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 import matplotlib
 matplotlib.use('Agg')
 from mpl_toolkits.basemap import Basemap
 import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
 from numpy import array
 x_min = 10 ; x_max = 21.
 y_min = -20. ; y_max = -10.
 lon_box = array ( [x_min, x_min, x_max, x_max, x_min])
 lat_box = array ( [y_min, y_max, y_max, y_min, y_min])
 # this example shows how to save a map background and
 # reuse it in another figure.
 
 # make sure we have all the same properties on all figs
 figprops = dict(figsize=(8,6), dpi=100, facecolor='white')
 
 # generate the first figure.
 fig1 = plt.figure(1,**figprops)
 ax1 = fig1.add_axes([0.1,0.1,.8,.8])
 # create basemap instance, plot coastlines.
 map = Basemap(projection='moll',lon_0=0)
 map.drawcoastlines()
 #map.drawmapboundary(fill_color='aqua')
 map.fillcontinents(color='coral',lake_color='aqua')
 ax3 = fig1.add_axes([0.1,0.75,0.25,0.25])
 m2 = Basemap(projection='ortho',lon_0=6,lat_0=-12,ax=ax3)
 (x,y) = m2 (lon_box, lat_box)
 #m2.drawmapboundary(fill_color='#33339F')
 m2.drawcoastlines(linewidth=0.1)
 m2.fillcontinents(color='chocolate',lake_color='#33339F')
 m2.plot ( x, y, '-r', lw=2)
 fig1.canvas.draw()
 background = fig1.canvas.copy_from_bbox(fig1.bbox)
 fig1.savefig('figure1.png', dpi=100)
 
 
 # generate the second figure, re-using the background
 # from figure 1.
 for i in xrange(5):
 	fig2 = plt.figure(2,frameon=False,**figprops)
 	ax2 = fig2.add_subplot(111, frameon=False, xticks=[], yticks=[])
 	#ax2 = fig2.add_axes ([0.1, 0.1, 0.8, 0.8])
 	# restore previous background.
 	fig2.canvas.restore_region(background)
 	# draw parallels and meridians on existing background.
 	map.drawparallels(range(-90,90,30))
 	map.drawmeridians(range(-180,180,60))
 	fig2.savefig('figure%d.png'%(i+2), dpi=100)