diff --git a/.github/workflows/basemap-data-hires.yml b/.github/workflows/basemap-data-hires.yml
index a33ddb149..25b2dd395 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/basemap-data-hires.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/basemap-data-hires.yml
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ jobs:
     strategy:
       matrix:
         python-version:
-          ["2.7"]
+          ["3.5"]
       max-parallel: 1
     needs: checkout
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
@@ -68,8 +68,7 @@ jobs:
     strategy:
       matrix:
         python-version:
-          ["2.6", "2.7", "3.2", "3.3", "3.4", "3.5", "3.6", "3.7", "3.8",
-           "3.9", "3.10", "3.11", "3.12"]
+          ["3.5", "3.6", "3.7", "3.8", "3.9", "3.10", "3.11", "3.12"]
       max-parallel: 3
       fail-fast: false
     needs: build
@@ -101,7 +100,7 @@ jobs:
     strategy:
       matrix:
         python-version:
-          ["2.7"]
+          ["3.5"]
       max-parallel: 1
     if: startsWith(github.event.ref, 'refs/tags/v')
     needs: test
diff --git a/.github/workflows/basemap-data.yml b/.github/workflows/basemap-data.yml
index 629213f31..8bacb6331 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/basemap-data.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/basemap-data.yml
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ jobs:
     strategy:
       matrix:
         python-version:
-          ["2.7"]
+          ["3.5"]
       max-parallel: 1
     needs: checkout
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
@@ -68,8 +68,7 @@ jobs:
     strategy:
       matrix:
         python-version:
-          ["2.6", "2.7", "3.2", "3.3", "3.4", "3.5", "3.6", "3.7", "3.8",
-           "3.9", "3.10", "3.11", "3.12"]
+          ["3.5", "3.6", "3.7", "3.8", "3.9", "3.10", "3.11", "3.12"]
       max-parallel: 3
       fail-fast: false
     needs: build
@@ -101,7 +100,7 @@ jobs:
     strategy:
       matrix:
         python-version:
-          ["2.7"]
+          ["3.5"]
       max-parallel: 1
     if: startsWith(github.event.ref, 'refs/tags/v')
     needs: test
diff --git a/.github/workflows/basemap-for-manylinux.yml b/.github/workflows/basemap-for-manylinux.yml
index cdd577b17..9fb2c82aa 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/basemap-for-manylinux.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/basemap-for-manylinux.yml
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ jobs:
     strategy:
       matrix:
         python-version:
-          ["2.7", "3.5", "3.6", "3.7", "3.8", "3.9", "3.10", "3.11", "3.12"]
+          ["3.5", "3.6", "3.7", "3.8", "3.9", "3.10", "3.11", "3.12"]
       max-parallel: 3
       fail-fast: false
     needs: checkout
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ jobs:
         arch:
           ["x64", "x86"]
         python-version:
-          ["2.7", "3.5", "3.6", "3.7", "3.8", "3.9", "3.10", "3.11", "3.12"]
+          ["3.5", "3.6", "3.7", "3.8", "3.9", "3.10", "3.11", "3.12"]
       max-parallel: 3
       fail-fast: false
     needs: build-geos
@@ -164,8 +164,6 @@ jobs:
               x86)  arch="i686"   ;;
           esac
           case "${{ matrix.python-version }}" in
-              2.6|3.[23])      pkgvers=1.11.3; tag=manylinux1 ;;
-              2.7|3.[456789])  pkgvers=1.16.6; tag=manylinux1 ;;
               3.10)            pkgvers=1.21.4; tag=manylinux1 ;;
               3.11)            pkgvers=1.23.3; tag=manylinux_2_17 ;;
               *)               pkgvers=1.26.1; tag=manylinux_2_28 ;;
@@ -213,7 +211,7 @@ jobs:
         arch:
           ["x64", "x86"]
         python-version:
-          ["2.7", "3.5", "3.6", "3.7", "3.8", "3.9", "3.10", "3.11", "3.12"]
+          ["3.5", "3.6", "3.7", "3.8", "3.9", "3.10", "3.11", "3.12"]
       max-parallel: 3
       fail-fast: false
     needs: build
@@ -258,7 +256,7 @@ jobs:
         arch:
           ["x64", "x86"]
         python-version:
-          ["2.7", "3.5", "3.6", "3.7", "3.8", "3.9", "3.10", "3.11", "3.12"]
+          ["3.5", "3.6", "3.7", "3.8", "3.9", "3.10", "3.11", "3.12"]
         exclude:
           # Missing precompiled binaries for `numpy`, `matplotlib`,
           # `pyproj`, `pillow` and `lxml`.
@@ -413,7 +411,7 @@ jobs:
         arch:
           ["x64", "x86"]
         python-version:
-          ["2.7", "3.5", "3.6", "3.7", "3.8", "3.9", "3.10", "3.11", "3.12"]
+          ["3.5", "3.6", "3.7", "3.8", "3.9", "3.10", "3.11", "3.12"]
       max-parallel: 1
     if: startsWith(github.event.ref, 'refs/tags/v')
     needs: test
diff --git a/.github/workflows/basemap-for-windows.yml b/.github/workflows/basemap-for-windows.yml
index 92eb337fc..4b35b8020 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/basemap-for-windows.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/basemap-for-windows.yml
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ jobs:
     strategy:
       matrix:
         python-version:
-          ["2.7", "3.5", "3.6", "3.7", "3.8", "3.9", "3.10", "3.11", "3.12"]
+          ["3.5", "3.6", "3.7", "3.8", "3.9", "3.10", "3.11", "3.12"]
       max-parallel: 3
       fail-fast: false
     needs: checkout
@@ -96,10 +96,8 @@ jobs:
         arch:
           ["x64", "x86"]
         msvc-toolset:
-          ["9.0", "14.0"]
+          ["14.0"]
         include:
-          - msvc-toolset: "9.0"
-            python-version: "2.7"
           - msvc-toolset: "14.0"
             python-version: "3.5"
       max-parallel: 4
@@ -148,7 +146,7 @@ jobs:
         arch:
           ["x64", "x86"]
         python-version:
-          ["2.7", "3.5", "3.6", "3.7", "3.8", "3.9", "3.10", "3.11", "3.12"]
+          ["3.5", "3.6", "3.7", "3.8", "3.9", "3.10", "3.11", "3.12"]
       max-parallel: 3
       fail-fast: false
     needs: build-geos
@@ -174,8 +172,6 @@ jobs:
         name: Build old numpy from source
         run: |
           Switch -regex ("${{ matrix.python-version }}") {
-              "^2\.6|3\.[123]$"     { Set-Variable -Name "pkgvers" -Value "1.11.3" }
-              "^2\.7|3\.[456789]$"  { Set-Variable -Name "pkgvers" -Value "1.16.6" }
               "^3\.10$"             { Set-Variable -Name "pkgvers" -Value "1.21.4" }
               "^3\.11$"             { Set-Variable -Name "pkgvers" -Value "1.23.3" }
               default               { Set-Variable -Name "pkgvers" -Value "1.26.1" }
@@ -185,11 +181,7 @@ jobs:
       -
         name: Set MSVC toolset version
         run: |
-          if ("${{ matrix.python-version }}" -eq "2.7") {
-              echo "msvc-toolset=9.0" >> $env:GITHUB_ENV
-          } else {
-              echo "msvc-toolset=14.0" >> $env:GITHUB_ENV
-          }
+            echo "msvc-toolset=14.0" >> $env:GITHUB_ENV
       -
         name: Set MSVC toolset
         uses: pylegacy/actions/setup-msvc@v2
@@ -223,7 +215,7 @@ jobs:
         arch:
           ["x64", "x86"]
         python-version:
-          ["2.7", "3.5", "3.6", "3.7", "3.8", "3.9", "3.10", "3.11", "3.12"]
+          ["3.5", "3.6", "3.7", "3.8", "3.9", "3.10", "3.11", "3.12"]
         exclude:
           # Missing precompiled binaries for `numpy` and `matplotlib`.
           - arch: "x86"
@@ -286,7 +278,7 @@ jobs:
         arch:
           ["x64", "x86"]
         python-version:
-          ["2.7", "3.5", "3.6", "3.7", "3.8", "3.9", "3.10", "3.11", "3.12"]
+          ["3.5", "3.6", "3.7", "3.8", "3.9", "3.10", "3.11", "3.12"]
       max-parallel: 1
     if: startsWith(github.event.ref, 'refs/tags/v')
     needs: test
diff --git a/packages/basemap/setup.py b/packages/basemap/setup.py
index 4c98a8776..b48d04224 100644
--- a/packages/basemap/setup.py
+++ b/packages/basemap/setup.py
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
 import glob
 import warnings
 from setuptools import setup
-from setuptools import find_packages
+from setuptools import find_namespace_packages
 from setuptools.command.sdist import sdist
 from setuptools.extension import Extension
 
@@ -224,13 +224,10 @@ def run(self):
         "maps",
         "plots",
     ],
-    "namespace_packages": [
-        "mpl_toolkits",
-    ],
     "package_dir":
         {"": "src"},
     "packages":
-        find_packages(where="src"),
+        find_namespace_packages(where="src"),
     "ext_modules":
         ext_modules,
     "data_files":
diff --git a/packages/basemap/src/mpl_toolkits/__init__.py b/packages/basemap/src/mpl_toolkits/__init__.py
deleted file mode 100644
index b5cd40f18..000000000
--- a/packages/basemap/src/mpl_toolkits/__init__.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,6 +0,0 @@
-from __future__ import (absolute_import, division, print_function)
-
-try:
-    __import__('pkg_resources').declare_namespace(__name__)
-except ImportError:
-    pass # must not have setuptools
diff --git a/packages/basemap_data/setup.py b/packages/basemap_data/setup.py
index 2d8e4e620..dc50f9040 100644
--- a/packages/basemap_data/setup.py
+++ b/packages/basemap_data/setup.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 import os
 import itertools
 from setuptools import setup
-from setuptools import find_packages
+from setuptools import find_namespace_packages
 
 
 def get_content(name, splitlines=False):
@@ -108,13 +108,10 @@ def get_content(name, splitlines=False):
         "maps",
         "plots",
     ],
-    "namespace_packages": [
-        "mpl_toolkits.basemap_data",
-    ],
     "package_dir":
         {"": "src"},
     "packages":
-        find_packages(where="src"),
+        find_namespace_packages(where="src"),
     "package_data": {
         "mpl_toolkits.basemap_data":
             data_files,
diff --git a/packages/basemap_data/src/mpl_toolkits/__init__.py b/packages/basemap_data/src/mpl_toolkits/__init__.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 02de4115d..000000000
--- a/packages/basemap_data/src/mpl_toolkits/__init__.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,4 +0,0 @@
-try:
-    __import__('pkg_resources').declare_namespace(__name__)
-except ImportError:
-    pass  # must not have setuptools
diff --git a/packages/basemap_data/src/mpl_toolkits/basemap_data/__init__.py b/packages/basemap_data/src/mpl_toolkits/basemap_data/__init__.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 02de4115d..000000000
--- a/packages/basemap_data/src/mpl_toolkits/basemap_data/__init__.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,4 +0,0 @@
-try:
-    __import__('pkg_resources').declare_namespace(__name__)
-except ImportError:
-    pass  # must not have setuptools
diff --git a/packages/basemap_data_hires/setup.py b/packages/basemap_data_hires/setup.py
index 7dbe83cf6..a841bf1d4 100644
--- a/packages/basemap_data_hires/setup.py
+++ b/packages/basemap_data_hires/setup.py
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 import os
 import itertools
 from setuptools import setup
-from setuptools import find_packages
+from setuptools import find_namespace_packages
 
 
 def get_content(name, splitlines=False):
@@ -86,13 +86,10 @@ def get_content(name, splitlines=False):
         "maps",
         "plots",
     ],
-    "namespace_packages": [
-        "mpl_toolkits.basemap_data",
-    ],
     "package_dir":
         {"": "src"},
     "packages":
-        find_packages(where="src"),
+        find_namespace_packages(where="src"),
     "package_data": {
         "mpl_toolkits.basemap_data":
             data_files,
diff --git a/packages/basemap_data_hires/src/mpl_toolkits/__init__.py b/packages/basemap_data_hires/src/mpl_toolkits/__init__.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 02de4115d..000000000
--- a/packages/basemap_data_hires/src/mpl_toolkits/__init__.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,4 +0,0 @@
-try:
-    __import__('pkg_resources').declare_namespace(__name__)
-except ImportError:
-    pass  # must not have setuptools
diff --git a/packages/basemap_data_hires/src/mpl_toolkits/basemap_data/__init__.py b/packages/basemap_data_hires/src/mpl_toolkits/basemap_data/__init__.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 02de4115d..000000000
--- a/packages/basemap_data_hires/src/mpl_toolkits/basemap_data/__init__.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,4 +0,0 @@
-try:
-    __import__('pkg_resources').declare_namespace(__name__)
-except ImportError:
-    pass  # must not have setuptools