Plot squares with pyplot

plot_squares_two_layers.py

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt


bbox = {
    'n': 52.4311573,
    's': 52.3182742,
    'e': 5.0683726,
    'w': 4.7288558,
}
gh_boxes = [{'s': 52.294921875, 'e': 5.09765625, 'w': 5.0537109375, 'n': 52.3388671875}, {'s': 52.294921875, 'e': 5.0537109375, 'w': 5.009765625, 'n': 52.3388671875}, {'s': 52.294921875, 'e': 5.009765625, 'w': 4.9658203125, 'n': 52.3388671875}, {'s': 52.294921875, 'e': 4.9658203125, 'w': 4.921875, 'n': 52.3388671875}, {'s': 52.294921875, 'e': 4.921875, 'w': 4.8779296875, 'n': 52.3388671875}, {'s': 52.294921875, 'e': 4.8779296875, 'w': 4.833984375, 'n': 52.3388671875}, {'s': 52.294921875, 'e': 4.833984375, 'w': 4.7900390625, 'n': 52.3388671875}, {'s': 52.294921875, 'e': 4.7900390625, 'w': 4.74609375, 'n': 52.3388671875}, {'s': 52.294921875, 'e': 4.74609375, 'w': 4.7021484375, 'n': 52.3388671875}, {'s': 52.3388671875, 'e': 5.09765625, 'w': 5.0537109375, 'n': 52.3828125}, {'s': 52.3388671875, 'e': 5.0537109375, 'w': 5.009765625, 'n': 52.3828125}, {'s': 52.3388671875, 'e': 5.009765625, 'w': 4.9658203125, 'n': 52.3828125}, {'s': 52.3388671875, 'e': 4.9658203125, 'w': 4.921875, 'n': 52.3828125}, {'s': 52.3388671875, 'e': 4.921875, 'w': 4.8779296875, 'n': 52.3828125}, {'s': 52.3388671875, 'e': 4.8779296875, 'w': 4.833984375, 'n': 52.3828125}, {'s': 52.3388671875, 'e': 4.833984375, 'w': 4.7900390625, 'n': 52.3828125}, {'s': 52.3388671875, 'e': 4.7900390625, 'w': 4.74609375, 'n': 52.3828125}, {'s': 52.3388671875, 'e': 4.74609375, 'w': 4.7021484375, 'n': 52.3828125}, {'s': 52.3828125, 'e': 5.09765625, 'w': 5.0537109375, 'n': 52.4267578125}, {'s': 52.3828125, 'e': 5.0537109375, 'w': 5.009765625, 'n': 52.4267578125}, {'s': 52.3828125, 'e': 5.009765625, 'w': 4.9658203125, 'n': 52.4267578125}, {'s': 52.3828125, 'e': 4.9658203125, 'w': 4.921875, 'n': 52.4267578125}, {'s': 52.3828125, 'e': 4.921875, 'w': 4.8779296875, 'n': 52.4267578125}, {'s': 52.3828125, 'e': 4.8779296875, 'w': 4.833984375, 'n': 52.4267578125}, {'s': 52.3828125, 'e': 4.833984375, 'w': 4.7900390625, 'n': 52.4267578125}, {'s': 52.3828125, 'e': 4.7900390625, 'w': 4.74609375, 'n': 52.4267578125}, {'s': 52.3828125, 'e': 4.74609375, 'w': 4.7021484375, 'n': 52.4267578125}, {'s': 52.4267578125, 'e': 5.09765625, 'w': 5.0537109375, 'n': 52.470703125}, {'s': 52.4267578125, 'e': 5.0537109375, 'w': 5.009765625, 'n': 52.470703125}, {'s': 52.4267578125, 'e': 5.009765625, 'w': 4.9658203125, 'n': 52.470703125}, {'s': 52.4267578125, 'e': 4.9658203125, 'w': 4.921875, 'n': 52.470703125}, {'s': 52.4267578125, 'e': 4.921875, 'w': 4.8779296875, 'n': 52.470703125}, {'s': 52.4267578125, 'e': 4.8779296875, 'w': 4.833984375, 'n': 52.470703125}, {'s': 52.4267578125, 'e': 4.833984375, 'w': 4.7900390625, 'n': 52.470703125}, {'s': 52.4267578125, 'e': 4.7900390625, 'w': 4.74609375, 'n': 52.470703125}, {'s': 52.4267578125, 'e': 4.74609375, 'w': 4.7021484375, 'n': 52.470703125}]


def bbox_to_rectangle(bbox, color='g', transparency=None, z=0, fill=False):
    '''
    As  matplotlib.patches.Rectangle draws a rectangle with
    lower left at xy = (x, y) with specified width and height,
    We have to specify lower left and width/height.
    '''
    # We have Norht-South as y and West-East as x
    south_west = (bbox['w'], bbox['s'])
    width = bbox['e'] - bbox['w']
    height = bbox['n'] - bbox['s']
    return plt.Rectangle(
        south_west, width, height,
        fc=color,
        alpha=transparency,
        zorder=z,
        fill=fill
    )

plt.axes()
# Put basic rectangle (area to fill).
rectangle = bbox_to_rectangle(bbox, fill=True)
plt.gca().add_patch(rectangle)
# Put those rectangles we fill with.
for box in gh_boxes:
    rect = bbox_to_rectangle(box, z=1, color='r', fill=True, transparency=0.5)
    plt.gca().add_patch(rect)

plt.axis('scaled')
plt.show()

bbox is a randomly selected area on the surface of the earth (small enough to treat earth as flat one)
gh_boxes are generated by my script (based on https://code.google.com/p/python-geohash/wiki/GeohashReference and https://github.com/davidmoten/geo)