Basemaps

Basemaps

Basemaps

Basemaps are general or topographic maps providing geographic context in GIS systems. They serve as the foundation for any project, helping emphasize key data layers and adding style and clarity to the overall design.
This map is a collection of open basemaps and their sources. Click the info button in the upper right corner to get a link to a specific basemap. You can also read more about how to add your basemaps to the GISCARTA platform here: https://giscarta.com/instructions#widgets-basemap

Basemaps are general or topographic maps providing geographic context in GIS systems. They serve as the foundation for any project, helping emphasize key data layers and adding style and clarity to the overall design.
This map is a collection of open basemaps and their sources. Click the info button in the upper right corner to get a link to a specific basemap. You can also read more about how to add your basemaps to the GISCARTA platform here: https://giscarta.com/instructions#widgets-basemap

Types of Basemaps:

Street, satellite, topographic, political, thematic maps.

Esri Light Gray

Esri Light Gray

Esri Light Gray

A minimalistic, grayscale basemap from Esri, ideal for overlaying thematic data while maintaining a clean and professional appearance.

Esri Light Gray Retina

Esri Light Gray Retina

Esri Light Gray Retina

A high-resolution, light-themed basemap optimized for Retina displays, offering crisp details and superior cartographic clarity.

OSM (OpenStreetMap)

A community-driven, open-source map with detailed street-level data, perfect for general navigation and urban planning.

OSM Topo

A topographic version of OpenStreetMap, featuring elevation contours and terrain details for outdoor and hiking applications.

Esri Street Map

A comprehensive street-level basemap with detailed roads, highways, and urban infrastructure, suitable for navigation and route planning.

Esri Nat Geo

A beautifully styled map inspired by National Geographic cartography, providing a rich visual representation of geographic features.

Esri DeLorme

A specialized basemap for outdoor and navigation purposes, designed by DeLorme and optimized for travelers and explorers.

Google Maps

Google’s widely used street map with detailed geographic information, offering real-time traffic and navigation insights.

Yandex Maps

A street map service by Yandex, particularly useful for navigation and local business search in Russia and surrounding regions.

Black Theme

A dark-themed basemap that enhances visibility of overlays and reduces eye strain in low-light environments.

City Lights

A unique basemap showing Earth’s illuminated urban areas at night, based on NASA satellite imagery.

Imagery Google

High-resolution satellite imagery from Google, providing real-world views of landscapes, cities, and remote locations.

Imagery USGS

Aerial and satellite imagery from the US Geological Survey, offering historical and high-resolution geographic data.

Imagery Yandex

Satellite imagery from Yandex, useful for detailed land cover analysis in Russia and neighboring countries.

ESRI World

Shaded Relief A basemap with shaded relief to highlight terrain variations and landform structures globally.

Esri World Terrain Base

A terrain-focused map by Esri, showcasing elevation and topographic features suitable for outdoor navigation and spatial analysis.

Esri World Physical

A visually appealing basemap depicting physical geography such as mountains, rivers, and deserts in a natural color scheme.

Esri World Ocean Base

A marine-focused basemap detailing ocean depths, bathymetry, and underwater landforms for maritime applications.

Esri World Dark Gray

A dark-themed basemap by Esri, designed for overlaying bright-colored data while maintaining high contrast and readability.

Moon Map

A specialized lunar basemap, showcasing the Moon’s surface features, craters, and elevation variations.

Mars Map

A high-resolution planetary basemap displaying the Martian surface, including its craters, canyons, and mountains.

Thunderforest Pioneer

A stylized basemap with vintage cartographic aesthetics, suitable for historical and adventure-themed applications.

Relief Map

A basemap emphasizing landforms with shaded relief, making it ideal for elevation studies and terrain analysis.

Here Terrain

A detailed terrain basemap from HERE Maps, highlighting elevation changes and landforms for outdoor exploration.

Here Hybrid

A hybrid map combining satellite imagery with road and place labels for enhanced navigation and spatial understanding.

OSM HD

A high-definition version of OpenStreetMap with improved resolution and detailed rendering of urban and rural features.

OSM Humanitarian

A crisis-focused version of OpenStreetMap, designed for disaster response, humanitarian aid, and relief efforts.

OPNVKarte

A transit-focused map highlighting public transportation networks, including buses, trains, and metro routes.

CyclOSM

A cycling-oriented basemap featuring bike lanes, trails, and infrastructure designed for cyclists and urban planners.

Esri World Imagery

A high-resolution Esri satellite basemap with regularly updated imagery for detailed geographic analysis.

Carto Black Labels

A dark basemap with high-contrast labels, ensuring readability for overlaying bright-colored thematic data.

Voyager

A visually engaging basemap by Carto, featuring modern cartographic styling with clear road and place labels.

2GIS

A detailed urban mapping service, providing extensive business listings, public transport, and infrastructure details.

OSM Bright VT

A vibrant vector tile version of OpenStreetMap, optimized for clarity and easy navigation.

Positron VT

A light-colored vector basemap with soft tones, ideal for overlaying additional data without visual clutter.

Dark Matter VT

A dark vector basemap providing high contrast and minimalistic styling, suitable for nighttime and data visualization applications.

OSM Default VT

A vector tile basemap version of OpenStreetMap, offering a clean and familiar cartographic style.

Toner VT

A black-and-white, high-contrast basemap designed for data visualization and clear geographic representation.

Fiord VT

A unique cartographic style inspired by Norwegian fjords, providing a distinct and artistic map visualization.

ArcGIS Hybrid VT

A hybrid basemap blending satellite imagery with vector elements for enhanced spatial context.

OSM Classic VT

A traditional vector representation of OpenStreetMap, maintaining its classic style with added flexibility.

Carto Voyager VT

A vector version of the popular Carto Voyager basemap, combining modern cartography with high detail.

Q&A

Why is a basemap needed?

Why is a basemap needed?

Why is a basemap needed?

Basemaps support project layer creation and aid data analysis, revealing trends and enhancing communication.

Where are basemaps used?

Where are basemaps used?

Where are basemaps used?

Urban planning, agriculture, environmental monitoring, natural resource management, forestry, land use, and sustainable development.

What elements do basemaps include?

What elements do basemaps include?

What elements do basemaps include?

Basemaps can contain geographic contours, hydrography, geographical and political boundaries, transportation infrastructure, and other features.

What are common basemap providers?

What are common basemap providers?

What are common basemap providers?

Popular providers include Google, Yandex, OSM, ArcGIS, Mapbox, CARTO, and others.

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