A few weeks ago I picked up a copy of Visual This at the bookstore. Overall I thought the book was great and was particularly interested in an example that used FIPS codes to create a choropleth map using a public domain map from WikiMedia.
The hardest part was creating an appropriate dataset. The map itself is an SVG image, which is nothing more than an XML formatted text file. Each county has an associated id which just happens to be its FIPS code. So if you're able to match up a piece of your data, in my case the zipcode, to a FIPS code you're almost there.
I'm pretty happy with the results. I ended up using Inkscape to tweak the SVG file before sharing it -- not represented here.
Update: Here's a link to a tutorial from the book's author. Wish I would have found it first!
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