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Maps / Atlases

Table of Contents

Citing Maps

Name Description
Citing Maps Describes how to cite maps from print sources and from the web using American examples.
Citing Geospatial Data Resources Provides examples of the ways different types of geospatial data should be cited.
Guide to Citing Maps & Atlases Examples of how to cite paper and digitally produced maps are provided by McMaster University Library.

General Cartographic Resources

Name Description
Abbreviations & Acronyms A dictionary of abbreviations and acronyms in GIS, cartography, and remote sensing.
GIS Dictionary Includes definitions for 980 terms which either relate directly to GIS or which GIS users may come across in the course of their work. Supplemented by 52 diagrams.
Glossary of Cartographic Terms Reproduced from Maps for America 3rd edition.
Google Maps Locate street addresses and get satellite photos, maps, and driving directions to locations worldwide.
MapQuest Street Atlas "Pick a country and city, then type in an address to generate a map of the area. Driving directions and travel guides also available."

Distance Calculators

Name Description
Canadian Distance Guide Calculates the road distance between Canadian cities.
How Far Is It? Calculates the distance between two places (as the crow flies).
Map Scale Calculator Converts units measured on a map to true distance on the ground.
Ontario Distance Calculator Calculates road distances between various cities and towns in and around Ontario.

Local Area Maps

Name Description
Archival Air Photos of KW and Area Digitized historical air photos for the years 1930 and 1945-47 of Kitchener-Waterloo and surrounding areas are available for public viewing and downloading from this website.
Greater Toronto Area Digital Mapping Project A history of Toronto in maps from 1680 to the present. Historic maps and aerial photos on a variety of scales are included.
iMapIt Find street addresses or intersections on Toronto aerial photos. Major attractions, subway stops, etc. can be added to the maps before printing.
Region of Waterloo Locator Allows you to zoom in from regional level to an individual lot with a few clicks.
University of Waterloo Campus Data Provides links to UW campus data in a variety of data formats.

Aerial Photographs & Satellite Images

Name Description
GeoGratis This web and ftp site distributes geospatial data of Canada. Data is available for download, without charge. Vector mapping data is available in scales ranging from 1:50,000 to 1:30,000,000 in a variety of file formats. Similarly, several types of full resolution satellite imagers are on-line.
Google Earth Explore the world with this free, downloadable, satellite mapping software. High resolution images capture cities and terrain in three dimensions. Layering of buildings, transportation networks, parks, shopping malls and even gas stations and ATM machines works best in most areas of the U.S. and in major cities around the world. Trip planning and measuring distances are available options.
iMapIt Find street addresses or intersections on Toronto aerial photos. Major attractions, subway stops, etc. can be added to the maps before printing.
TerraServer A searchable database of high resolution USGS aerial imagery and topographic maps for the United States.

Historical Maps

Name Description
Antiquarian Maps Historical maps and curiosities from the Yale University map collection.
Canadian County Atlas Digital Project "Originally published between 1874 and 1881, these Ontario county atlases have been scanned to form a database of township maps along with a list of property owners. Maps searchable by county, township, or town."
Cartes Geographiques Quebec maps and plans from the Bibliotheque Nationale du Quebec.
David Rumsey Historical Map Collection "Features 7,000+ maps. Rare 18th and 19th century North and South American cartographic history materials are a special focus."
Historic Cities "Contains maps, literature, documents, books and other relevant material concerning the past, present and future of historic cities."
Historical Map Web Sites "A selection of links to historical maps worldwide compiled by the University of Texas, Austin. Includes section on Canada."
Old-Maps.Co.UK Britain's most extensive digital historical map archive. Place names are listed in a county gazetteer.

World

Name Description
Columbia Gazetteer of the World [RR]
Geology.com A growing collection of over 100 country maps paired with Landsat images.
Get-A-Map "Search for maps of all parts of the UK, at various scales, by entering a place name."
Multimap Zoom from country level to local city streets in a few clicks.
National Geographic Map Machine "In addition to generating maps by place name, this site also provides U.S census and historical maps, world thematic maps, and country facts and figures."
National Geographic Xpedition Atlas "Provides both detailed and base maps, suitable for printing, for countries worldwide."
University of Texas (Austin) Map Collection Provides links to current world maps created primarily by the CIA. Highlights maps of areas currently in the news. Provides many links to excellent associated resources.

Canada

Name Description
Atlas du Quebec Provides mapping of the province.
Atlas of Canada 200+ interactive maps plus all kinds of information about Canada. Includes a glossary of cartographic terms.
Canadian Atlas Online Explore Canada through this state of the art, interactive atlas which includes special features about the weather and Western ecozones.
Geographical Names of Canada Provides point co-ordinates and NTS map number for place names.
GeoGratis This web and ftp site distributes geospatial data of Canada. Data is available for download, without charge. Vector mapping data is available in scales ranging from 1:50,000 to 1:30,000,000 in a variety of file formats. Similarly, several types of full resolution satellite imagers are on-line.
NWT Geographic Names Database "Contains information on more than 11,000 official names for geographic features (lakes, mountains, rivers etc.) and populated places in Canada's Northwest Territories."
Official Road Map of Ontario Online Map sheets are separated into Northern Ontario and Southern Ontario and searchable by a place name index. The Southern Ontario road map has been cut into 11 map sheets designed to print on letter-size paper at a scale close to1:700000. The Northern Ontario road map has been cut into eight map sheets designed to print on legal size paper at an approximate scale of 1:1600000.
Ontario Locator "Geared to genealogists, this site helps locate 9,600+ Ontario villages, towns, land formations and cemeteries whose names and boundaries may have changed over the years."
Toporama "Offers topographic maps of Canada at both 1:50,000 and 1:250,000 scales and Landsat 7 orthoimages at 1:50,000. Search by NTS sheet number, co-ordinates, or by using the index map provided."

United States of America

Name Description
Geographic Names Information System Federally recognized physical and cultural geographic features in the U.S. are identified by State and county locations and geographic coordinates.
Geology.com A collection of 250 U.S. state maps which include a raised relief map, elevation map, rivers map, political map and roads/cities map with links to state and city satellite images.
National Atlas of the United States "An interactive site for building, viewing, and printing maps using a selection of information layers."
TopoZone "Features every USGS 1:100,000, 1:63,360, 1:25,000, and 1:24,000 scale topographic map for the entire United States."
U.S. Gazetteer Identify and view places in the U.S. with Tiger Map Server and obtain census data from the 1990 Census Lookup.

[RR]:
UW Restricted Resource