage limits and pricing now apply to applications using Styled Maps and the default Google Maps style.

The Google Maps API charges will still not apply to the vast majority of Google Maps API users. If your map does take off and starts to exceed the free 25,000 map loads a day Google will contact you to discuss your options. Your map will not stop working due to a sudden surge in popularity.

Non-profit organisations also remain unaffected by the Maps API usage limits and can apply for a free Maps API for Business license through the Google Earth Outreach grants program.

Via: Google Geo Developers Blog

Carousels & Ferris Wheels on Google Maps

The Carousels Locations Map brings all the fun of the fair to Google Maps.

Using the map you can find your nearest carousel, amusement and theme park or even your nearest playground. Actually the name of this map is a little bit of a misnomer as there are many, many non-carousel related categories that you can add to this map.

If you look through the two drop-down menus, 'name brands and chain stores' and 'places of interest' you can find everything from McDonald's fast food restaurants to America's best hot dog stands.

Hat-tip: Mapperz

Languages at Risk on Google Maps

The Endangered Languages Project is a new website from Google looking to foster an exchange of information related to languages around the world threatened with extinction.

There are currently around 7,000 languages surviving in the world but it is estimated that at least half of them will disappear entirely before the end of this century. The Endangered Languages Project uses Google Maps to show the locations where languages are at risk throughout the world.

If you click on a language listed on the map you can get further details about the language including YouTube samples of the language being spoken, references to the language in texts from Google Books and details about how many of the language's speakers survive and an assessment of the language's current vitality.

Some Apple Maps Friday Fun

The Joy of Tech comic this week took an interesting look at Apple's dumping of Google Maps.

Those who have seen the beta version of Apple Maps so far have been largely unimpressed. Here is a sneak peek of an Apple Map from Jokideo.



Adam Smith has applied some magic to Google Maps that manages to blur the pixels in the map tiles to create Blurry Maps. When you zoom in on a location you can watch the normal Google Maps tiles turn into a pointillist version of the mapped location.

Geographic Micro-Blogging with Google Maps

SpoonerSpot is a new Google Maps based social network.

SpoonerSpot allows users to map the important places in their life or, as SpoonerSpot say, practice 'geographic micro-blogging'. Using the application users can virtually place short stories, called Spots, around the world and other users, who follow them, see those Spots on an interactive world map when they log in.

Adding a Spot to the map is very easy. Just right click on the map where you want to add a Spot, add your comment or story, add a picture (if you want), and you’re done. You can choose to follow any other users and you can browse the map by location, by people you follow or by Spots most recently added.

If you connect your SpoonerSpot account with a Facebook account your added Spots will also appear in your Facebook time-line. 

When Zombies Attack on Street View

Here is yet another promotional Street View animation campaign - this time involving zombies.

Confused.com, the UK's most popular price comparison service, has launched a new video creation application called Home Sweet Zombie.

If you enter your address into Home Sweet Zombie then the application creates an animated video that shows zombies taking over your street using Google Maps Street View. Once you have created your own personalised video you can share it with friends via Twitter and Facebook.

Fly Down Your Street with Street View

In the UK British Airways are running a TV advertising campaign, 'London Calling' (YouTube link), in which a plane drives through the streets of London, passing a number of iconic landmarks on its way. The tag-line of the campaign is 'Don't Fly - Support GB'.

British Airways has also created a clever Facebook application in which users can personalise the advert by including scenes involving their own homes. To create your own advert you just need to enter a UK address (non UK residents try the postcode 'RH10 5LS').

After you enter an address the advert includes some additional scenes in which the plane travels down your street and your house can be seen through the plane's window. 

The Transat Québec Saint-Malo Tracking Map

The Transat Québec Saint-Malo is an international high-level sailing transoceanic race taking place every four years, from Quebec city, Canada, to Saint-Malo, France.

This year you can watch the race live on Google Maps. The live race map will track each of the multihull and monohull entrants for the duration of the race, which begins on July 22nd. Until the race begins next month the map allows you to replay the 2008 race.

As well as the real-time tracking map of the race there is also an official mobile application. The mobile app will include the live tracking map and also give users access to information layers to better follow and understand the skippers’ moves during the race.

Not only will the mapping application allow users to follow the race, but it will give access to information on all the activities held in Québec City and Saint-Malo before and after the race. It will show where and when program events are taking place and show the locations of the nearest restaurants, bars, hotels, parking lots and ATMs.

Google Maps Gets More Traffic

Google Maps has added live traffic conditions in Belarus, Estonia, Latvia, Mexico, Peru, Romania and South Africa.

As well as introducing traffic conditions in these 7 new countries Google has also improved and expanded coverage to more roads in 19 countries and regions, where traffic data is already available; the countries include: Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, and the UK.

This Google Map shows you where live traffic conditions is now available. 

The Philippines Flood Hazard Map

Project Noah is a new Google Maps based flood hazard warning map from the Philippines' National Operational Assessment of Hazards and Risks (NOAH).

The map includes a number of weather layers. It is possible to view an animated radar layer from MTSAT. It is also possible to get the latest stream and rain gauge readings from across the country. If you want to know the current weather in the Philippines you can also select to view the Weather Outlook layer on the map.

Hawaii on Street View

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Big Island

Google Maps has extended its Street View coverage in Hawaii.

A good place to start exploring the best Street View images on Hawaii’s six major islands is in the Scenic Hawaii collection in the Street View gallery.

It also looks like Google has added a lot more Street View imagery in the Czech Republic.

Via: Google Lat Long

A Trip Planner with Weather Forecasts

If you are planning on taking a long road-trip this summer then the Weather Channel's new Hit the Road Google Map is the perfect application to help you plan your trip. Hit the Road not only tells you how to get from A to B but also tells you what what the weather will be like at A, at B, and at all points in between.

If the application shows that there is likely to be rain along your route you can simply drag the route line around the rain and see if the weather is predicted to be better elsewhere. Alternatively you can try adjusting the dates and see if the weather will be better if you start your trip a little later or earlier.

It is also possible to click on the route at any point to add a stop to your journey. If you add a planned stop then suggestions for places to eat and visit (from Yelp) appear below the map. You can select any of the Yelp recommendations to add them to your journey itinerary.

Drilling Water Wells with Google Maps

Charity: water has created a Google Map that is tracking in real-time a Yellow Thunder Drilling Rig as it drills water wells in Ethiopia.

The Drilling Rig was funded by users of charity: water and the map allows those donors to visualise the results of their generosity actually in action on the ground. As well as the live Google Map the Yellow Thunder Drilling Rig page includes videos of the drilling rig drilling a water well and links to the rig's own Twitter stream.

The London Bloggers Tube Map

The London Bloggers website is a directory of blogs written in and around London. The site includes a clever Google Maps interface to access the listed blogs by location.

The map uses the Google Maps API with the iconic London Underground map. If you click on any of the stations on the map you can view a list of bloggers who are based nearby. It is also possible to browse the over 4,000 blogs listed by individual underground line.

Park a Jeep with Google Street View

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have a Jeep parked on your front drive? Thanks to Google Maps Street View and Jeep - The Ultimate Search Engine you can create a virtual snapshot of your house with a Jeep Grand Cherokee parked outside.

To create your own virtual snapshot just enter your address into the Jeep - Ultimate Search Engine. You can then view an animation of a Jeep falling through the sky (using Google Maps satellite view) onto your street.

After the Street View of your house loads you can drag and position the Jeep anywhere in the Street View image. You can rotate the Jeep in 3d, adjust its scale and even choose what color of Jeep you desire.

If you are Australian you could even win a Jeep Grand Cherokee. Every photo created with the application, between 16th May 2012 and 4th July 2012, will be entered into a draw to win a Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo.

The World of Warcraft Google Map

The World of Mapcraft is a Google Map of the game world used in World of Warcraft. The map includes the new zones added as part of the Cataclysm expansion.

A lot of work has obviously gone into World of Mapcraft and it includes maps of not only Azeroth, Outland, Vash'jir and Deepholm but Battleground maps, Dungeon maps and Raid maps.

If you are interested in how the map was created there is a very detailed explanation here. You can alos view the source code on Github.

Also See

MapWoW - The first World of Warcraft Google Map

Make a Roadtrip Mixtape with Google Maps

Roadtrip Mixtape is a great way to create a play list for a road-trip containing only music by artists that are from the area you are traveling through. Drive through Boston and you might hear Aerosmith or Donna Summer. Drive through New Orleans and you might hear Lil Wayne or Dr. John.

To use the application you just need  to add the starting point of your journey and your destination. Your journey is then displayed on a Google Map. Each leg of the journey is represented on the map by a green marker.

If you click on a marker you can view a list of local artists from that stage of the journey. If you select 'Play this leg' you can listen to the music for that leg of the journey. If you are a Rdio subscriber you will hear the full songs, if not, you can listen to 30 second samples.

Nature Spotting with Google Maps

iSpot is a website aimed at helping anyone identify anything in nature.

Users can add observations of animals or plants they have spotted to the iSpot website and if necessary request help in identification. Observations added to iSpot can include a photograph and/or a description of the observation.

The iSpot Observations Map allows users to browse the submitted observations by location, taxonomy and by habitat.

French Elections on Google Maps

Today the French voted in the final and decisive round of the Parliament elections.

You can view the results live, as they are announced this evening, on this Google Map, Google Politique et Elections. The map is color-coded, so it is easy to tell at a glance how each political party has performed.

Users can click on individual electoral areas on the map to view the results in that region. It is also possible to click on the political party names in the map sidebar to view how that party has performed throughout the country.