Mapping Hacks

Geocode a U.S. Street Address #79

Chapter 7, Names and Places

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HACK

Otherwise, map offerings are mostly conventional, paper-based carto-

graphic products. Chile and Argentina both offer proprietary digital GIS

packages at high cost.

UNESCO maintains an excellent current index of world mapping agencies,

with web sites and contact email addresses where available, and phone and

street address in most cases (see http://whc.unesco.org/map-agencies.htm).

If you’re in Africa. National mapping coverage of Africa is patchy. Though

most countries have a geological survey or government cartographical body,

many in Sub-Saharan Africa don’t have an online presence at all. Most data

is to be found in the hands of uncoordinated relief agencies and NGOs.

South Africa runs a modern, commercial national mapping agency with

DEM, with topographic data for sale, and looks best positioned to lead

intracontinental efforts. Try the UNESCO list (http://whc.unesco.org/map-

agencies.htm) to obtain national mapping agency contact information.

Another tantalizing possibility has arisen with the availabil-

ity of one-meter resolution commercial satellite imagery,

such as those available from the IKONOS satellite. Although

the images themselves cannot be redistributed, the license

that comes with their purchase usually explicitly permits the

redistribution of new derivative works, such as vector layers

of road and rail networks ...