Online Map Tips

  Maps/Geography

Country/Region Maps

Visit the Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection for an extensive collection of country/territory and regional maps. The World Factbook is a rich source of geographic information with country/territory/region maps. ArcGIS Map Viewer has many different types of maps including topographic and ocean maps.

View country/region maps like browsing a world atlas:

• ArcGIS Map Viewer Charted Territory Map
• National Geographic MapMaker Interactive
• Information Please World Atlas
• Country Maps (Britannica)

Create/Edit/View GPX/KML Files

• GPS Visualizer
• CalTopo
• uMap

Finding a Compass Bearing on a Map

Azimuth vs Bearing

• OpenStreetMap Compass
  Display a compass on the map where rotating the compass will calculate the compass bearing, including the magnetic declination.
• CalTopo
  To determine the bearing and magnetic declination, click on the ruler icon on the left side and select Bearing and click the first point and drag the line and click on the destination point to display the bearing and magnetic declination.
• Google Earth Pro
  Select the Ruler icon (or Tools – Ruler), select the Line tab, click the starting location, drag the line, and click again for the destination which will be the compass bearing. The ruler dialog box will display bearing listing in Heading.
• Apps on a mobile device – Display compass bearing using the current location
  Avenza Maps
  Locus Map

Finding the Elevation on a Map

• GPS Visualizer
  Computer: Right-click a location on the map to display the elevation. Phone/tablet: Tap and hold to display the elevation.
• CalTopo
  Computer: Right-click a location on the map and select Position & Elevation to display the elevation. Phone/tablet: Tap and hold and select Position & Elevation to display the elevation.
• Free Map Tools Elevation Finder
  Click/tap on a place to display the elevation.

Old Maps

For a large collection of old maps, visit the David Rumsey Map Collection.

Display Gridlines

To display gridlines (latitude, longitude, Equator, Tropic of Cancer, Tropic of Capricorn, Arctic Circle, Antarctic Circle), use Google Earth. Go to View - Show Gridlines (Web version) Grid (Google Earth Pro). For mobile app version, tap the map style layer icon on the upper right and tap Gridlines.

Magnetic Declination

• To find the magnetic declination for a current location on a mobile device, use the Magnetic Declination Compass.
• To find the magnetic declination of a location on a map or by searching for a place, use Magnetic-Declination.com.

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