---
title: "Get started"
author:
  - name: Diego Hernangómez
    orcid: 0000-0001-8457-4658
description: First steps with mapSpain
vignette: >
  %\VignetteIndexEntry{Get started}
  %\VignetteEngine{quarto::html}
  %\VignetteEncoding{UTF-8}
---

<!-- mapSpain.qmd is generated from mapSpain.qmd.orig. Please edit that file -->



## Introduction

::: callout-tip
For more examples and vignettes, see the full site at
<https://ropenspain.github.io/mapSpain/>.
:::

[**mapSpain**](https://ropenspain.github.io/mapSpain/) is a package designed to
provide geographical information about Spain at different levels.

**mapSpain** provides shapefiles of municipalities, provinces, Autonomous
communities and NUTS levels for Spain. It also provides hexbin shapefiles and
other complementary shapes, such as the demarcation lines around the Canary
Islands.

**mapSpain** provides access to map tiles from Spain's public institutions,
which can be represented on static maps via `mapSpain::esp_get_tiles()` or on an
**R** [**leaflet**](https://rstudio.github.io/leaflet/) map using
`mapSpain::addProviderEspTiles()`.

**mapSpain** also includes a dictionary that translates province and region
names to English, Spanish, Catalan, Basque and Galician, and converts them to
various coding standards such as NUTS, ISO2 and the INE (the official Spanish
statistical agency) coding system.

## Caching

**mapSpain** provides dataset and tile caching capabilities. Set a cache
directory with:


``` r
esp_set_cache_dir("./path/to/location")
```

**mapSpain** relies on [**giscoR**](https://ropengov.github.io/giscoR/) for
downloading certain files, and both packages are well synchronized. Setting the
same caching directory for both packages will speed up data loading in your
session.

## Basic example

These examples show what **mapSpain** can do:


``` r
library(mapSpain)
library(ggplot2)

country <- esp_get_spain()
lines <- esp_get_can_box()

ggplot(country) +
  geom_sf(fill = "cornsilk", color = "#887e6a") +
  labs(title = "Map of Spain") +
  theme(
    panel.background = element_rect(fill = "#fffff3"),
    panel.border = element_rect(
      colour = "#887e6a",
      fill = NA,
    ),
    text = element_text(
      family = "serif",
      face = "bold"
    )
  )
```

<div class="figure">
<img src="./basic-1.png" alt="Example: map of Spain" width="100%" />
<p class="caption">Example: map of Spain</p>
</div>


``` r
# Plot provinces.

andalucia <- esp_get_prov("Andalucia")

ggplot(andalucia) +
  geom_sf(fill = "darkgreen", color = "white") +
  theme_bw()
```

<div class="figure">
<img src="./basic2-1.png" alt="Example: provinces of Andalucia" width="100%" />
<p class="caption">Example: provinces of Andalucia</p>
</div>


``` r
# Plot municipalities.

euskadi_ccaa <- esp_get_ccaa("Euskadi")
euskadi <- esp_get_munic_siane(region = "Euskadi")

# Use the dictionary.

euskadi$name_eu <- esp_dict_translate(euskadi$ine.prov.name, lang = "eu")

ggplot(euskadi_ccaa) +
  geom_sf(fill = "grey50") +
  geom_sf(data = euskadi, aes(fill = name_eu)) +
  scale_fill_manual(values = c("red2", "darkgreen", "ivory2")) +
  labs(
    fill = "",
    title = "Euskal Autonomia Erkidegoko",
    subtitle = "Probintziak"
  ) +
  theme_void() +
  theme(
    plot.title = element_text(face = "bold"),
    plot.subtitle = element_text(face = "italic")
  )
```

<div class="figure">
<img src="./basic3-1.png" alt="Example: municipalities of the Basque Country" width="100%" />
<p class="caption">Example: municipalities of the Basque Country</p>
</div>

## Choropleth and label maps

Analyze the distribution of women in each Autonomous Community with
**ggplot2**:


``` r
library(dplyr)

census <- mapSpain::pobmun25 |>
  select(-name)

# Extract CCAA from the base dataset.
codelist <- mapSpain::esp_codelist |>
  select(cpro, codauto) |>
  distinct()

census_ccaa <- census |>
  left_join(codelist) |>
  # Summarize by CCAA.
  group_by(codauto) |>
  summarise(pob25 = sum(pob25), men = sum(men), women = sum(women)) |>
  mutate(
    porc_women = women / pob25,
    porc_women_lab = paste0(round(100 * porc_women, 2), "%")
  )

# Merge into spatial data.
ccaa_sf <- esp_get_ccaa() |>
  left_join(census_ccaa)

can <- esp_get_can_box()

# Plot with ggplot.
library(ggplot2)

ggplot(ccaa_sf) +
  geom_sf(aes(fill = porc_women), color = "grey70", linewidth = 0.3) +
  geom_sf(data = can, color = "grey70") +
  geom_sf_label(
    aes(label = porc_women_lab),
    fill = "white",
    alpha = 0.5,
    size = 3,
    linewidth = 0
  ) +
  scale_fill_gradientn(
    colors = hcl.colors(10, "Blues", rev = TRUE),
    n.breaks = 10,
    labels = scales::label_percent(),
    guide = guide_legend(title = "% women", position = "inside")
  ) +
  theme_void() +
  theme(legend.position.inside = c(0.1, 0.6)) +
  labs(caption = "Source: CartoBase ANE 2006-2024 CC-BY 4.0 ign.es, INE")
```

<div class="figure">
<img src="./choro-1.png" alt="Percentage of women by Autonomous Community (2025)" width="100%" />
<p class="caption">Percentage of women by Autonomous Community (2025)</p>
</div>

## Thematic maps

This example demonstrates how **mapSpain** can be used to create thematic maps.
For plotting, we use the [**ggplot2**](https://ggplot2.tidyverse.org/) package,
though any package that handles `sf` objects, such as **tmap**, **mapsf** or
**leaflet**, could also be used.


``` r
# Calculate population density in Spain.
library(sf)

pop <- mapSpain::pobmun25 |>
  select(-name)

munic <- esp_get_munic_siane(rawcols = TRUE) |>
  # Get area in km2 from SIANE municipalities.
  # This variable is already in the shapefile.
  mutate(area_km2 = st_area_sh * 10000)

munic_pop <- munic |>
  left_join(pop) |>
  mutate(dens = pob25 / area_km2)

br <- c(-Inf, 10, 25, 100, 200, 500, 1000, 5000, 10000, Inf)

munic_pop$cuts <- cut(munic_pop$dens, br)

ggplot(munic_pop) +
  geom_sf(aes(fill = cuts), color = NA, linewidth = 0) +
  scale_fill_manual(
    values = c("grey5", hcl.colors(length(br) - 2, "Spectral")),
    labels = prettyNum(c(0, br[-1]), big.mark = ","),
    guide = guide_legend(
      title = "Pop. per km2",
      direction = "horizontal",
      nrow = 1
    )
  ) +
  labs(title = "Population density in Spain (2025)") +
  theme_void() +
  theme(
    plot.title = element_text(hjust = 0.5),
    plot.background = element_rect(fill = "black"),
    text = element_text(colour = "white"),
    legend.position = "bottom",
    legend.title.position = "top",
    legend.text.position = "bottom",
    legend.key.width = unit(30, "pt")
  ) +
  labs(caption = "Source: CartoBase ANE 2006-2024 CC-BY 4.0 ign.es, INE")
```

<div class="figure">
<img src="./thematic-1.png" alt="Population density in Spain (2025)" width="100%" />
<p class="caption">Population density in Spain (2025)</p>
</div>

## mapSpain and giscoR

If you need to plot Spain alongside other countries, consider using the
[**giscoR**](https://ropengov.github.io/giscoR/) package, which is installed as
a dependency with **mapSpain**. Here is a basic example:


``` r
library(giscoR)

# Set the same resolution for a perfect fit.
res <- "20"

all_countries <- gisco_get_countries(resolution = res) |>
  st_transform(3035)

eu_countries <- gisco_get_countries(
  resolution = res,
  region = "EU"
) |>
  st_transform(3035)

ccaa <- esp_get_ccaa(
  moveCAN = FALSE,
  resolution = res
) |>
  st_transform(3035)

# Plot.
ggplot(all_countries) +
  geom_sf(fill = "#DFDFDF", color = "#656565") +
  geom_sf(data = eu_countries, fill = "#FDFBEA", color = "#656565") +
  geom_sf(data = ccaa, fill = "#C12838", color = "grey80", linewidth = 0.1) +
  # Center in Europe: EPSG 3035
  coord_sf(
    xlim = c(2377294, 7453440),
    ylim = c(1313597, 5628510)
  ) +
  theme(
    panel.background = element_blank(),
    panel.grid = element_line(
      colour = "#DFDFDF",
      linetype = "dotted"
    )
  ) +
  labs(caption = giscoR::gisco_attributions("es"))
```

<div class="figure">
<img src="./giscoR-1.png" alt="mapSpain and giscoR example" width="100%" />
<p class="caption">mapSpain and giscoR example</p>
</div>

## Working with tiles

**mapSpain** provides a powerful interface for working with imagery. It can
download static images as `.png` or `.jpeg` (depending on the Web Map Service)
and use them alongside your shapefiles.

**mapSpain** also includes a plugin for the **R**
[**leaflet**](https://rstudio.github.io/leaflet/) package, which allows you to
include several basemaps on your interactive maps.

The services are implemented with the
[leaflet-providersESP](https://dieghernan.github.io/leaflet-providersESP/)
Leaflet plugin. All available providers are listed there.

::: callout-note
When working with imagery, set `moveCAN = FALSE` in the `esp_get_*` functions.
See **Displacing the Canary Islands** in `esp_move_can()`.
:::