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Maps

Contents

Mapping Concepts
Primary U.S. Mapping Agencies
Maps & Map Resources
General Historical Collections
Topographic, Nautical, Aeronautical
Foreign Maps
Soil and Agriculture
Geology and Mining
Natural Disasters
Population and Health
Land and Natural Resources
Climate and Environment
Aerial and Satellite Imagery
Gazetteers
Geospatial Data
Don't know where to start? Try:

USA.gov: Maps
GeoData.gov
National Atlas of the United States
The National Map
Guide to UM Libraries' Map Collection

Mapping Concepts

Map Scales
Describes the concept of scale and lists the scales used by the USGS.
Map Projections
Summarizes and describes the advantages and disadvantages of frequently used map projections.
Overview of USGS Topographic Maps
Describes the production, use, and history of USGS topographic maps.
USGS Topographic Map Symbols
Depicts and describes symbols used on USGS topographic maps.
Nautical Chart Symbols
Depicts and explains elements, symbols and abbreviations used on NOAA and NGA charts.
Land Survey Concepts
Glossary of survey concepts from the Bureau of Land Management.

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Primary U.S. Mapping Agencies

Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Board on Geographic Names (BGN)
Bureau of Land Managment (BLM)
Census Bureau
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
Environment Protection Agency (EPA)
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Forest Service (USFS)
Geological Survey (USGS)
National Aeronautical and Space Administration (NASA)
National Geodetic Survey (NGS)
National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC)
National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA)
National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
National Park Service (NPS)
National Weather Service (NWS)

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Maps & Map Resources

General Historical Collections

Congressional Serial Set Maps UM Only
Digital collection of 56,000 U.S. Government maps dating from the early 1800's. Subjects include: public land surveys, exploration and territorial expansion, Indian affairs, hydrography and navigation, fisheries and agriculture, geology and hydrology, population and demographics, weather and climate, foreign and military affairs, boundary and land claims, and urban development. (LexisNexis Congressional)
American Memory Map Collections
Historical maps from the Library of Congress Geography & Map Division.
National Archives and Records Administration--Cartographic and Architectural Records
A guide to the 15,000,000 maps, charts, aerial photographs held in the National Archives.
Office of Coast Survey's Historical Maps and Charts
20,000 nautical charts, hydrographic surveys, and topographic maps dating from the late 1700s.

Topographic, Nautical, Aeronautical

USGS Topographic Map Indexes
Graphical indexes to major USGS topographic map series. (Map Link)
USGS Map Locator
Find, view and purchase print or GeoPDF versions of contemporary USGS topographic maps.
Coastal Topo Maps ("T-Sheets")
U.S. Coast Survey collection of 1,887 topographic maps dating from 1834-1911. (University of Alabama)
Historical USGS Topographic Maps
High-resolution scans of late 19th and early 20th-Century topographic maps of the Eastern U.S. (Maptech.com)
Nautical Charts and Publications
Paper and electronic nautical charts of the U.S. coasts published by the U.S. Office of Coast Survey.
Historical Navigation Charts
19th Century navigation charts from the U.S. Coast & Geodetic Survey. (University of Alabama)
Inland Waterway Charts
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers charts covering most of the 8,200 miles of rivers in the U.S. Inland River System.
Pilot Charts
Five-volume atlas helps navigators select routes with regards to the expected weather and ocean conditions.
Aeronautical Charts
Catalogs to aeronautical charts published by the FAA and NGA.

Foreign Maps

Central Intelligence Agency
Reference maps of countries and regions around the world.
Army Map Service Topographic Maps
Mid-20th Century topo maps of select countries and regions worldwide. (University of Texas)

Soil and Agriculture

USDA Census of Agriculture Atlas
Digital map files based on statistical data from the 2007 USDA Census of Agriculture.
ERS Mapping and Spatial Data Center
Static and interactive maps from the USDA's Economic Research Service.
USDA Soil Surveys
Complete inventory of published USDA soil surveys. Includes links to digitized editions.
Web Soil Survey
Interactive mapping tool providing access to authoritative USDA soil information for more than 95% of U.S. counties.
Historical U.S. Soil Surveys
Pre-1950 soil survey maps. (University of Alabama)

Geology and Mining

National Geologic Map Database
Bibliographic citations for more than 80,000 maps and publications related to geology, geophysics, and other earth sciences. Includes links to some online publications.
USGS Publications Warehouse
Bibliographic citations for 70,000 scientific publications published by the USGS since 1881. Includes links to some online publications.
Geologic Atlas of the United States
Geologic and topographic maps published by the USGS from 1894-1945. (Texas A&M University)
National Mine Map Repository
Repository of surface and underground mine maps from the 1850s to the present.

Natural Disasters

Natural Hazards Gateway
Maps and information about earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, landslides, tsunamis, volcanoes, and wildfires.
Seismic Hazards
Static and interactive maps from the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program.
Wildfires
Static and interactive maps from the National Interagency Fire Center.
FEMA Map Service Center
Print and interactive flood, disaster, and hurricane maps published by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Population and Health

American Fact Finder
Interactive tool for mapping demographic data from the U.S. Census Bureau's Decennial Censuses and American Community Surveys.
Census Bureau Map Products
Maps and cartographic products produced by the Census Bureau.
Census Atlas of the United States
Nearly 800 maps of U.S. demographic characteristics, from language and ancestry to housing patterns and education levels.
Mapping Census 2000: The Geography of U.S. Diversity
A series of thematic maps illustrating basic patterns and changes in the population of the United States 1990-2000.
Social Explorer
Interactive demographic maps that can be viewed, queried and manipulated. Social Explorer is privately run, but uses U.S. Census Bureau data from 1790-present.
Centers for Disease Control GIS
Maps, mapping tools, and geospatial data on a variety of health-related topics
Atlas of United States Mortality
Shows 19 leading causes of death for small U.S. geographic areas.

Land and Natural Resources

Federal Land Records
Federal land records, including plat imagery, from the 19th and 20th Centuries.
National Archeological Database
Cultural and environmental resources by state and county.
GeoCommunicator
Maps and geospatial data related to U.S. Public Lands. Topics include land and mineral usage, mining claims, federal land stewardship, land use, and the Public Land Survey System.
Ground Water Atlas of the United States
Digital, 13-chapter atlas from USGS describing the ground-water resources and aquifers of the U.S., Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
Water Resources
Maps and geospatial data related to groundwater resources, droughts and floods, streamflow, and water quality.
Natural Resources Inventory
Maps and charts depicting crop, forest, and grazing lands; irrigation; erosion; urbanization; wetlands; and other topics.
National Forests
Maps, brochures and geospatial data for U.S. National Forests and Grasslands.
National Parks
Brochure maps, geospatial data, and an interactive park mapping tool.
National Wetlands Inventory
Maps and geospatial data from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
Renewable Energy
Interactive maps from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory.
Oil and Gas
Maps depicting oil and natural gas resources, reserves, and production from the Energy Information Administration.

Climate and Environment

Enviromapper
Allows users to create maps related to environmental information such as drinking water, toxic releases, hazardous wastes, water discharge permits, and Superfund sites.
Environmental Sensitivity Index Maps
Maps depicting at-risk coastal resources, including birds, shellfish beds, marshes, tidal flats, public beaches, and parks.
National Weather Service
Maps, graphs and data related to existing and forecast weather conditions, warnings, and advisories around the U.S.
Historical Weather Maps
Historical daily weather maps from 1871-2002.
Daily Weather Maps
Daily weather maps from 2003-present.

Aerial and Satellite Imagery

EarthExplorer
Query and order satellite images, aerial photographs, and cartographic products from the USGS.
Aerial Photography Field Office
Download or order print historical aerial imagery (1955-present) of the the U.S. and its territories..
TerraServer-USA
Microsoft's database of USGS maps and aerial imagery.
NASA's Earth Observatory
Maps and imagery of planet Earth.
Visible Earth
A searchable directory of images, visualizations, and animations of Earth.

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Gazetteers

GEOnet Names Server
Repository of federally recognized names for 4,000,000 geographic features worldwide. Maintained by the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency.
Geographic Names Information Server
Database of federally recognized names and locations of more than 2,000,000 physical and cultural features in the U.S., its territories, and Antarctica. Maintained by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names.

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Geospatial Data

Guide to UM Libraries' GIS Data Collection
Geospatial data available in McKeldin Library.
GeoData.gov
A portal to geospatial data, interactive maps, and imagery produced by government agencies and other organizations.
National Map Seamless Server
Geospatial data layers in a number of categories, including places, structures, transportation, boundaries, hydrography, orthoimagery, land cover, and elevation.
Census Bureau Maps and Cartographic Resources
Links to Census boundary files, TIGER/Line files, and other cartographic products.

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Last modified: May 26, 2009

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