Selected Maps, Educational Resources and GIS Data

Online Maps

Minnesota

• MN Mapper
  http://www.lmic.state.mn.us/chouse/mnmapper.html
  Create and print a simple Minnesota state map with your choice of features including county boundaries, county seats, highways, major lakes and rivers.
• NorthStar Mapper
  http://www.lmic.state.mn.us/chouse/northstarmapper.html
  Explore Minnesota through air photos, topographic maps and other data.
• Map Gallery, Minnesota Geographic Data Clearinghouse
  http://www.lmic.state.mn.us/chouse/mapgallery.html
  A "First Stop" source for maps of Minnesota.
• Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Maps
  http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/maps/index.html
  Access a variety of recreation and natural resource management maps for Minnesota, including air photos, state forests, parks and natural areas, hunting and lake depth.
• Geographic Information Services, Minnesota Legislature
  http://www.gis.leg.mn/html/gismaps.html
  See many themes including population, legislative and school districts, election results, area code and zip codes.
• What's in My Neighborhood?
  http://pca-gis04.pca.state.mn.us/website/mes/mesfin/entry.htm
  This Minnesota Pollution Control Agency site allows you to map and learn more about known and potential sources of soil and ground water contamination.
• Twin Cities maps, from MetroGIS
  http://gis.metc.state.mn.us/
  See maps and information about communities in the Twin Cities seven county metro area.
• John Borchert Map Library, University of Minnesota
  http://map.lib.umn.edu/
  More links to Minnesota online maps.

National

• National Atlas
  http://www.nationalatlas.gov/
  See views of America's natural and sociocultural landscapes.
• American FactFinder
  http://factfinder.census.gov
  Map population, housing, economic and geographic data using this site from the U.S. Census Bureau.
• U.S. Geological Survey
  • Maps
    http://www.usgs.gov/pubprod/maps.html
  • Geographic Names Information System
    http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic
    Type in a place name, then connect to a variety of maps in that area.
• TerraServer USA
  http://terraserver-usa.com/
  View air photos and topographic maps.
• Web Soil Survey
  http://websoilsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov/app/
  Determine the suitability of the soils in your area for a particular use with this site from the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
• Wetlands
  http://wetlandsfws.er.usgs.gov/index.html
  Map wetlands using this U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service site.

Global

• National Geographic Map Machine
  http://plasma.nationalgeographic.com/mapmachine/index.html
  Choose from a wide variety of themes covering the globe, as well as imagery of Mars.
   

Educational Resources

• Education World
  http://www.education-world.com/a_special/geography_aware_98.shtml
  Geography lessons and articles on a wide variety of topics.
• U.S. Geological Survey
  http://education.usgs.gov/
  The Learning Web lists many resources for science and mapping education available from USGS and other organizations.
• National Geographic Teacher Community
  http://www.ngsednet.org/
  Maps, lesson plans, and online activities.
   

GIS Data

• Minnesota Geographic Data Clearinghouse
  http://www.lmic.state.mn.us/chouse/index.html
  This site is a starting point for finding Minnesota GIS data. Use search tools, browse data by theme or go to data sites for several state and regional agencies.
• U.S. Geological Survey
  http://www.usgs.gov/pubprod/digitaldata.html
  USGS distributes a wide variety of base map and natural resource themes.