I am successfully able to use map.readshapefile('square', 'dir', drawbounds=True, linewidth=1.5, color='k') to read shape files in. However, I'm having trouble filling them with colors. Filling built-in shapes is quite easy, simply "fill_color=" in the argument. This doesn't seem to work for custom shapes imported via readshapefile. Is there a different syntax? Is this possible at all?
EDIT:
m = Basemap(projection='merc',
llcrnrlat = 37.807788,
llcrnrlon = -79.654973,
urcrnrlat = 39.8277290,
urcrnrlon = -74.864372,
resolution = 'c')
m.readshapefile('square', 'dir', drawbounds=True, linewidth=1.5, color='k')