Here are some interesting facts about maps:
• A map is a graphic representation or scale model of spatial concepts.
• Anything can be converted into a map, even your living room sofa!
• Cartography is the art and science of making maps.
• The oldest known maps are from about 2300 B.C., preserved on Babylonian clay tablets.
• Mapmakers usually color maps so that two countries that have a border are colored differently. In 1852, student William Guthrie discovered that he only needed four colors to color a map. No matter how complicated the map, four colors were always enough.
• Today’s online and mobile maps are slowly replacing paper maps.
• The future of maps will be 3-D, dynamic, real-time, completely personalized and so much more.

“We don’t want a monoculture where there is just one map of the world. There never has been; there never will be.” — Google

And here are some fun ways UMapper can help:
• Enables the creation and management of online maps
• Compatible with customized maps – upload whatever you want
• Supports Flash maps
• Allows online maps to be easily distributed
• Facilitates the monetization of online maps
• Embeds maps on your website and mobile platforms

“Thank you for providing an online product that is a great asset.” — UMapper Community Member

From all of us at UMapper, may your holiday season be filled with peace, love, happiness… and of course, maps!

Felices Fiestas!          즐거운 휴일!          Joyeuses Fêtes!          Buone Feste!          Mele Kalikimaka!          Καλές δικακοπές!          Fijne feestdagen!                    Trevlig Helg!

And a big THANK YOU to our community for your continued support! Together, we are informing the world, one map at a time.

Here’s to a Happy Holiday and a Healthy New Year!

Maps have become a critical piece of our lives. Providing guidance, direction, help and more, maps now serve as an integral information source for us every day.

Maps provide value to our Internet experiences, and have become essential in the mobile world. But have you ever stopped and taken a moment to think about what really makes a map successful?

One of the most important features of a useful map is the accuracy of the map’s information. News of the latest iPhone 5 maps app inaccuracies, such as misplaced landmarks, warped images, and sending users on wild goose chases, highlights this need.

But not only must the data on a map be accurate, it must also be relevant. Take, for example, this story of a car navigation system instructing the driver to drive his car through the Australian Bay. Or this instance, of a woman driving her car down a boat launch while following GPS directions. It happens more than you would think.

Earlier this year, Microsoft was awarded a patent that states that a route can be plotted for pedestrians to avoid an “unsafe neighborhood or being in an open area that is subject to harsh temperatures”. Their technology factors in the latest crime statistics and current weather information when calculating a route. What a great step in ensuring accurate, relevant map information.

And to think, just a decade or two ago, maps where simply static resources on paper. How far we have come, and how far we can go!

UMapper has Olympic fever! The worlds’ best athletes, from over 200 countries, all in one location, competing in a vast variety of athletics.

And apparently, the UMapper community has Olympic fever too! Check out some of the these cool maps our users have created around the Olympics:

Olympic Host Cities (1896-2016)
From the first Olympiad held in Athens, Greece in 1896 to the future 2016 Summer Olympics to be in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, this informative map shows all the host cities for the Summer and Winter Olympics.

2012 Summer Olympic Venues
Want to know where to watch your favorite event in London? An interactive map of the 2012 London Olympic venues, including location and photos.

2012 Summer Olympic London Rental Prices
Click each area of this interactive map of London to discover the average rental price of properties during the 2012 Summer Olympics.

Examples of other UMapper Olympic maps you can explore in our community include 2012 Summer Olympic Medal Count, 2014 Winter Olympic Venues in Russia, and a lot more.

Do you have Olympic fever? Go explore our maps, and then share your own Olympic spirit!