This is a minor release bringing several updates:
- Add support for Python 3.12, including removal of `distutils` use within the library and fixes for several deprecation warnings.
- Add renewed documentation, with fixes for the broken links and examples, an improved section on the installation process, and without the deprecation/sunsetting section.
- Upgrade bundled GEOS to 3.6.5.
- Adapt `basemap` source code to work with `matplotlib` 3.8.x (thanks to qianwu2 and rcomer).
- Precompiled PyPI wheels for MacOS (architectures x64 and arm64, Python 3.9+).
- Precompiled `conda-forge` packages for MacOS arm64, GNU/Linux aarch64 and GNU/Linux ppc64le.
- Optional argument `encoding_errors` for `Basemap.readshapefile` method (thanks to guziy).
- Optional argument `cachedir` for `Basemap.arcgisimage` method to allow caching of ArcGIS image downloads (thanks to JoepdeJong).
Maintenance bugfixes are also included, especially:
- Fix `_geoslib.pyx` compilation with Cython 3.0+ "legacy_implicit_noexcept" (thanks to musicinmybrain).
- Fix `_geoslib.pyx` compilation with newer compilers Clang 16 and GCC 14 (thanks to fweimer-rh).
- Upgrade the version pins for several runtime, lint, doc, setup and test requirements.
Please visit the [`CHANGELOG`] for a complete list of changes.
[`CHANGELOG`]:
https://github.com/matplotlib/basemap/tree/v1.4.0/CHANGELOG.md