old_contents: # example demonstrating how to draw a great circle on a map.
  from matplotlib.toolkits.basemap import Basemap
  from pylab import *
  
  # setup lambert azimuthal map projection.
  # create new figure
  fig=figure()
  m = Basemap(llcrnrlon=-100.,llcrnrlat=20.,urcrnrlon=20.,urcrnrlat=60.,\
              rsphere=(6378137.00,6356752.3142),\
              resolution='c',area_thresh=10000.,projection='merc',\
              lat_0=40.,lon_0=-20.,lat_ts=20.)
  # nylat, nylon are lat/lon of New York
  nylat = 40.78
  nylon = -73.98
  # lonlat, lonlon are lat/lon of London.
  lonlat = 51.53
  lonlon = 0.08
  # find 1000 points along the great circle.
  #x,y = m.gcpoints(nylon,nylat,lonlon,lonlat,1000)
  # draw the great circle.
  #m.plot(x,y,linewidth=2)
  # drawgreatcircle performs the previous 2 steps in one call.
  m.drawgreatcircle(nylon,nylat,lonlon,lonlat,linewidth=2,color='b')
  m.drawcoastlines()
  m.fillcontinents()
  # draw parallels
  circles = arange(10,90,20)
  m.drawparallels(circles,labels=[1,1,0,1])
  # draw meridians
  meridians = arange(-180,180,30)
  m.drawmeridians(meridians,labels=[1,1,0,1])
  title('Great Circle from New York to London (Mercator)')
  print 'plotting Great Circle from New York to London (Mercator)'
  
  # create new figure
  fig=figure()
  # setup a gnomonic projection.
  m = Basemap(llcrnrlon=-100.,llcrnrlat=20.,urcrnrlon=20.,urcrnrlat=60.,\
              resolution='c',area_thresh=10000.,projection='gnom',\
              lat_0=40.,lon_0=-45.)
  # nylat, nylon are lat/lon of New York
  nylat = 40.78
  nylon = -73.98
  # lonlat, lonlon are lat/lon of London.
  lonlat = 51.53
  lonlon = 0.08
  # find 1000 points along the great circle.
  #x,y = m.gcpoints(nylon,nylat,lonlon,lonlat,1000)
  # draw the great circle.
  #m.plot(x,y,linewidth=2)
  # drawgreatcircle performs the previous 2 steps in one call.
  m.drawgreatcircle(nylon,nylat,lonlon,lonlat,linewidth=2,color='b')
  m.drawcoastlines()
  m.fillcontinents()
  # draw parallels
  circles = arange(10,90,20)
  m.drawparallels(circles,labels=[0,1,0,0])
  # draw meridians
  meridians = arange(-180,180,30)
  m.drawmeridians(meridians,labels=[1,1,0,1])
  title('Great Circle from New York to London (Gnomonic)')
  print 'plotting Great Circle from New York to London (Gnomonic)'
  show()
  
new_contents: # example demonstrating how to draw a great circle on a map.
  from matplotlib.toolkits.basemap import Basemap
  from pylab import title, arange, show, figure
  
  # setup lambert azimuthal map projection.
  # create new figure
  fig=figure()
  m = Basemap(llcrnrlon=-100.,llcrnrlat=20.,urcrnrlon=20.,urcrnrlat=60.,\
              rsphere=(6378137.00,6356752.3142),\
              resolution='c',area_thresh=10000.,projection='merc',\
              lat_0=40.,lon_0=-20.,lat_ts=20.)
  # nylat, nylon are lat/lon of New York
  nylat = 40.78
  nylon = -73.98
  # lonlat, lonlon are lat/lon of London.
  lonlat = 51.53
  lonlon = 0.08
  # find 1000 points along the great circle.
  #x,y = m.gcpoints(nylon,nylat,lonlon,lonlat,1000)
  # draw the great circle.
  #m.plot(x,y,linewidth=2)
  # drawgreatcircle performs the previous 2 steps in one call.
  m.drawgreatcircle(nylon,nylat,lonlon,lonlat,linewidth=2,color='b')
  m.drawcoastlines()
  m.fillcontinents()
  # draw parallels
  circles = arange(10,90,20)
  m.drawparallels(circles,labels=[1,1,0,1])
  # draw meridians
  meridians = arange(-180,180,30)
  m.drawmeridians(meridians,labels=[1,1,0,1])
  title('Great Circle from New York to London (Mercator)')
  print 'plotting Great Circle from New York to London (Mercator)'
  
  # create new figure
  fig=figure()
  # setup a gnomonic projection.
  m = Basemap(llcrnrlon=-100.,llcrnrlat=20.,urcrnrlon=20.,urcrnrlat=60.,\
              resolution='c',area_thresh=10000.,projection='gnom',\
              lat_0=40.,lon_0=-45.)
  # nylat, nylon are lat/lon of New York
  nylat = 40.78
  nylon = -73.98
  # lonlat, lonlon are lat/lon of London.
  lonlat = 51.53
  lonlon = 0.08
  # find 1000 points along the great circle.
  #x,y = m.gcpoints(nylon,nylat,lonlon,lonlat,1000)
  # draw the great circle.
  #m.plot(x,y,linewidth=2)
  # drawgreatcircle performs the previous 2 steps in one call.
  m.drawgreatcircle(nylon,nylat,lonlon,lonlat,linewidth=2,color='b')
  m.drawcoastlines()
  m.fillcontinents()
  # draw parallels
  circles = arange(10,90,20)
  m.drawparallels(circles,labels=[0,1,0,0])
  # draw meridians
  meridians = arange(-180,180,30)
  m.drawmeridians(meridians,labels=[1,1,0,1])
  title('Great Circle from New York to London (Gnomonic)')
  print 'plotting Great Circle from New York to London (Gnomonic)'
  show()
  
subject: remove 'from pylab import *'