OCHA RELEASES FREE WORLD-WIDE MAP COLLECTION TO CELEBRATE GIS DAY

(Geneva / New York, 17 November 2010): A new collection of 200 free country maps, created by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) to celebrate Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Day on 17 November 2010, is now available on ReliefWeb. OCHA partners, collaborators and the humanitarian community are invited to utilise the resource with credit, to enhance print, web or broadcast products.

The series -- featuring revamped styling from the initial release in 2007 and the addition of major cities -- can be downloaded from www.reliefweb.int/location_maps

The projects' goal is to provide open access to accurate, attractive maps to OCHA partners that do not possess advanced mapping capabilities. As a new feature, PDF versions of the maps can be edited using graphic design software. Web-ready versions are also provided in JPEG format, at both 250 and 350 pixels in width, for easy online use.

The map series has been used by projects such as The Millennium Development Goals Monitor website. It has been produced with support from the United Nations Cartographic Section.

OCHA produces a broad range of maps based on humanitarian needs; from thematic to reference, from small to large scale, from advocacy to operational purposes. In addition, guidance materials, map templates and humanitarian symbology are produced to support relief operations.

Over the past years, more than 1,200 data sets, including international boundaries, populated areas, and road systems, covering 97 countries and territories, from over 80 sources, have been collated and processed to generate the maps and images that relief workers use in dealing with natural disasters and other emergencies around the world.

GIS Day is an annual event dedicated to creating geographical awareness around the world. This year, more than 80 countries will take part, marking the day through workshops, corporate events and community expos.

For further information, please call:

OCHA-New York, Stephanie Bunker +1 917 367 5126, mobile +1 347 244 2106, bunker@un.org;

OCHA-Geneva, Elisabeth Byrs +41 22 917 2653, mobile, +41 79 473 4570, byrs@un.org.

OCHA press releases are available at http://ochaonline.un.org or www.reliefweb.int.

For more information about CERF, please see http://cerf.un.org