For my final data visualization project, I chose to work with the "Extinct Languages" dataset.
I decided to work with this dataset because it is an interesting subject and the type of data allows for the observation of spatial patterns in the context of a map.
In my visualization, the data is represented as bubbles on a global map, where the bubbles represent the speaking population size.
To interact with the visualization, try dragging to move around the map, scrolling to zoom in and out, hovering over the bubbles, and experimenting with the legend on the right.
One interesting thing I noticed during this project is that there are larger concentrations of endangered languages in Central America, South America, Asia, and Europe. There are less endangered languages in North America and Australia.
Something I still wonder about is how languages become endangered and what can be done to preserve them.
The most challenging aspect of this project was integrating the features I wanted with Plotly, an expansive, complicated library that I was previously unfamiliar with. I had to tinker with my code and pore over the docs a lot before my code worked.
If I had more time, I would, among other things, add a slider to set a range for the # of speakers (e.g. 5000-10000 speakers range) and double-click to get a pop-up with detailed info—description of location, sources, Wikipedia, etc.
My proudest moment during this project was when I ultimately figured out how to match the bubbles/legend with the endangerment levels, which enabled color coding.