Open Street Map (OSM)-based projects are characterized by highlighting some of the cartographic peculiarities, within the massive collection of open data offered by OSM.
The Thunderforest project uses this data offered by OSM to make thematic maps of different kinds:
The active fire map is a service offered and produced by NASA from data collected by satellites. The information collected is treated very quickly and made available to the public in a few hours. With all this we can know in a rather objective way the approximate place where a point of fire has occurred and the magnitude of it.
Earthquake collection conducted by EMSC in the last two weeks around the planet.
The cartographic production produced by the USSR during the Cold War period is immense, encompassing all corners of the globe. These topographic maps have a quality and a detail that surprises, especially as some of them are so remote and difficult to access for the technology of the time. Today, we can find countries where the best cartographic base is even Soviet maps.
If anyone wants to find out more about the stories behind these maps and some interesting links, I recommend the following page:
Soviet Military Topographic Mapping
Different companies and projects provide interactive map services worldwide in different formats, including:
- Open Street Map: cooperatively, where users themselves perform the tasks of mapping.
- Google Maps: the most famous par excellence and one of the first to open the cartography to the general public.
- Esri: company that has been able to make digital change, moving from paper maps to leading the Geographic Information Systems.
