Effi Barry Training Institute > Community Mapping & Identifying Priority Populations for HIV Prevention & Care > Google maps, Google Earth & Google Fusion

Digital Mapping Tool

Google maps, Google Earth & Google Fusion

Google Maps is a Web-based service that provides detailed information about geographical regions and sites around the world. In addition to conventional road maps Google Maps offers aerial and satellite views of many places. In some cities, Google Maps offers street views comprising photographs taken from vehicles.

Google Maps offers several services as part of the larger Web application, as follows:

1. A route planner offers directions for drivers, bikers, walkers, and users of public transportation who want to take a trip from one specific location to another.
2. The Google Maps application program interface (API) makes it possible for website administrators to embed Google Maps into a digital property (website, blog, application) site such as a real estate guide or community service page.
3. Google Maps for Mobile offers a location service for motorists that utilizes the Global Positioning System (GPS) location of the mobile device (if available) along with data from wireless and cellular
4. Google Street View enables users to view and navigate through horizontal and vertical panoramic street level images of various cities around the world.

VI.1. Google Maps

Google maps online application allow us to create our own maps and plug in any information we need by layers, color coding and multiple icons. We can also import data from any spreadsheet like a locations list etc.

1. We can share and have others edit the map, allowing for multiple people participate in its creation.
2. You can color code and change the icons you use to mark locations or places of interest, for example sites where your target population congregates or important healthcare access points etc.
3. You can color code and edit shapes to mark off regions of interest, for instance a neighborhood where you want to provide outreach services.
4. Get driving, walking, and public transport directions between important outreach locations.
5. You can zoom in and out of the map and view the map via satellite and in a 3D view though Google Earth.
f- You can print, send, and link the map as well as keep a comment log.

VI.2. Google Earth

Google Earth is a geo-browser that accesses satellite and aerial imagery, ocean bathymetry, and other geographic data over the internet to represent the Earth as a three-dimensional globe. Geo-browsers are alternatively known as virtual globes or Earth browsers.

Google also refers to Google Earth as a “geographic browser.” Other examples of geo-browsers are NASA’s World Wind, ESRI’s ArcGIS Explorer, GeoFusions’s GeoPlayer, and EarthBrowser by Lunar Software.

The free version is Intended for home and personal use, this product has many features, including displaying satellite and aerial imagery, a growing set of layers of Mapp able data, the ability to display third party data, tools for creating new data, and the ability to import GPS data. 

VI.3. Google maps API (Application Program Interface)

Google Map’s API is a robust tool that can be used to create a custom map, a searchable map, check-in functions, display live data synching with location, plan routes, or create a mashup just to name a few.

The importance of the IPA is that allow the user to install the application any digital property like a website or App or even a blog. But only someone with knowledge of HTML, CSS, or java script could do it.