Topography concerns the shape and character of the Earth's surface and maps were amongst the first artifacts to record these observations. In modern mapping, a topographic map or topographic chart is a type of map characterized by large-scale detail and quantitative representation of relief, usually using contour lines, but historically using a variety of methods. Traditional definitions require a topographic map to show both natural and man-made features. A topographic survey is typically based upon systematic observation and published as a map series, made up of two or more map sheets that combine to form the whole map. A topographic map series uses a common specification that includes the range of cartographic symbols employed, as well as a standard geodetic framework that defines the map projection, coordinate system, ellipsoid and geodetic datum. Official topographic maps also adopt a national grid referencing system.
Geomatics is defined in the ISO/TC 211 series of standards as the "discipline concerned with the collection, distribution, storage, analysis, processing, presentation of geographic data or geographic information". Under another definition, it "consists of products, services and tools involved in the collection, integration and management of geographic data". It includes geomatics engineering and is related to geospatial science.
The National Ocean Service (NOS), an office within the U.S. Department of Commerce National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), is responsible for preserving and enhancing the nation's coastal resources and ecosystems along 95,000 miles (153,000 km) of shoreline bordering 3,500,000 square miles (9,100,000 km2) of coastal, Great Lakes, and ocean waters. Its mission is to "provide science-based solutions through collaborative partnerships to address evolving economic, environmental, and social pressures on our oceans and coasts." NOS works closely with many partner agencies to ensure that ocean and coastal areas are safe, healthy, and productive. National Ocean Service scientists, natural resource managers, and specialists ensure safe and efficient marine transportation, promote innovative solutions to protect coastal communities, and conserve marine and coastal places. NOS is a scientific and technical organization of 1,700 scientists, natural resource managers, and specialists in many different fields. NOS delivers a dynamic range of nationwide coastal and Great Lakes scientific, technical, and resource management services in support of safe, healthy, and productive oceans and coasts. NOS develops partnerships to integrate expertise and efforts across all levels of government and with other interests to protect, maintain, and sustain the viability of coastal communities, economies and ecosystems.
The Survey of India is India's central engineering agency in charge of mapping and surveying. Set up in 1767 to help consolidate the territories of the British East India Company, it is one of the oldest Engineering Departments of the Government of India. Its members are from Survey of India Service cadre of Civil Services of India and Army Officers from the Indian Army Corps of Engineers. It is headed by the Surveyor General of India. At present, Survey of India is headed by Lt Gen Girish Kumar, VSM.
A cadastre is a comprehensive land recording of the real estate or real property's metes-and-bounds of a country.
Geoscience Australia is an agency of the Australian Government. It carries out geoscientific research. The agency is the government's technical adviser on all aspects of geoscience, and custodian of the geographic and geological data and knowledge of the nation.
The Norwegian Mapping Authority (NMA) is Norway's national mapping agency, dealing with land surveying, geodesy, hydrographic surveying, cadastre and cartography. The current director is Anne Cathrine Frøstrup. Its headquarters are in Hønefoss and it is a public agency under the Ministry of Local Government and Modernisation. NMA was founded in 1773.
The International Cartographic Association (ICA), is an organization formed of national member organizations, to provide a forum for issues and techniques in cartography and GIScience. ICA was founded on June 9, 1959, in Bern, Switzerland. The first General Assembly was held in Paris in 1961. The mission of the International Cartographic Association is to promote the disciplines and professions of cartography and GIScience in an international context. To achieve these aims, the ICA works with national and international governmental and commercial bodies, and with other international scientific societies.
GeoBase is a federal, provincial and territorial government initiative that is overseen by the Canadian Council on Geomatics (CCOG). It is undertaken to ensure the provision of, and access to, a common, up-to-date and maintained base of quality geospatial data for Canada. Through the GeoBase, users with an interest in geomatics have access to quality geospatial information at no cost and with unrestricted use.
Marine spatial planning (MSP) is a process that brings together multiple users of the ocean – including energy, industry, government, conservation and recreation – to make informed and coordinated decisions about how to use marine resources sustainably. MSP generally uses maps to create a more comprehensive picture of a marine area – identifying where and how an ocean area is being used and what natural resources and habitat exist. It is similar to land-use planning, but for marine waters.
The Ethiopian Mapping Agency (EMA) is a branch of the Ethiopian government, a department within the Ministry of Finance and Cooperation, that is responsible for cartographic mapping and remote sensing activities in Ethiopia. The EMA has expanded its operation to include a comprehensive map revision program in addition to various phases of digital mapping and information technology.
The Military Geographic Service is a unit of the Bulgarian Armed Forces responsible for meeting the obligations of the Bulgarian Ministry of Defense in the field of cartography and geographic information. This includes the mapping and production of topographic maps of 1:25000 and lesser scale, maintaining the national geodetic network, and providing topographic and geographic data, digital products and information to the Armed Forces, government institutions and private users. According to the 2006 Law of Geodesy and Cartography, the areas subject to such mapping comprise the country’s territory as well as the area of the Bulgarian base in Antarctica.
The State Committee on Property Issues (SCPI) of the Republic of Azerbaijan is the central executive body conducting state policy and regulation on management of state property, its privatization, investment in this property, maintaining the state register of real estate, maintaining a unified state cadastre of real property, maintaining of an address register, maintaining the state land cadastre, land management, organization of state land management, overseeing land use and land protection, arranging land market.
The State Land and Cartography Committee of Azerbaijan Republic is a governmental agency within the Cabinet of Azerbaijan in charge of implementing land cadastre, monitoring and reforms; restoration and increasing of land productivity, setting territorial units in Azerbaijan Republic. The ministry is headed by Garib Mammadov.
Survey of Israel - SOI is the survey and mapping department of the Israeli Ministry of Housing and Construction.
Created in 1986, IGN FI is the private subsidiary of the French IGN and works essentially abroad. Its goal is to promote the savoir-faire of the French IGN around the world.
The Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning is a ministry within the Government of Kosovo. Its areas of responsibility include environment protection, ensuring provision of information about the state of environment, setting preconditions for rational utilization, protection and restoration of natural resources, etc. The minister of the MESP is Dardan Gashi. The ministry has numerous divisions and subordinate institutions responsible for protected areas.
Land administration is the way in which the rules of land tenure are applied and made operational. Land administration, whether formal or informal, comprises an extensive range of systems and processes to administer. The processes of land administration include the transfer of rights in land from one party to another through sale, lease, loan, gift and inheritance; the regulating of land and property development; the use and conservation of the land; the gathering of revenues from the land through sales, leasing, and taxation; and the resolving of conflicts concerning the ownership and the use of land. Land administration functions may be divided into four components: Juridical, regulatory, fiscal, and information management. These functions of land administration may be organized in terms of agencies responsible for surveying and mapping, land registration, land valuation and land revenue generation. The purpose and scope of this knowledge domain appear from the following introducing notes:
Geospatial Information Agency is the National Mapping Agency of Indonesia. BIG formerly named National Coordinator for Survey and Mapping Agency. This national agency is responsible for Indonesian geospatial information as one map policy implementation. In 2010, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono stated that Indonesia should has single referenced map, so there wouldn't be any different spatial data for country development.
National Natural Resources Management System is an integrated natural resource management system of India which aggregates the data about natural resources from the remote sensing satellites and other conventional techniques. One of the important elements of this management system is the National Resource Information Systems which acts as feeder information system to the larger information system of the Government, which includes socioeconomic information and models. NNRMS activities are co-ordinated at the National level by the Planning Committee of NNRMS (PC-NNRMS) which frames guidelines for implementation of the systems and oversees the progress of remote sensing applications for natural resources management in the country.
