Basemap includes the GSSH coastline dataset, as well as datasets for rivers, state and country boundaries from GMT. These datasets can be used to draw coastlines, rivers and political boundaries on maps at several different resolutions. The relevant Basemap methods are:
Instead of drawing coastlines and political boundaries, an image can be used as a map background. Basemap provides several options for this:
Here are examples of the various ways to draw a map background.
from mpl_toolkits.basemap import Basemap
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
# setup Lambert Conformal basemap.
m = Basemap(width=12000000,height=9000000,projection='lcc',
resolution='c',lat_1=45.,lat_2=55,lat_0=50,lon_0=-107.)
# draw coastlines.
m.drawcoastlines()
# draw a boundary around the map, fill the background.
# this background will end up being the ocean color, since
# the continents will be drawn on top.
m.drawmapboundary(fill_color='aqua')
# fill continents, set lake color same as ocean color.
m.fillcontinents(color='coral',lake_color='aqua')
plt.savefig('background1.png')
from mpl_toolkits.basemap import Basemap
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
# setup Lambert Conformal basemap.
# set resolution=None to skip processing of boundary datasets.
m = Basemap(width=12000000,height=9000000,projection='lcc',
resolution=None,lat_1=45.,lat_2=55,lat_0=50,lon_0=-107.)
# draw a land-sea mask for a map background.
# lakes=True means plot inland lakes with ocean color.
m.drawlsmask(land_color='coral',ocean_color='aqua',lakes=True)
plt.show()
plt.savefig('background2.png')
from mpl_toolkits.basemap import Basemap
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
# setup Lambert Conformal basemap.
# set resolution=None to skip processing of boundary datasets.
m = Basemap(width=12000000,height=9000000,projection='lcc',
resolution=None,lat_1=45.,lat_2=55,lat_0=50,lon_0=-107.)
m.bluemarble()
plt.savefig('background3.png')
from mpl_toolkits.basemap import Basemap
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
# setup Lambert Conformal basemap.
# set resolution=None to skip processing of boundary datasets.
m = Basemap(width=12000000,height=9000000,projection='lcc',
resolution=None,lat_1=45.,lat_2=55,lat_0=50,lon_0=-107.)
m.shadedrelief()
plt.savefig('background4.png')
from mpl_toolkits.basemap import Basemap
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
# setup Lambert Conformal basemap.
# set resolution=None to skip processing of boundary datasets.
m = Basemap(width=12000000,height=9000000,projection='lcc',
resolution=None,lat_1=45.,lat_2=55,lat_0=50,lon_0=-107.)
m.etopo()
plt.savefig('background5.png')