Geospatial Resources & Geodata Links
-Base Layers | Repositories | 'Starter Kits' | Statistics & Indicators
- Natural Earth
- www.naturalearthdata.com
- What it contains: Global & Regional scale 'starter' kits for human and natural geography.
Well organized, maintained with open license.
- GADM database of Global Administrative Areas
- www.gadm.org
- What it contains: A 'go to' for administrative boundaries per country/region. Usually contains admin level 0-2.
The current version is 2.0 (January 2012).
- DIVA-GIS
- www.diva-gis.org
- What it contains: Essentially a mirror of GADM data with the addition of a GIS tool as well as additional data sources/lists.
- GeoNetwork | FAO CORE DATASETS
- www.fao.org/geonetwork
- What it contains: "FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) produces a large number of Geographic Information System (GIS) datasets for monitoring, assessment and analysis of environmental and socio-economic factors causing poverty and food insecurity. Particular relevance is given to malnutrition, farming systems and crops, livestock production systems, fishery and forestry sectors, agro-ecological zoning, land and water resources management and climate related issues."
- Geocommons
- geocommons.com
- What it contains: Always an interesting source, per the site: "GeoCommons is the public community of GeoIQ users who are building an open repository of data and maps for the world." Very open and easy-to-access site for geodata, both consuming and producing/hosting.
- World Pop
- www.worldpop.org.uk/
- What it contains: Excellent global/regional resource for population density. Most data comes in raster format with cell values for population density.
- Protected Planet
- www.protectedplanet.net/
- What it contains: Good global/regional/local resource for 'World Database on Protected Areas' features. Per the site: "ProtectedPlanet.net is the online interface for the World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA), a joint project of IUCN and UNEP, and the most comprehensive global database on terrestrial and marine protected areas."
- UN Data Portal
- data.un.org/
- What it contains: Not spatial per se, statistical datasets for indicators/statistics typical of UN and partner organizations. Global/regional in scale; can be a good resource for joining with corresponding geometry/features.
- World Bank Data Portal
- data.worldbank.org/
- What it contains: Not spatial per se, statistical datasets for indicators/statistics typical of World Bank. Global/regional in scale; can be a good resource for joining with corresponding geometry/features.
- Landmark Organization
- www.landmarkmap.org/
- What it contains: LandMark is a dynamic, online mapping platform that provides critical information on the collective land and natural resource rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities around the world. The global platform supports local livelihoods and well-being by increasing the visibility of indigenous and community lands and presenting crucial information on the state of land rights. The interactive map currently does not allow direct data download; but importantly list data sources which may/may not be accessible and open.
- Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (sedac)
- sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu/
- What it contains: SEDAC focuses on human interactions in the environment. Many spaital datasets available for human geography & environmental issues.
- The Minnesota Population Center (MPC) Data Portal
- www.ipums.org/
- What it contains: MPC is one of the world’s leading developers of demographic data resources. Both spatial and nonspatial data available at global/regional/local scales. Very comprehensive, well researched and documented data source for demographic data.
- Humanitarian Data Exchange (HDX)
- data.hdx.rwlabs.org/
- What it contains: HDX is a repository for both nonspatial and spatial data that is tailored for use by the humanitarian initatives and organizations.
- IDCM - monitoring Displacement Monitoring Centre
- www.internal-displacement.org//
- What it contains: A leader in tracking human displacement at country, regional and global scales. Produces data in tabular format that can work at various scales in conjunction with appropriate geometry/features.
- InterAction- A United Voice for Global Change
- www.interaction.org/work/ngoaidmap
- What it contains: InterAction's NGO Aid Map aims to increase the amount of publicly available data on international development and humanitarian response by providing detailed project information through interactive maps and data visualizations. Data for project sites is accessible.
- WRI- World Resources Institute
- www.wri.org/resources/data_sets
- What it contains: WRI's data sets are well organized and developed with emphasis on spatial datasets. Their water basin studies and spatial features are well developed and accessbile. Word of Warning: Their weights for vulnearability indicators often skew towards industry and extraction industries.
- AQUASTAT- FAO's global water information system
- www.fao.org/nr/water/aquastat/countries_regions/index.stmt
- What it contains: FAO's statistics particular to water resources per country/region. Particularly, 141 country profiles, 5 regional overviews and 8 river basin overviews describe the state of the water resources and water use, as well as the state of agricultural water management in each of them.
- HydroSHEDS
- hydrosheds.cr.usgs.gov/index.php
- What it contains: HydroSHEDS provides hydrographic information in a consistent and comprehensive format for regional and global-scale applications. These data layers are available to support watershed analyses, hydrological modeling, and freshwater conservation planning at a quality, resolution, and extent that had previously been unachievable in many parts of the world. Spatial datasets are open and available for download.
- The Migration, Globalisation and Poverty Research Centre
- www.migrationdrc.org
- What it contains: The Migration, Globalisation and Poverty DRC is a research project that ended 2010; data from the project is open and available at country and regional scales for migration related issues.
- United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (CEPAL)
- www.cepal.org/celade/depualc/
- What it contains: Open and accessible population and urbanization demographic data at regional and subnational scales in tabular format.
- Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) Population Database
- gisweb.ciat.cgiar.org/population/
- What it contains: aggregated, gridded population and land use datasets for Latin America and the Caribbean.
- The GeoSUR Program |Latin America Geodata
- www.geosur.info/geosur/index.php/en/available-data
- What it contains: The GeoSUR Program is led by CAF - the Latin American Development Bank and PAIGH the Pan American Institute of Geography and History. The Portal was developed with the technical support of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Datasets are available in open format, as well as a map portal and lots of contextual resources and multiple agency participation.
- The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
- www.oecd-ilibrary.org
- What it contains: Open and accessible national, regional scale tabular data for various indicators/statistics for global, national and regional comparisons/analysis. Requires subscription/login for full access to data.
- MEDevEcon - Research of Markus Eberhardt, Assistant Professor, School of Economics, University of Nottingham
- sites.google.com/site/medevecon/development-economics/devecondata
- What it contains: links to over 300 macro and micro datasets for development economics; various scales, spatial and nonspatial; nonspatial sets but can be utlized with appropriate geometry/features in certain instances.
- International Conflict Research (ICR)
- www.icr.ethz.ch/data/index
- What it contains: ICR conducts research on international and domestic conflict using social-scientific theories and methodologies. The organization interestingly and usefully strives to develop disaggreated datasets for their conflict research.
- The Africa Infrastructure Knowledge Program
- infrastructureafrica.org
- What it contains: Geospatial features for infrastruce across Africa at regional/national and subnational scales.
- Leland Stanford Junior University- Statistical Resources
- www-sul.stanford.edu/depts/ssrg/africa
- What it contains: Various regional and national statistical data links/sources. Particular resources may or may not be spatial.
- Statistics South Africa
- beta2.statssa.gov.za/
- What it contains: National statistical repository- all things census and demography for South Africa.
- The GeoCommunity™ data portal
- data.geocomm.com/
- What it contains: limited free geodata at global, regional, national and subnational scales.
- Ecological Tapestry of the World
- ecoexplorer.arcgis.com/eco/
- What it contains: ESRI + USGS 250 Meter resolution map portal 'Ecological Map Unit' at global scale. The viewer is useful at certain scales to view/consume location across 4 ecological categories- Bioclimate, landforms, rock type and land cover.
- Livestock Geo-Wiki
- livestock.geo-wiki.org
- What it contains: global maps of livestock distributions and production. Requires sign up and login to acess and download the livestock data.
- Earth Stat
- earthstat.org/
- What it contains: Crop Areas, Yield Gaps, Fertilizer, Food, Feed and Fuel. EarthStat.org serves geographic data sets with the purpose of solving the grand challenge of feeding a growing global population while reducing agriculture’s impact on the environment. EarthStat is a collaboration between the Global Landscapes Initiative at The University of Minnesota’s Institute on the Environment and the Ramankutty Lab at The University of British Columbia, Vancouver.
-"Lists within Lists"- Valuable geospatial listing and repositories
- "Free GIS Datasets" A comprehensive, well organized list developed by Robin Wilson, University of Southampton.
- freegisdata.rtwilson.com
- What it contains: Well organized list of what it says it is: Free global, regional, national and subnational scaled geodata in vector/raster format, organized by theme.
- "tolomaps" A comprehensive, well organized list developed by Robin Tolochko.
- tolomaps.com
- What it contains: Well organized list of data, resources, tools, lists and tutorials for geospatial work.
- World Wide Data- Washington State Geospatial Data Archive (WAGDA)
- wagda.lib.washington.edu/data/geography/world/
- What it contains: Generally free and accessbile global and regional scale raster & vector data, organized by type and theme.
- University of Maryland GIS dataguide
- lib.guides.umd.edu
- What it contains: Generally free and accessbile global and regional scale raster & vector data, organized by type and theme.
- EDENext
- http://www.edenextdata.com/
- What it contains: One of the best listings of global/regional datasets, raster/vetor format. EDENext is involved with infectious diseases; spatial datasets are designed to support this research. Their reserach is focused on European region; however, datasets, links are both regional and global.
- Stanford University GIS data portal/list
- lib.stanford.edu/GIS/data
- What it contains: Stanford University's listing of global/regional/local geospatial data sources.
- Susquehanna River Basin Commission
- www.srbc.net/atlas/links.asp
- What it contains: Geodata resources at regional, national and subnational scales with focus on the United States.
-Remote Sensing Data Portals
- Earth Explorer - USGS
- earthexplorer.usgs.gov/
- What it contains: Along with University of Maryland's portal to follow, arguably the easiest, best orgainized location for remote sensed products, especially Landsat tiles.
- GLCF- Global Land Cover Facility- University of Maryland
- glcf.umd.edu/data/
- What it contains: The Global Land Cover Facility (GLCF) provides earth science data and products to help everyone to better understand global environmental systems. In particular, the GLCF develops and distributes remotely sensed satellite data and products that explain land cover from the local to global scales. Specializes in various land cover products derived from remote sensing.
- University of Maryland + Google: Forest Extent & Change via Landsat RS analysis
- earthenginepartners.appspot.com/science-2013-global-forest
- What it contains: Results from time-series analysis of Landsat images characterizing forest extent and change. Downloadable data; map portal and explanatory text of methodology, outcomes and typical uses.
-OpenStreetMap OSM Extracts
- Planet OSM Wiki
- wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Planet.osm
- What it contains: This OSM wiki lists all the major OSM data extracts that are generally appropriate for extracting OSM into GIS formats for further analysis/cartography. The Planet OSM file is ALL OSM data in one file, thus it needs to be parsed for more expedient downloads which some of the resources/sites listed in the Wiki are able to accomplish on user's behalf.
- Metro Extracts
- metro.teczno.com/
- What it contains: Parts of the OpenStreetMap database for major world cities and their surrounding areas. The goal of these extracts is to make it easy to make maps for major world cities, even if they cross state or national boundaries. Important Note: NO LONGER UPDATED/MAINTAINED; utlize Mapzen resource below as an alternative as needed.
- Mapzen Extracts
- mapzen.com/metro-extracts/
- What it contains: "City-sized parts of the OpenStreetMap database, served up weekly. The goal is to make it easier to get started with manageable, relevant, and local data so we can all build cool stuff.
This is derived from the work of Michal Migurski, but rebuilt as a chef cookbook for automated weekly updates."
- BBBike Extracts
- extract.bbbike.org/
- What it contains: Easy-to-use interface for OSM extracts of bounding box determination up to 768mb. Many formats available including .shp delivered in organized folder per theme/feature type.
-US Centric
- TIGER (Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing)
- www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/tiger.html
- What it contains: Geospatial format used by the United States Census Bureau to describe land attributes such as roads, buildings, rivers, and lakes, as well as areas such as census tracts.
- Water Resources of the United States | USGS
- water.usgs.gov/maps.html
- What it contains: Water-related GIS datasets for regional/national scale with focus on United States water resources.
>
-NYC Centric
- MTA Transportation Line
- spatialityblog.com/2010/07/08/mta-gis-data-update/
- What it contains: Steven Romalewski's MTA subway/transportation line with honed attributes that make it more valuable than other versions available. If deployed, credit should be apportioned as requested by Steven.
- NYS GIS Clearinghouse
- gis.ny.gov/gisdata/
- What it contains: As the name suggests, the state's geodata site with lots of partnering agencies and organizations with various degrees of open/closed datasets.
- DOITT | SOCRATA direct link
- data.cityofnewyork.us/browse?tags=doitt%20gis
- What it contains: The NYC Department of Information Technology maintains many geodata sets for NYC; the above link is for the department's Socrata open data link. Be aware of update dates per file; some may be older than desired.
- Cornell University's geospatial repository
- cugir.mannlib.cornell.edu
- What it contains: Cornell's geospatial repository, some sets appropriate for greater NYC
- State of New York | Open Data Platform
- data.ny.gov
- What it contains: NY State's open data platform; all the big agencies are listed here with open datasets.
- John Weir's github repository for NYC data
- github.com/jweir/nyc-gov-data
- What it contains: Currently the repository lists .csv & .json for data sources for NYC region.
- NYC OASIS
- www.oasisnyc.net/pages/data.aspx
- What it contains: Direct link to NYC OASIS Map features list. Not useable data per se, but good resource for an overview of geodata themes for NYC.
- NY State Museum's repository
- www.nysm.nysed.gov/gis/
- What it contains: Geology-centric geodata resources for NYS and region.
- New York Protected Areas Database (NYPAD)
- www.nypad.org/
- What it contains: NYPAD is a spatial database of lands protected, designated, or functioning as open space, natural areas, conservation lands, or recreational areas. These lands cover over six million acres, approximately 20% of New York State. Spatial data availble in typical formats for these categorized areas.