Looking for data sets featuring Newfoundland and Labrador? Then you should check out the Newfoundland and Labrador OpenData. They are providing data in various accessible formats numerical tabular styled files as well as common text formats.
Photographic studies of coral reefs are being stitched together, piece by piece, using a 3D technology called photogrammetry.
A History of Canada in 10 Maps: Epic Stories of Charting a Mysterious Land, by Adam Shoalts
If you have been following our OpenStreetMap topic over the past few months then I am sure you have come to the realize that it is a community driven project and that anyone can edit OpenStreetMaps. But where does one start?
Below are some resource documents to help you get started using OpenStreetMap created by LearnOSM. These documents provide easy to understand, step-by-step guides that will explain how you can start contributing to OpenStreetMap and using OpenStreetMap data in your projects.
The beginner guide provides step by step instructions to help users get started with OpenStreetMap. It teaches how to create a free account, how to use the map editing tools, and how to collect information to create custom maps with.
The openstreetmap Intermediate Guide concentrates more on the details of editing and validating as well as shortcuts and ways that people can contribute to the openstreetmap community.
The openstreetmap Advanced Guide is intended for users who have some experience with openstreetmap and have already covered the topics found in the Beginner and Intermediate guides.
Have you ever thought where you would end up if you drilled a tunnel through the center of the Earth and climbed out the other side? Well that location is considered an antipodal point. The antipodes of any place on a globe is the point on the surface which is diametrically opposite to it. Two points that are antipodal to each other are connected by a straight line connecting through the center.
Mathematically, the geographical coordinates of an antipodal point can be calculate as: the latitude of the place you want to find the antipodes must be converted to the opposite hemisphere (eg: 45° North will be 45° South or -45°); the longitude of the place you want to find the antipodes must be subtracted from 180° and the result will be converted to opposite hemisphere (eg: 25° West will be 180° – 25° = 155° East or -155°).
The majority of locations on land do not have land-based antipodes.
In 2013 I wrote an article for GoGeomatics magazine about an interactive maps that revealed what the Antipodes for any given location was. It has turned out to be one of the busiest articles in the magazine, attracting a lot of attention, perhaps because many geomatics people have not taken many geography courses.
The site that I was referencing to in the article seemed to have disappeared some time last winter, therefore no one could use the interactive antipodes calculator. Well now the site is once again active and people can once again learn a little bit of geography in a funny and simple way.
So check out http://www.antipodesmap.com to have a little fun exploring their interactive antipode calculator map.
Recently at a yard sale, we discovered this simple book for kids that teaches them about the Art of Mapping called “Maps and Mapping for Canadian Kids” and thought we would include it in our Geo-Books section for others to discover and use when they are trying to introduce kids to maps.
Children can learn to read, understand and create maps using this easy to follow Scholastic book by Laura Peetoom & Paul Heersink.
Maps and Mapping for Canadian Kids helps introduce children to the basic elements used when reading a map including map scale, symbols, and colours. It makes use of vibrant colors, simple diagrams, and various pictures to help children easily understand the process of creating and reading maps.
It shows them how maps are made, how they work and teaches them how to read maps including basic principles of navigation and how early explorers were able to chart the world, and Canada in particular.
The book then goes beyond the basic elements of maps providing some deeper aspects of cartography such as the minimum amount of colors to use when creating a map to the meaning of contour lines on topographic maps. It also includes a special section about explorer David Thompson highlighting some of his achievements as a great Canadian cartographer. This is a really great resource to use when introducing your children to what maps are, and how to create one.
Click here to order yourself a copy of Maps and Mapping for Canadian Kids
“maps are inspiring: there’s nothing like reading a map that makes you want to get out and explore!” (p. 2)
A map is a picture of a place, but not like a painting or a photograph, which shows us what a place looks like. A map is a picture of information about a place. (p. 4)
The earliest known maps of Canada were drawn by seafaring explorers from Europe. Our whole continent was a surprise to them. When they found it, they were looking for something else – an easy passage to India and China.
So early maps of North America highlight information useful to readers looking for a way through: the shape of coastlines, the location of waterways and how far they travelled into the land. (p. 14)
The word “map” comes from the Latin word ‘mappa,’ meaning cloth. In earlier times, maps were drawn on animal skin or cloth. “Cartography” was borrowed from French: ‘cartographie’ means “map drawing.” (p. 16)
“Spatial thinking involves understanding the relationships between objects based on location and learning the importance of answering the question “where” to understand “why” things occur. GIS technology helps develop spatial thinking by enabling people to visualize information as maps and see patterns and trends from within the data. To help bring spatial skills to children in K-12 schools across Canada, Esri Canada invites professional GIS users, educators and university and college students to volunteer their skills and knowledge through the Program.” [Esri Canada]
Esri Canada’s GIS Ambassador program was designed to inspire geospatial minded people to work together with educators and youth organizations to help them better encourage young people to understand, use and do more with geographic information.
As of April 2016, more than 930 schools have registered into the GIS Ambassador program and more than 125 volunteers have signed up to become GIS Ambassadors (including Esri Canada staff, university & college students, geospatial professionals and many more) – see the map below …
Who can become a GIS Ambassador?
Anyone who recognizes the significance of geography and has an interest in helping young people can join. As a GIS Ambassador you volunteer to work with a school, classroom or a club / organization and provide support that can help educators and youth develop geographic thinking skills.
The program is always looking for new people, so consider volunteering some of your time to help engage the next generation of GIS specialists allowing them to develop a deeper understanding of the world around them. For more details visit http://esri.ca/en/content/gis-ambassador-program or contact k12@esri.ca
Get involved in your community by supporting schools and local youth groups as they explore their world using GIS.
Recently adults all over the world have suddenly started to go crazy over coloring books. This coloring book fad started a few years back, when “Secret Garden – An Inky Treasure Hunt and Coloring Book” by Scottish illustrator Johanna Basford was published in 2013.
These days, you will find adult themed coloring books almost everywhere and featuring a wide range of themes from Harry Potter to Star Wars.
Now Gretchen Peterson, a well known author in the cartography world has brought this latest craze to the geospatial community. Coloring maps can be very relaxing, especially when it is for fun and you do not have to worry about the end product.
So there was this one time when I said Why are there no map coloring books? And everyone was like Yeah why not?!
— Gretchen Peterson (@PetersonGIS) March 25, 2016
Preview of some of the pages in the City Maps coloring book for adults
“City Maps: A coloring book for adults” includes over 44 black and white maps from all over the world (from Paris to New York City …) , just waiting to be customized with your own cartographic color combinations. Anyone can color these real world maps any way they want! A great book to add to your growing cartography library …
“City Maps: A coloring book for adults” will become available April 1 2016, but is available to pre-order here …
http://candiangeo.info/City-Maps-coloring-book-for-adults
Maps that show How Important Canada is7 Maps that show how important Canada is [source: Business Insider CandianGEO.info/1XWPndh]
Canada is one of the top energy producers in the world. Our country is simply huge, with a sprawling vast wilderness landscape. This video will show you how truly expansive Canada is with 7 maps …
Recently we purchased some old maps at a yard sale, and one of the old map books contained a tattered map featuring the Fortress of Louisbourg that we scanned, cleaned up in photo-shop and then reproduced. While searching for the date and source of our map print we also noticed that there have been several old Fortress of Louisbourg maps created and have included a few the links here to share with others …
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