diff --git a/doc/source/users/figures/geos_partial.py b/doc/source/users/figures/geos_partial.py
index c3c6ad9cf..3d4892e83 100644
--- a/doc/source/users/figures/geos_partial.py
+++ b/doc/source/users/figures/geos_partial.py
@@ -2,8 +2,9 @@
 import numpy as np
 import matplotlib as mpl
 import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
-mpl_version = tuple(map(int, mpl.__version__.split(".")))
-axkwds = {"axisbg" if mpl_version < (2,) else "facecolor": "k"}
+from packaging.version import Version
+mpl_version = Version(mpl.__version__)
+axkwds = {"axisbg" if mpl_version < Version("2") else "facecolor": "k"}
 
 fig = plt.figure()
 # global geostationary map centered on lon_0
diff --git a/doc/source/users/figures/nsper_partial.py b/doc/source/users/figures/nsper_partial.py
index 0e9762169..dc26de972 100644
--- a/doc/source/users/figures/nsper_partial.py
+++ b/doc/source/users/figures/nsper_partial.py
@@ -2,8 +2,9 @@
 import numpy as np
 import matplotlib as mpl
 import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
-mpl_version = tuple(map(int, mpl.__version__.split(".")))
-axkwds = {"axisbg" if mpl_version < (2,) else "facecolor": "k"}
+from packaging.version import Version
+mpl_version = Version(mpl.__version__)
+axkwds = {"axisbg" if mpl_version < Version("2") else "facecolor": "k"}
 
 fig = plt.figure()
 # global ortho map centered on lon_0,lat_0
diff --git a/doc/source/users/figures/ortho_partial.py b/doc/source/users/figures/ortho_partial.py
index c41656311..556bf3cd3 100644
--- a/doc/source/users/figures/ortho_partial.py
+++ b/doc/source/users/figures/ortho_partial.py
@@ -2,8 +2,9 @@
 import numpy as np
 import matplotlib as mpl
 import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
-mpl_version = tuple(map(int, mpl.__version__.split(".")))
-axkwds = {"axisbg" if mpl_version < (2,) else "facecolor": "k"}
+from packaging.version import Version
+mpl_version = Version(mpl.__version__)
+axkwds = {"axisbg" if mpl_version < Version("2") else "facecolor": "k"}
 
 fig = plt.figure()
 # global ortho map centered on lon_0,lat_0
diff --git a/src/mpl_toolkits/basemap/__init__.py b/src/mpl_toolkits/basemap/__init__.py
index 46458b95b..a9c78e987 100644
--- a/src/mpl_toolkits/basemap/__init__.py
+++ b/src/mpl_toolkits/basemap/__init__.py
@@ -43,6 +43,8 @@
 from matplotlib.transforms import Bbox
 from mpl_toolkits.axes_grid1 import make_axes_locatable
 
+from packaging.version import Version
+
 import pyproj
 import _geoslib
 from . proj import Proj
@@ -1663,8 +1665,8 @@ def drawmapboundary(self,color='k',linewidth=1.0,fill_color=None,\
         # if no fill_color given, use axes background color.
         # if fill_color is string 'none', really don't fill.
         if fill_color is None:
-            mpl_version = tuple(map(int, mpl.__version__.split(".")[:2]))
-            if mpl_version >= (2, 0):
+            mpl_version = Version(mpl.__version__)
+            if mpl_version >= Version("2.0"):
                 fill_color = ax.get_facecolor()
             else:
                 fill_color = ax.get_axis_bgcolor()
@@ -1762,8 +1764,8 @@ def fillcontinents(self,color='0.8',lake_color=None,ax=None,zorder=None,alpha=No
         # get current axes instance (if none specified).
         ax = ax or self._check_ax()
         # get axis background color.
-        mpl_version = tuple(map(int, mpl.__version__.split(".")[:2]))
-        if mpl_version >= (2, 0):
+        mpl_version = Version(mpl.__version__)
+        if mpl_version >= Version("2.0"):
             axisbgc = ax.get_facecolor()
         else:
             axisbgc = ax.get_axis_bgcolor()
diff --git a/test/mpl_toolkits/basemap/test_Basemap.py b/test/mpl_toolkits/basemap/test_Basemap.py
index f18b2c29e..9e29f2897 100644
--- a/test/mpl_toolkits/basemap/test_Basemap.py
+++ b/test/mpl_toolkits/basemap/test_Basemap.py
@@ -16,13 +16,15 @@
 from mpl_toolkits.basemap import Basemap
 from mpl_toolkits.basemap import shiftgrid
 
+from packaging.version import Version
+
 try:
     import PIL
 except ImportError:
     PIL = None
 
 
-mpl_version = tuple(map(int, mpl.__version__.split(".")[:2]))
+mpl_version = Version(mpl.__version__)
 
 
 class TestMplToolkitsBasemapBasemap(unittest.TestCase):
@@ -199,7 +201,7 @@ def _test_basemap_data_warpimage(self, method, axs=None, axslen0=10):
         img = getattr(bmap, method)(ax=axs, scale=0.1)
         self.assertIsInstance(img, AxesImage)
 
-        flag = int(mpl_version < (3, 5))
+        flag = int(mpl_version < Version("3.5"))
         axs_children = axs_obj.get_children()
         self.assertEqual(len(axs_children), axslen0 + 3)
         self.assertIsInstance(axs_children[1 - flag], Polygon)