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.

Answer 1

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()