Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Google Map Maker

How do you get online maps for cities and countries where there may not be any publicly available digital maps. Well you crowd source them.  OpenStreetMap is one such solution that allows users to freely edit and use maps of any location on the planet.

Google is now using the same idea to source maps for areas such as Pakistan, Caribbean islands, etc., using "Google Map Maker".

According to Google

Google Map Maker is a Google Maps service that allows you add or edit features, such as roads, businesses, parks, schools and more. Using Google Map Maker tools, you can visually mark locations and add detailed information about these locations. Once you have submitted content, this information may be edited by other users or moderators. At a later time, this content may be published in Google Maps for others to see and use.

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Map Maker Tools

The find to edit tools are used to query locations on the map to determine what features have already been digitized. You can then use the Add tools to add points, lines and polygons. Finally you can edit the features by adding more details.

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Cities that one can edit the maps for currently are:

  • Antigua and Barbuda
  • Bahamas
  • Barbados
  • Bermuda
  • British Virgin Islands
  • Cayman Islands
  • Cyprus
  • Grenada
  • Iceland
  • Jamaica
  • Netherlands Antilles
  • Pakistan
  • St. Kitts and Nevis
  • St. Lucia
  • St. Vincent and the Grenadines
  • Trinidad and Tobago
  • Vietnam
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