What is OSNI GlobalMap?

OSNI GlobalMap is a 1:1,000,000 scale digital vector topographic dataset covering Northern Ireland.  Produced and maintained at source by Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland, it forms part of EuroGlobalMap - a seamless harmonised dataset covering 35 European countries.

Key Features

• Covers 35 European countries:-
  • Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Great Britain, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Moldova, Monaco, Northern Ireland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands and The Vatican.
• Metadata according to ISO19115 standard.
• Harmonised data specifications synchronised with the DIGEST (NATO Standardisation Agreement) feature catalogue.
• Official and definitive data provided by National Mapping and Cadastral Agencies.
• Available under an agreed European common pricing and licensing policy.
• Updated every two years.

Technical Information

• The dataset contains 6 themes:-
  • Administrative boundaries, Hydrography, Transport, Settlements, Elevation and Named location
• Each theme contains one or more data layers
• The co-ordinate system is based on the ETRS89 spatial reference system showing degrees (longitude and latitude) with decimal fractions
• Positional accuracy is within 1000 metres
• ArcInfo layer structuring and topographical rules.  All layers in ArcInfo vector format.  Features saved to the layers are points, nodes, lines and polygons

Applications

• Ideal for a range of planning, monitoring and presentational uses, including environmental policies, marketing planning and network analysis
• Can be used as a background for displaying information
• The data is available as lines, polygons and text, all with attribution allowing cartographic representation in suitable software packages
• OSNI GlobalMap is particularly useful as an overview of Northern Ireland

EuroGlobalMap in Action

The EuroGlobalMap is used by the European River Commissions (covering rivers including the Rhine and Danube) to report on their respective river basins within the Water Framework Directive.  Because of its small scale, EuroGlobalMap has strong potential for the planning, monitoring and presentation of information carried out under the Directive.

The European Commission is using EuroGlobalMap to help chart the progress of the 'Trans-European Transport Network' (TEN), a major element in the stimulation of both economic competition and sustainable development across the EU.  This development requires the interconnection and interoperability of national networks for the applicant countries.  There are significant transport needs that have been identified, with around 20,000km of roads and nearly 30,000km of railways to be built or improved at a cost of nearly 100,000 million Euro.  EuroGlobalMap is being used to help plan, present and review the complete TEN process, from the identification of potential new transport lines to progressively monitoring the development.

What is OSNI RegionalMap?

OSNI RegionalMap is a 1:250,000 scale digital vector topographical dataset covering Northern Ireland.  Produced and maintained at source by Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland, it forms part of the EuroRegionalMap - a seamless harmonised dataset currently covering 7 European countries.  The full EuroRegionalMap product is a Pan-European vector database designed as a topographical framework and as a base product for multi-purpose GIS at the scale 1:250,000.

Key Features

• Currently covering Belgium, France, Denmark, Germany, Luxembourg, Northern Ireland and Ireland, it is being extended to include 25 countries.
• Compiled by the National Mapping and Cadastral Agencies of each country, creating the most reliable official data at this scale.
• The database will be constantly updated and linked with the national databases.
• Online ordering and delivery.

Technical Information

• This dataset contains 7 themes:-
  • Administrative boundaries, Water network, Settlements, Transport network, Miscellaneous object, Soil and vegetation and Named locations
• Compliant with proposed INSPIRE (Infrastructure for Spatial Information in Europe) directive
• All data is fully attributed using the DIGEST (NATO Standardisation Agreement) feature catalogue
• Metadata compliant with ISO19115
• Features can be linked to any database
• Consistent data and feature representation throughout

Applications

• Site location
• Marketing
• Insurance
• Routing
• Drive times
• Traffic management
• Location information
• Backdrop applications
• Regional and Local Government planning

EuroRegionalMap in Action

EuroRegionalMap is suitable for spatial analysis, network analysis and visualisation and will facilitate the implementation of cross border and Pan-European GIS as well as the transfer of GIS expertise from one national market to another.

The European Commission believes that the EuroRegionalMap has potential in a number of GI related activities such as Water Framework Directive, the Noise Directive and planning of the Trans European Network.  The EC expects the EuroRegionalMap to serve as the reference dataset for geo-referencing additional thematic information.

EuroRegionalMap can also serve as a reliable geographic framework assuring harmony between a number of new datasets, including Natura2000, CORINE, Land Cover 2000 and catchment areas at 1:250,000 scale.