LibGuides: Geography: Introduction: Online Resources

Online

Other online resources

Metasites and Directories

Interactive Mapping

World Interactive Map
Interactive Map of the World, through a flash based Map Viewer application which provides a bird's eye view of every country in the world. It provides country facts such as population, area, GDP, time zone etc.
Map Maker Interactive - National Geographic Education
Explore your world with map themes, data, and tools for customizing your map

Encyclopedia of Earth

Conservation Evidence
Conservation Evidence is a free, authoritative information resource designed to support decisions about how to maintain and restore global biodiversity. We summarise evidence from the scientific literature about the effects of conservation interventions such as methods of habitat or species management. We also publish new evidence in our online journal Conservation Evidence. It is housed by the University of Cambridge, UK.
NASA global Climate change
The mission of “Global Climate Change: Vital Signs of the Planet” is to provide the public with accurate and timely news and information about Earth’s changing climate, along with current data and visualizations, presented from the unique perspective of NASA, the world’s leading climate research agency.
Global drought information system
The goal is provide a one-stop shop for current, reliable, and useful information and resources related to drought.
ChartPorn
Chart Porn is compiled by Washington DC based economist/artist Dustin Smith. This site grew out of an admiration for all the amazing data analysis work being done in the world, and the desire to pull it all together in one place to feed into my personal creativity- rolodex. The blog’s original focus on economics and graphic design has expanded over time to cover a wide range of topics.
NOAA
NOAA is an agency that enriches life through science. Our reach goes from the surface of the sun to the depths of the ocean floor as we work to keep citizens informed of the changing environment around them.

Making Maps

This blog provides examples of creative and provocative maps and material on map making and understanding, culled from contemporary and historical sources.

Databases - other institutions

Free Geography tools
This blog covers a wide range of free (and cheap) tools for handling geographic data, including GIS, GPS, Google Earth and Maps, neogeography, free data resources, and other material.
NOAA Education Resources: Data Resources for Educators
Resources on Oceans and coasts, climate, weather and atmosphere, Marine Life, Fresh Water.

Data and Statistics

It is important that you can back up your arguments in a discussion paper or essay with factual data. There is a wide range of information and you need to take care that the correct data is chosen.

IMF data
The IMF publishes a range of time series data on IMF lending, exchange rates and other economic and financial indicators. Manuals, guides, and other material on statistical practices at the IMF, in member countries, and of the statistical community at large are also available.
OECD
OECD’s laboratory for data visualisations.
UN Metadata
Database is comprised of a wide range of important statistics and metadata drawn from the United Nations, UN agencies and other international sources. It covers key economic, social, financial and development topics.
World Bank
DataBank is an analysis and visualisation tool that contains collections of time series data on a variety of topics. You can create your own queries; generate tables, charts, and maps; and easily save, embed, and share them.
US Census International data
"The International Data Base (IDB) offers a variety of demographic indicators for countries and areas of the world with a population of 5,000 or more. The IDB has provided access to demographic data for over 25 years to governments, academics, other organizations, and the public. It is funded by organizations that sponsor the research of the Census Bureau"s International Programs Center for Demographic and Economic Studies. "
International Labour Organisation Statistics
View and download data and metadata for over 200 countries or territories from LABORSTA, an International Labour Office database on labour statistics operated by the ILO Department of Statistics
Bank for International Settlements
The BIS international financial statistics are a unique source of information on various elements of the global financial system.
Human Development Reports
The human development data utilized in the preparation of the Human Development Index (HDI) and other composite indices featured in the Human Development Report are provided by a variety of public international sources and represent the best and most current statistics available for those indicators at the time of the preparation of this annual report.
Gapminder
Gapminder is a non-profit venture – a modern “museum” on the Internet – promoting sustainable global development and achievement of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals.