old_contents: from pylab import show, title, arange, figure, title, arccos, pi, cm, text
  from matplotlib.colors import rgb2hex
  from matplotlib.toolkits.basemap import Basemap
  from matplotlib.numerix.random_array import uniform
  
  # Plot a bunch of randomly distributed points on the earth.
  
  # set up stereographic map centered on N. Pole.
  m = Basemap(lon_0=-105,boundinglat=30.,
              resolution='l',area_thresh=10000.,projection='npstere')
  # number of points to plot.
  npts = 750
  # generate random points on a sphere,
  # so that every small area on the sphere is expected
  # to have the same number of points.
  # http://mathworld.wolfram.com/SpherePointPicking.html
  u = uniform(0.,1.,size=npts)
  v = uniform(0.,1.,size=npts)
  z = uniform(0,100,size=npts)
  lons = 360.*u
  lats = (180./pi)*arccos(2*v-1) - 90.
  # transform lons and lats to map coordinates.
  x,y = m(lons,lats)
  # plot them as filled circles on the map.
  # first, create a figure.
  fig=figure()
  # background color will be used for 'wet' areas.
  fig.add_axes([0.1,0.1,0.8,0.8],axisbg='aqua')
  # draw colored markers.
  # use zorder=10 to make sure markers are drawn last.
  # (otherwise they are covered up when continents are filled)
  #m.scatter(x,y,25,z,cmap=cm.jet,marker='o',faceted=False,zorder=10) 
  # create a list of strings containing z values
  # or, plot actual numbers as color-coded text strings.
  zn = [ '%2i' % zz for zz in z ]
  # plot numbers on map, colored by value.
  for numstr,zval,xpt,ypt in zip(zn,z,x,y):
      # only plot values inside map region.
      if xpt > m.xmin and xpt < m.xmax and ypt > m.ymin and ypt < m.ymax:
          hexcolor = rgb2hex(cm.jet(zval/100.)[:3])
          text(xpt,ypt,numstr,fontsize=9,weight='bold',color=hexcolor)
  # draw coasts and fill continents.
  m.drawcoastlines(linewidth=0.5)
  m.fillcontinents(color='coral')
  # draw parallels and meridians.
  delat = 20.
  circles = arange(0.,90.,delat).tolist()+\
            arange(-delat,-90,-delat).tolist()
  m.drawparallels(circles)
  delon = 45.
  meridians = arange(0,360,delon)
  m.drawmeridians(meridians,labels=[1,1,1,1])
  title('Random Points',y=1.075)
  show()
  
new_contents: from pylab import show, title, arange, figure, title, arccos, pi, cm, text
  from matplotlib.colors import rgb2hex
  from matplotlib.toolkits.basemap import Basemap
  from numpy.random import uniform
  
  # Plot a bunch of randomly distributed points on the earth.
  
  # set up stereographic map centered on N. Pole.
  m = Basemap(lon_0=-105,boundinglat=30.,
              resolution='l',area_thresh=10000.,projection='npstere')
  # number of points to plot.
  npts = 750
  # generate random points on a sphere,
  # so that every small area on the sphere is expected
  # to have the same number of points.
  # http://mathworld.wolfram.com/SpherePointPicking.html
  u = uniform(0.,1.,size=npts)
  v = uniform(0.,1.,size=npts)
  z = uniform(0,100,size=npts)
  lons = 360.*u
  lats = (180./pi)*arccos(2*v-1) - 90.
  # transform lons and lats to map coordinates.
  x,y = m(lons,lats)
  # plot them as filled circles on the map.
  # first, create a figure.
  fig=figure()
  # background color will be used for 'wet' areas.
  fig.add_axes([0.1,0.1,0.8,0.8],axisbg='aqua')
  # draw colored markers.
  # use zorder=10 to make sure markers are drawn last.
  # (otherwise they are covered up when continents are filled)
  #m.scatter(x,y,25,z,cmap=cm.jet,marker='o',faceted=False,zorder=10) 
  # create a list of strings containing z values
  # or, plot actual numbers as color-coded text strings.
  zn = [ '%2i' % zz for zz in z ]
  # plot numbers on map, colored by value.
  for numstr,zval,xpt,ypt in zip(zn,z,x,y):
      # only plot values inside map region.
      if xpt > m.xmin and xpt < m.xmax and ypt > m.ymin and ypt < m.ymax:
          hexcolor = rgb2hex(cm.jet(zval/100.)[:3])
          text(xpt,ypt,numstr,fontsize=9,weight='bold',color=hexcolor)
  # draw coasts and fill continents.
  m.drawcoastlines(linewidth=0.5)
  m.fillcontinents(color='coral')
  # draw parallels and meridians.
  delat = 20.
  circles = arange(0.,90.,delat).tolist()+\
            arange(-delat,-90,-delat).tolist()
  m.drawparallels(circles)
  delon = 45.
  meridians = arange(0,360,delon)
  m.drawmeridians(meridians,labels=[1,1,1,1])
  title('Random Points',y=1.075)
  show()
  
subject: use numpy.random instead of numerix