Basemap with Python 3.5 Anaconda on Windows

Question

I use Python 3.5 with latest version of Anaconda on Windows (64 bit). I wanted to install Basemap using conda install basemap. Apparently there is a conflict between Python 3 and basemap. After some googling indeed I found that basemap is not supported on Python 3 for Windows users (ex: https://groups.google.com/a/continuum.io/forum/#!topic/anaconda/TjAwi3ilQaU).

For obvious reasons I do not want to downgrade to Python 2. What would then be the simplest alternative solution?

• Is there an alternative package similar to basemap for ploting maps, etc.?
• Should I use a second environment which uses Python 2 and basemap? I have never done that but it seems possible (http://conda.pydata.org/docs/py2or3.html). Is it "safe"? Should I install again all the other packages (matplotlib, numpy, etc.) on the second environment?

Thanks in advance for the help and advice.

Lilliamlillian

Answer 1

I have solved this several times (last time just now) by downloading it from http://www.lfd.uci.edu/~gohlke/pythonlibs and follow the instructions to install. From the anaconda command prompt

pip install full_path_to_package

For example, if you downloaded basemap-1.1.0-cp36-cp36m-win_amd64.whl, you would run

pip install C:\path\to\file\basemap-1.1.0-cp36-cp36m-win_amd64.whl

Note that the python version of the .whl file must match your python version. For example, ...-cp36-.... indicates Python 3.6. You can find your python version by running the command python --version.

Tours

For clarity, I mean downloading basemap and installing it on top of the already installed anaconda distribution – Tours

After doing this, how would you go about importing the basemap package? I tried doing as one would do using python 2.7: from mpl_toolkits.basemap import Basemap but I just get "No module named mpl_toolkits.basemap" – Antalkali

I import it like that and it should work. If you have several Python installations maybe pip installed the 2.7 version of basemap? – Tours

Answer 2

Referring to the answer of Solly, I have Windows 10, python 3.5.3, Anaconda 64bit, in the Anaconda prompt I entered:

conda install -c conda-forge basemap=1.0.8.dev0
conda install -c conda-forge basemap-data-hires

then the code, taken from Python for Data Science for Dummies, page 193 (Plotting geographical data worked just fine. I wanted to add just a comment to the Solly's answer, but I don't have enough credits to do so. The code is:

import numpy as np
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
from mpl_toolkits.basemap import Basemap

austin = (-97.75, 30.25)
hawaii = (-157.8, 21.3)
washington = (-77.01, 38.90)
chicago = (-87.68, 41.83)
losangeles = (-118.25, 34.05)

m = Basemap(projection = 'merc', llcrnrlat=10, urcrnrlat=50,
        llcrnrlon=-160, urcrnrlon=-60)

m.drawcoastlines()
m.fillcontinents (color='lightgray', lake_color='lightblue')
m.drawparallels(np.arange(-90.,91.,30.))
m.drawmeridians(np.arange(-180.,181.,60.))
m.drawmapboundary(fill_color='aqua')

m.drawcounties()

x, y = m(*zip(*[hawaii, austin, washington, chicago, losangeles]))
m.plot(x,y, marker ='o', markersize=6, markerfacecolor='red', linewidth=0)

plt.title('Mercator Projection')
plt.show()

Fuddyduddy

great ! Works for me – Anhydride

I've tried your suggestion but the installer indicated that it needs to downgrade 16 packages. Did you accept the suggestion? Using conda 4.5.4. – Tolliver

@Tolliver I've downgraded a lot of packages, but still not working. Any hint on this? – Heligoland

@kalinfirst I would suggest you update your answer to exclude the specific version which requires other packages to be downgraded. I've found installing the latest version with install -c conda-forge basemap works well. – Ogawa

This command is taking very long time:conda install -c conda-forge basemap=1.0.8.dev0. How long did it take in your case? – Yoke

Answer 3

I was running in the same problem (Python 3.5 and Anaconda) and eventually downloaded Basemap 1.0.8dev0 from here and installed it using conda (as described by the link).

Emmyemmye

This worked for me today (conda install -c conda-forge basemap), it installed version 1.1.0. Thanks! – Drivein

Answer 4

Cartopy is an alternative to Basemap, and it is being actively developed.

There is a nice gallery here: http://scitools.org.uk/cartopy/docs/latest/gallery.html

Cavalla

Answer 5

The below information is for Mac OS:

1. Downloaded from here!
2. Run conda install -c conda-forge basemap-1.2.0-py37h9622e30_3.tar.bz2
4. Done

Jam

Answer 6

Truth be told I had the same problem and tried to fix it for waaay to long and even tried a python 2 environment with no luck.

Personally just using a python 2 install was way easier and less time consuming. Sorry for the non answer.

Assimilative