STATISTICAL MAPPING CAPABILITIES AND POTENTIALS OF SAS

•SAS, the statistical analysis, data management and graphics system (with SAS/GRAPH) offers several procedures and programming capabilities that provide for the efficient analysis and mapping of geographically based statistical data. Cartographic data is stored in a standard statistical file providing efficiencies in storing and making the data easy to create, document, access, manipulate and transfer between users. Mapping procedures are available to perform map projections, boundary line generalization, the redefinition of geographic regions from existing files and the output of several types of statistical maps to a variety of widely available graphics output devices, including color. Many useful features support computer-assisted statistical mapping and graphing for data display and analysis. The easy exchange of cartographic and statistical data files between researchers at widely separated locations is facilitated, while insuring file compatability. The present and future cartographic potentials of SAS are explored, along with examples of statistical map output