old_contents: # examples of using the 'width' and 'height' keywords
  # to the Basemap constructor.
  
  from matplotlib.toolkits.basemap import Basemap
  from pylab import arange, show, title, figure
  
  # setup projection parameters
  lat_0 = 40.
  lon_0 = -100.
  width = 6000000.
  height = 2.*width/3.
  delat = 25.
  circles = arange(0.,90.+delat,delat).tolist()+\
            arange(-delat,-90.-delat,-delat).tolist()
  delon = 30.
  meridians = arange(10.,360.,delon)
  npanel = 0
  # plots of the US.
  projs = ['lcc','aeqd','aea','laea','eqdc','stere']
  fig = figure(figsize=(8,12))
  for proj in projs:
      m = Basemap(width=width,height=height,
                  resolution='c',projection=proj,\
                  lat_0=lat_0,lon_0=lon_0)
      npanel = npanel + 1
      fig.add_subplot(3,2,npanel)
      m.drawcoastlines()
      m.drawcountries()
      m.fillcontinents()
      m.drawstates()
      m.drawparallels(circles)
      m.drawmeridians(meridians)
      title('proj = '+proj+' centered on %sW, %sN' % (lon_0,lat_0),fontsize=10)
  
  show()
  
new_contents: # examples of using the 'width' and 'height' keywords
  # to the Basemap constructor.
  
  from matplotlib.toolkits.basemap import Basemap
  from pylab import arange, show, title, figure
  
  # setup projection parameters
  lat_0 = 40.
  lon_0 = -100.
  width = 6000000.
  height = 2.*width/3.
  delat = 25.
  circles = arange(0.,90.+delat,delat).tolist()+\
            arange(-delat,-90.-delat,-delat).tolist()
  delon = 30.
  meridians = arange(10.,360.,delon)
  npanel = 0
  # plots of the US.
  projs = ['lcc','aeqd','aea','laea','eqdc','stere']
  fig = figure(figsize=(7,7))
  for proj in projs:
      m = Basemap(width=width,height=height,
                  resolution='c',projection=proj,\
                  lat_0=lat_0,lon_0=lon_0)
      npanel = npanel + 1
      fig.add_subplot(3,2,npanel)
      m.drawcoastlines()
      m.drawcountries()
      m.fillcontinents()
      m.drawstates()
      m.drawparallels(circles)
      m.drawmeridians(meridians)
      title('proj = '+proj+' centered on %sW, %sN' % (lon_0,lat_0),fontsize=10)
  
  show()
  
subject: make plot smaller so it fits onscreen