GfK GeoMarketing releases updated and digitized maps for Central and South America

GfK GeoMarketing has newly updated and digitized maps for all Central and South American countries. The approximately 500 digital maps provide a reliable cartographic basis for detailed analyses and planning in this region.

The new map editions provide coverage of at least the two-digit postcode boundaries of all Central and South American countries with postcode systems – five-digit coverage is available for some Caribbean islands, Puerto Rico and Costa Rica. Administrative levels for almost all of the featured countries are rendered at the highest possible level of detail. GfK GeoMarketing’s new Central and South American map editions comprise around 500 map layers – a significant increase from the 300 layers available in previous editions. Comprehensive coverage of postcode boundaries is available for the first time for many countries, including Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Mexico. The digitization of the cities has also been enhanced – for example, the maps of Cuba feature coverage of around 2,300 cities, organized into five size categories. All countries were digitized and refined using the latest cartographic sources.

The topographic maps have also been improved: Waterbodies and coastlines are very finely rendered in all of the maps, corresponding to a level of detail at least comparable to a conventional paper map scale of 1:100,000. The maps thus support an enormous array of applications. These range from business uses such as geomarketing to natural catastrophe planning by NGOs and detailed risk assessment by reinsurance companies.

"The re-digitization and expansion of the maps for Central and South American was a very demanding process," says Klaus Dittmann, head of cartography at GfK GeoMarketing. "Our cartography division spent months researching, verifying and re-digitizing the maps. Comprehensive, detailed and up-to-date maps are essential for those active in the dynamic markets of Central and South America, such as the insurance industry, which needs highly detailed and accurate maps. Our newly updated maps of Central and South America thus provide a much-needed, reliable cartographic basis for these countries."

Some of the features of the new map editions include comprehensive coverage, seamlessly fitting and overlap-free boundaries, national and local place-name attributions and infinite zoom capability. Like all of the digital maps sold by GfK GeoMarketing, the new Central and South America map editions are offered in all standard digital map formats, including *.shp (ESRI), *.mid/*.mif (MapInfo), *.gdb (Geodatabase) and *.lay (GfK GeoMarketing). The new maps of all Central and South American countries will be available from the end of June. These maps are part of GfK GeoMarketing’s cartographic coverage of 240 countries, the world’s largest collection of digital administrative and postcode maps.