The Global Population Database (GPOPDB) is used to map the populations of many countries around the world. The database uses a rectangular grid for mapping of 20 minutes of latitude by 30 minutes of longitude (about 2,000 square kilometers at the equator). For urban areas of more than 25,000 people, density circles are drawn to provide more detail. Population data is primarily obtained through censuses, surveys and maps from the Bureau of the Census Library or from the countries themselves. Detailed data are obtained by working from the national totals towards the first-order administrative levels; typically state, province or region. See
http://www.ciesin.org/datasets/cir/gpopdb-home.html &
ftp://ftp.ciesin.org/pub/data/Global_Pop_DB
Archives for September 17, 2006
Canadian Geographical Names
Query this extensive database by name, geography, or postal code. Digital data products are available for purchase. See http://geonames.nrcan.gc.ca/
NGA GEOnet Names Server (GNS
The GEOnet Names Server (GNS) provides access to the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency’s (NGA) and the U.S. Board on Geographic Names’ (US BGN) database of foreign geographic feature names. The database is the official repository of foreign place-name decisions approved by the US BGN. Approximately 20,000 of the database’s features are updated monthly. http://earth-info.nga.mil/gns/html/
Geonames – place names and post codes
The Geonames web resource has been totally revamped and now sports a very simple user interface for searching place names.A nice feature is the ability to dump all the data into a simple txt file for use within any GIS. See http://www.geonames.org/ or jump directly to http://www.geonames.org/export/ to export these data.
MODIS, 16-Day NDVI
Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) derived from MODIS data is provided here on a 16 day basis for the conterminous United States. The original band files used to derive the NDVI are also available and a band file with cloud information (for data from 2001 to the present). Data are in GeoTIFF and have been projected to Alber’s. See http://glcfapp.umiacs.umd.edu:8080/esdi/product?productID=19
US Census Bureau FTP Access
NEed Census data… how about a simply FTP server to access them? US Census Bureau’s FT site providing quick and easy access via FTP to a huge assortment of data products, categorized by decade (1980, 90, and 2000) http://www2.census.gov/
US Large Scale (24k) DLG data (ftp)
Need DLGs? Look no more! The 1:24,000-scale DEM data archived here at the EROS site is divided just like 7.5′ paper maps into 7.5 x 7.5-minute sets indexed by the USGS quadrangle name. Use the FTP by Alphabetical List site if the name of the FTP via Graphics to search for the desired data. The data is registered using metric UTM values according to NAD27. Grid cell elevations are presented in meters. http://edcftp.cr.usgs.gov/pub/data/DLG/LARGE_SCALE/
SRTM DTED Level 2 – 1 arc second data
Shuttle Radar Topography Mission DTED® Level 2 (1 arc second) Data on DVD (United States and Territorial Islands) — SRTM DTED® is a uniform matrix of elevation values indexed to specific points on the ground. The horizontal datum is the World Geodetic System 1984 (WGS84) and the vertical datum is mean sea level as determined by the WGS84 Earth Gravitational Model (EGM 96) geoid. The elevation data are with respect to the reflective surface, which may be vegetation, man-made features or bare earth. DTED® Level 2 elevation values are spaced one arc second apart between 0 degrees and 50 degrees latitude, and spaced one arc second apart in latitude and two arc seconds apart in longitude between 50 degrees and 60 degrees latitude. SRTM DTED® Level 1 values are derived from the SRTM DTED® 2 values such that the DTED® 1 values are identical to the DTED® 2 values at coincident points. However, the SRTM DTED® 1 values are spaced 3 arc seconds apart between 0 degrees and 50 degrees latitude, and spaced 3 arc seconds apart in latitude and 6 arc seconds apart in longitude between 50 degrees and 60 degrees latitude. These data are now available on a cost recovery basis and can be ordered on CD-ROM for a mere $60 per CD http://edcsns17.cr.usgs.gov/srtmdted2/ See also the level 1 – 3 arc second Global data product http://edcsns17.cr.usgs.gov/srtm/
2-Minute Gridded Global Relief Data (ETOPO2)
Two-minute gridded global relief for both ocean and land areas (combined bathymetry and topography) are available in the ETOPO2 database. These data are available via download or can be ordered on CD-ROM – See http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/mgg/global/relief/ETOPO2/