old_contents: import matplotlib
  from matplotlib.toolkits.basemap import Basemap
  from pylab import *
  
  m = Basemap(-11.,51.,-5.,56.,
              resolution='c',area_thresh=1000.,projection='cyl')
  xsize = rcParams['figure.figsize'][0]
  fig=figure(figsize=(xsize,m.aspect*xsize))
  fig.add_axes([0.1,0.1,0.8,0.8])
  ax = gca() # get current axis instance
  ax.update_datalim(((m.llcrnrx, m.llcrnry),(m.urcrnrx,m.urcrnry)))
  ax.set_xlim((m.llcrnrx, m.urcrnrx))
  ax.set_ylim((m.llcrnry, m.urcrnry))
  m.drawcoastlines(ax)
  m.fillcontinents(ax)
  # draw parallels
  circles = arange(50,60,1).tolist()
  m.drawparallels(ax,circles,labels=[1,1,1,1])
  # draw meridians
  meridians = arange(-12,0,1)
  m.drawmeridians(ax,meridians,labels=[1,1,1,1])
  title("Crude Res Coastlines ('c')",y=1.075)
  show()
  
  m = Basemap(-11.,51.,-5.,56.,
              resolution='l',area_thresh=1000.,projection='cyl')
  xsize = rcParams['figure.figsize'][0]
  fig=figure(figsize=(xsize,m.aspect*xsize))
  fig.add_axes([0.1,0.1,0.8,0.8])
  ax = gca() # get current axis instance
  ax.update_datalim(((m.llcrnrx, m.llcrnry),(m.urcrnrx,m.urcrnry)))
  ax.set_xlim((m.llcrnrx, m.urcrnrx))
  ax.set_ylim((m.llcrnry, m.urcrnry))
  m.drawcoastlines(ax)
  m.fillcontinents(ax)
  # draw parallels
  m.drawparallels(ax,circles,labels=[1,1,1,1])
  # draw meridians
  m.drawmeridians(ax,meridians,labels=[1,1,1,1])
  title("Low Res Coastlines ('l')",y=1.075)
  show()
  
  m = Basemap(-11.,51.,-5.,56.,
              resolution='i',area_thresh=1000.,projection='cyl')
  xsize = rcParams['figure.figsize'][0]
  fig=figure(figsize=(xsize,m.aspect*xsize))
  fig.add_axes([0.1,0.1,0.8,0.8])
  ax = gca() # get current axis instance
  ax.update_datalim(((m.llcrnrx, m.llcrnry),(m.urcrnrx,m.urcrnry)))
  ax.set_xlim((m.llcrnrx, m.urcrnrx))
  ax.set_ylim((m.llcrnry, m.urcrnry))
  m.drawcoastlines(ax)
  m.fillcontinents(ax)
  # draw parallels
  m.drawparallels(ax,circles,labels=[1,1,1,1])
  # draw meridians
  m.drawmeridians(ax,meridians,labels=[1,1,1,1])
  title("Intermediate Res Coastlines ('i')",y=1.075)
  show()
  
new_contents: import matplotlib
  from matplotlib.toolkits.basemap import Basemap
  from pylab import *
  
  m = Basemap(-11.,51.,-5.,56.,
              resolution='c',area_thresh=1000.,projection='cyl')
  xsize = rcParams['figure.figsize'][0]
  fig=figure(figsize=(xsize,m.aspect*xsize))
  fig.add_axes([0.1,0.1,0.8,0.8])
  ax = gca() # get current axis instance
  ax.update_datalim(((m.llcrnrx, m.llcrnry),(m.urcrnrx,m.urcrnry)))
  ax.set_xlim((m.llcrnrx, m.urcrnrx))
  ax.set_ylim((m.llcrnry, m.urcrnry))
  m.drawcoastlines()
  m.fillcontinents()
  # draw parallels
  circles = arange(50,60,1).tolist()
  m.drawparallels(circles,labels=[1,1,1,1])
  # draw meridians
  meridians = arange(-12,0,1)
  m.drawmeridians(meridians,labels=[1,1,1,1])
  title("Crude Res Coastlines ('c')",y=1.075)
  show()
  
  m = Basemap(-11.,51.,-5.,56.,
              resolution='l',area_thresh=1000.,projection='cyl')
  xsize = rcParams['figure.figsize'][0]
  fig=figure(figsize=(xsize,m.aspect*xsize))
  fig.add_axes([0.1,0.1,0.8,0.8])
  ax = gca() # get current axis instance
  ax.update_datalim(((m.llcrnrx, m.llcrnry),(m.urcrnrx,m.urcrnry)))
  ax.set_xlim((m.llcrnrx, m.urcrnrx))
  ax.set_ylim((m.llcrnry, m.urcrnry))
  m.drawcoastlines()
  m.fillcontinents()
  # draw parallels
  m.drawparallels(circles,labels=[1,1,1,1])
  # draw meridians
  m.drawmeridians(meridians,labels=[1,1,1,1])
  title("Low Res Coastlines ('l')",y=1.075)
  show()
  
  m = Basemap(-11.,51.,-5.,56.,
              resolution='i',area_thresh=1000.,projection='cyl')
  xsize = rcParams['figure.figsize'][0]
  fig=figure(figsize=(xsize,m.aspect*xsize))
  fig.add_axes([0.1,0.1,0.8,0.8])
  ax = gca() # get current axis instance
  ax.update_datalim(((m.llcrnrx, m.llcrnry),(m.urcrnrx,m.urcrnry)))
  ax.set_xlim((m.llcrnrx, m.urcrnrx))
  ax.set_ylim((m.llcrnry, m.urcrnry))
  m.drawcoastlines()
  m.fillcontinents()
  # draw parallels
  m.drawparallels(circles,labels=[1,1,1,1])
  # draw meridians
  m.drawmeridians(meridians,labels=[1,1,1,1])
  title("Intermediate Res Coastlines ('i')",y=1.075)
  show()
  
subject: update for 0.3