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October 19, 2009

Google Map Maker Layer

If Google Maps doesn't offer high-quality maps for your country, you can improve them using Google Map Maker. "Google Map Maker allows you to create a map by adding or editing features such as roads, businesses, parks, schools and more. Using Google Map Maker tools, you can visually mark locations and add detailed information about them. Once you have submitted content, this information may be edited by other users or moderators. Your mapping contributions on Map Maker are eventually also made available on Google Maps," explains Google.

Google constantly updates Google Maps with data from Map Maker, but the changes aren't reflected immediately. To see the latest data from Google Map Maker, add this layer to Google Maps.


Google Map Maker lets you edit the maps for 174 countries because the maps licensed by Google aren't detailed enough.

9 comments:

  1. trippy. Can't edit Japan quite yet though :(

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  2. If you have the energy to contribute to such a project, why not go to http://www.openstreetmap.org/ ? It is completely open, so you can get all the data contributed to it (by you and by others) back out! Contrast this with other *Maps products (not just Google Maps), where you have a lot of restrictions on how you can use it (for example you are not allowed to use it for turn-by-turn navigation!).

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  3. I totally agree with cdman83. I've been contributing to OpenStreetMap for a while now and feel it is a rapidly developing platform which will always allow developers full potential. I wouldn't want to see my efforts in mapping an area being restricted to only google and their map providers developments. Especially knowing how much their providers charge, i've not read the documentation for this yet, but would bet that google are plugging info back into navteq, thier provider, a nice closed expensive map provider!

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  4. @Ashimema -
    In the U.S., Google now uses its own map service based on data gathered from their Street View cars. Previously, they primariy used TeleAtlas as well as some others. However, they still use TeleAtlas for non-U.S. maps though. If you look at the bottom of the map when viewing any area, it'll show the map copyright holder(s).

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  5. Thats great! i'll deffinalty be trying that out when i'm next on it.

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  6. OpenStreetMap is the way to go.

    Maybe Google should encourage people to use OpenStreetMap, instead of trying to divert people from such an awesome project.

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  7. my friend has a rent car, n he use gps+googlemaps for his cars
    n it's working well

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  8. when are they gonna bloody update google maps???????they didnt update it since the first half of november!!!!!!!! i worked a lot since then but seems noone updates those maps:((((then why the hell should i continue working on them???
    please someone who knows at least a aproximate date answer!!!

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  9. cdman, Thank you for link to http://www.openstreetmap.org
    There is also possibility of exporting their maps, I was searching for that kind of thing, I will be able to get there maps for my Tableau data maps.

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