Northern Ireland Excel Map Charts

I am actually working on the same problem. I didn't get a solution using the Map data type, but this worked

Hi Scott,

That's amazing, thank you!!

Solves the issue perfectly.

When you're using Excel's map charts, the tool relies on Bing to recognise and plot geographic locations. Sometimes, certain locations may not be recognised correctly due to the way they're named or due to the lack of detailed geographic data for that region in Bing Maps.

Here are a few suggestions that might help:

Check the Spelling and Formatting: Ensure that the region names are spelled exactly as Bing Maps would recognise them. This might require some trial and error or searching on Bing Maps directly to see how it recognises various regions.

Alternate Names: Try using alternate names or more commonly recognised names for the region. For example, if a county has undergone administrative changes and has a new name, Bing Maps might not recognise the new one but might still have the old name in its database.

Add Additional Location Data: Sometimes providing additional data can help Bing Maps to better locate the area. For example, include the country or a larger administrative area in the data points.

GIS Software: For a more robust and customisable mapping solution, consider Geographic Information System (GIS) software like ArcGIS or QGIS. These tools offer more sophisticated mapping features and can handle a wider range of data inputs. You can often download region-specific shapefiles or geographic data that can then be used within these programs to create maps.

Online Resources: You can search for official government or local authority resources that might provide GIS data for the regions you're interested in. Often, these will be the most accurate and up to date.

Manual Override: If a particular region isn't being recognised, you could manually draw the area in a GIS program and then import the map into Excel, although this requires a bit of work and familiarity with GIS software.

For locating the names of regions as recognised by GIS, you would typically refer to official geographic databases or resources such as:

The official website of the country's geographic or mapping agency. OpenStreetMap, which allows you to search for and view different geographic entities. GeoNames, which is a geographical database that covers all countries and contains over eleven million placenames. For GIS data specific to Northern Ireland, you can check resources such as the Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland or the Land & Property Services.

Hi Deeksha,

Thanks for the reply.

I may not have been clear, but the mapping used to build the Map Chart is being taken from the 'Region' column of the table above. Council is there for reference only.

Ards and North Down - I have tried this using alternative data with no joy. The formula being used to give my value is a simple SUMIF, and is the same as that for all other regions. I've taken a screenshot below which shows the geographical mapping on Excel, alongside the same empty area on the Map Chart.

Belfast - do you have any suggestions for GIS which could provide the regional names? The only exception to the rule of region being the first part of the council name, is County Armagh. The map I pulled that from still had the Belfast City Council area listed as 'Belfast'.

May be one for Bing /Microsoft support.

Best Regards

Ollie

Hi I’m a Microsoft user like yourself and I will try to help you as best as I can today.

Ards and North Down Borough Council: If the geography information appears to highlight the correct section of the map but still shows as 'no data,' it might indicate that the data associated with this region is missing or not properly formatted.

Double-check the data associated with Ards and North Down Borough Council to ensure it is correctly structured and contains values that can be visualised on the map chart. Verify that the data source you're using includes information specifically for Ards and North Down Borough Council and that it matches the administrative boundaries of this region.

Belfast City Council: Since Belfast City Council is not located within a specific administrative division like the other regions, you may need to adjust your mapping approach. One option is to manually adjust the map labels to ensure that Belfast is correctly labeled on the map chart. You can do this by customising the labels or adding annotations to the map.

Alternatively, you may need to use a different geographical boundary for Belfast City Council that aligns with its unique administrative structure. This may require consulting with a geographic information system (GIS) or using alternative mapping data sources. In summary, ensure that the data for Ards and North Down Borough Council is properly formatted and that the mapping accurately reflects its geographical boundaries. For Belfast City Council, consider customising the map labels or using alternative mapping approaches to accurately represent its administrative division.

Hope this helps! Please let us know if you have any questions. Microsoft Support is available for further assistance if the issue persists.

Best Regards Deeksha