science

Global Map

Global Map is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Global Map rather than just read about it. In short: Global Map is a set of digital maps that accurately cover the whole globe to express the status of global environment. It is developed through the cooperation of National Geospatial Information Authorities (NGIAs) in the world.

Key takeaways

Global Map belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Global Map to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Global Map from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Global Map is a set of digital maps that accurately cover the whole globe to express the status of global environment. It is developed through the cooperation of National Geospatial Information Authorities (NGIAs) in the world. An initiative to develop Global Map under international cooperation, the Global Mapping Project, was advocated in 1992 by Ministry of Construction, Japan (MOC) at the time (the current Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Japan-MLIT). Global Map is digital geospatial information in 1 km resolution which satisfies the following conditions:

Covering the whole land area of the globe In consistent specifications Easily accessible by anyone in marginal cost The global geospatial information developed as Global Map mainly consists of the following thematic layers:

Transportation Boundary Drainage Population Centers Elevation Vegetation (Percent Tree Cover) Land Cover Land Use

History Since the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in 1972, global environmental challenges have been recognized as an issue which is common to humankind. “The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (the Earth Summit)” in Brazil in 1992 adopted “An action plan of humankind for sustainable development: Agenda 21.” Agenda 21 describes in many parts the importance of information for decision-making to appropriately cope with global environmental challenges. Especially geospatial information is regarded to be critical. In response to the objectives of Agenda 21 and in recognition of the need for further contribution to the development of geospatial information, the MOC at the time (the current MLIT) advocated, in the same year, the Global Mapping Project, an international cooperation initiative to develop global geospatial information to understand the present status and changes of global environment. This concept was presented at the Fifth United Nations Regional Cartographic Conference for the Americas in New York in 1993. At the same time, resolution calling for the promotion of the development of global geospatial data was adopted at this conference. Following this conference, a similar resolution was adopted at Thirteenth United Nations Regional Cartographic Conference for Asia and the Pacific in Beijing in 1994. In 1996, International Steering Committee for Global Mapping (ISCGM), which consists of heads or its equivalents of NGIAs, was established to promote the Global Mapping Project. Thus the mechanism for the international promotion was formed. The Geospatial Information Authority of Japan (GSI) has been serving as the secretariat of the ISCGM. In the following year, in 1997, which was five years after the Earth Summit, the nineteenth special session of the United Nations General Assembly (19th UNGASS) was held. At the paragraph 112 of the resolution adopted by the 19th UNGASS, importance of a supportive environment to enhance national capacities and capabilities for information collection and processing, especially in developing countries, to facilitate public access to information on global environmental issues was mentioned along with the description mentioning the significance of international cooperation, including global mapping, as a means to develop the supportive environment. As a result of such movement, in 1998, a recommendatory letter to participate in the Global Mapping Project was sent from the United Nations to NGIAs of respective countries in the world. Further, at the World Summit on Sustainable Development (Johannesburg Summit) held in 2002, global mapping was included in the Plan of Implementation.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Global Map

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Global Map claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Global Map before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Global Map ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Global Map

In research: Global Map appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Global Map in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Global Map is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Geographic data and information, Global natural environment, International sustainable development, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Global Map outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Global Map in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Global Map means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Global Map out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Global Map in simple terms?

Why does Global Map matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Global Map?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Global Map.