National Geographic adds technology to site

National Geographic recently added an “interactive atlas” to its Website. An electronic companion to its well-known print Atlas of the World, it allows people to access maps and geographic data online.

To make it happen, National Geographic worked with ESRI, a developer of GIS software.

Using ArcIMS, new features of the interactive atlas, known as Map Machine, include dynamicmaps of geographic data organized by themes (political, cultural, physical and weather are examples). Users can find, for example, maps and information on recent earthquakes, transportation density, political boundaries, ecological regions, land use zones, and natural hazards. The site also features electronic versions of atlas maps and country statistics drawn from the latest Atlas of the World updated as necessary.

"The launch of a new, powerful map site on the Web harnesses the latest digital technology to a century of National Geographic's renowned cartographic expertise to present nothing less than map tools for a new millennium," said John Fahey, National Geographic Society president.

"ESRI is pleased to work with National Geographic to provide powerful digital mapmaking tools via the Web. National Geographic's effort brings geography into our daily lives, and the impact it will have on our collective geographic knowledge will be impressive," said Jack Dangermond, ESRI president