Abstract: With traditional paper maps developed to electronic maps, the visualization tools of spatial information has experienced huge changes from 2D to 3D, static to dynamic, and physical to virtual. In order to overcome the limits of traditional maps in terms of expression and visualization, we took the GDP data of mainland China from 2004-2013 as example to explore the methods of making 3D dynamic columnar map. We employed two variables of 3D column, namely height and color, to express two different attributes to display 3D columnar maps of different time. Result shows that 3D dynamic columnar map could well reflect the spatial distribution and dynamic changes of statistical data, and is more intuitive, expressive, and easy to understand than other expressions.

Key words: cartography, 3D map, histogram, hierarchical statistical graph, geographic information system