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Papers from a conference on cartography in geolinguistics include: "The Political Importance of Visualisation of Language Contact" (Yvo J. D. Peeters); "Some Considerations on People and Boundaries" (Guy Heraud); "Geolinguistic Developments and Cartographic Problems" (Colin H. Williams, John E. Ambrose); "A Conceptual Home for Geolinguistics: Implications for Language Mapping in South Africa" (I. J. van der Merwe); "Methods and Possibilities for Mapping by Onomasticians" (Ferjan Ormeling); "'Easy Geolinguists' and Cartographers" (Roland Breton); "Regionalism and Ethnic Distribution in Today's Hungary" (Jozsef Toth); and "Putting Regional Identity on the Language Map: Some Reflections on Recent Developments in South Africa" (Karel Prinsloo). A number of maps and data tables are included. Information about the European Centre for Ethnolinguistic Cartography (Brussels, Belgium) is also included. (MSE)

The 29 papers in this collection were presented at 9 conference workshops: "Inset Maps and Proposals for Their Description" (V. Kusov); "The Utilization of the Old Maps in Modern Researches" (H. Melnikova); (3) "New Series of Maps for Higher Schools: Their Role in the Cartographic Provision for the Higher Education" (O. Yevteyev); "The Contribution of Maps to the Development of Society" (Y. P. Arzhanov); "The Indivisibility of Art Librarianship" (P. Pacey); "International Exchange of Art Publications: Some Points for Discussion" (J. M. Shaw); "Materials for the Study of Russian/Soviet Art and Architecture: Problems of Selection, Acquisition, and Collection Development for Research Libraries, in Historical Perspective" (E. Kasinec, R. H. Davis; "The National Art Library and the USSR: Connections and Collections" (J. van der Wateren); "Collections, Scientific Activities, Literature Acquisition in the Library of the State Hermitage" (E. I. Makarova); "Tretyakov Gallery Scientific Library Collection" (A. Bolotova); "From Keeping to Knowledge. Theatre Library in Changing World" (L. V. Krotkova); "Fine Arts Data and Data Banks in the USSR" (D. G. Pertsev); "Automated Data Bank on Culture and Arts" (L. Tikhonova); "Young Adults and Libraries--A Troubled Relationship?" (I. Glashoff); "The Role of Reading in the Life of Contemporary Children and Teenagers" (A. Lebedeva); "Factors Which Contribute to Reading Motivation by Middle Grade Students in the United States" (S. Fitzgibbons); "How To Encourage Children To Read Foreign Literature?" (O. Miaotz); "We Have Read Different Tales (on value models in children's reading)" (M. Dubrovskaya); "Children's Literature Documentation Centres in the USSR: The Present-Day Situation and the Trends of Development" (Y. Prosalkova); "International Interlending of Materials in Alternate Formats: Planning and Executing a Worldwide Project" (E. Massis); "Conversion Technology of Multilingual Card Catalogues of Lenin State Library in Machine Readable Form with the Use of Scanning Devices" (A. Vostrikov, Y. Fenin); "The Application of Life Cycle Costing in Libraries: A Case Study Based on Acquisition and Retention of Library Materials in the British Library" (A. Stephens); "Library Use of Cost Analysis and Cost Recovery" (J. Goforth, M.E.D. Koenig); and "Management Education and Training for Librarians in Scotland" (I. M. Johnson, and others). (MAB)

The four papers in this collection report on geography and map libraries: (1) "Changing Patterns of Map Availability" (C. R. Perkins and R. B. Parry, United Kingdom), which presents the results of a three year survey into the state of world mapping, a discussion of the implications of changing patterns of map availability for map library acquisitions, an evaluation of worldwide availability of conventionally published mapping, and a statement of conclusions regarding this availability; (2) "L'automatisation au Departement des Cartes et Plans de la Bibliotheque nationale (Automation in the Department of Charts and Maps in the National Library)" (Pierre-Yves Duchemin, France), which appears only in the original French; (3) "Online Bibliographic and Circulation Systems: The Illinois Example" (David Cobb, United States), which discusses the recataloging project of the University of Illinois Map and Geography Library, supported by a Title II-C grant; and (4) "CARTO-NET: Graphic Retrieval and Management in an Automated Map Library" (Barbara Morris, United Kingdom), which provides descriptions of CARTO-NET, a fully functioning, automated map cataloging and retrieval system, and a study of the feasibility of setting up a cooperative map cataloging network. (CGD)

Four papers on geography and map libraries were presented at the 1986 International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) conference. "Generation and Utilization of Maps and Atlases in Japan," by Takashi Morita of Japan, presents an overview of the making and uses of maps and atlases in Japan and concludes that a comprehensive national map cataloging system is needed as well as a nationwide map library or museum. Related statistics are presented in graphic format. In "Report on the Library of Congress and Other Federal Agencies' Optical Disc Development for Cartography," Ralph E. Ehrenberg (United States) presents a status report on the Library of Congress Optical Disc Pilot Program and the development of optical disk technology projects for cartographic materials at several official mapping organizations. "Map Libraries and Optical Disks" (Lorraine Dubreul, Canada) describes optical disk technology as well as applications at the National Library of Canada and the U.S. Library of Congress. Finally, "Digital Maps and Map Libraries" (Sarah Tyacke, United Kingdom) considers the issues involved in establishing a series of national geographic/cartographic databases, including monitoring database production, new forms of storage and information retrieval systems for archiving, legal deposit and copyright laws, the organization of an archive at the national level, and the necessity for setting up a consultative body. (KM)

Educational discourse is totally completely imbued with the values that affect the societies to which individuals belong. Those in the field of geographical education must examine those values in order to determine what type of geographical education is best for each society. The following papers contribute to this knowledge: "Presentation" (Hernando); "Geographical Education and Society: The Changing Public perceptions of School Geography in the United States" (Stoltman); "Social Tasks of the Society and the Changes in School Geography Education" (Maksakovsky), "Treatment of the Mediterranean Region in Nigerian Secondary Schools" (Okpala); "The Influence of Culture, Education and Subject Tradition on the Teaching of the Mediterranean in British Schools" (Hall); "Research Perspectives for the Empirical Didactics of Geography" (Schrettenbrunner); "Gifted Children and their Development of Understanding Maps" (Gerber); "The Use of Pictures in the Teaching of Geography" (Wilczynska-Woloszyn); "An Examination of Some of the New Information Technologies and their Use in Canadian Geographic Education" (Green-Milber); "La Promotion des Aides Audio-visuelles a l'education Geographique: Orientations et realisations du Groupe de Travail Francais (C.N.G. Paris)" (Faugeres); "A Study of the Map Drawing Ability of Secondary School Pupils between the Ages 12 and 19" (Stimpson); "Work with Geographic Literature at lessons" (Tatjana); "Optimizing the teaching of Geography by Pictorial Education" (Idziak); "Enhancing Vegetation Appreciation: Class Projects from San Diego State University" (Fredrich); and "Geography for International Understanding - a World Perspective" (Hawbrich). (BZ)

An analysis of the content and methods of college courses in map use yields a three-section result. The first is a rather traditional overview of the general uniformity in content (scale, coordinates, symbols, relief, and directions) but some diversity in methods. The focus is usually on map use skills. The second part classifies and analyzes the methodological diversity. A challenge to map use educators about the nature and future of map use courses is posed in the third section. Major emphasis on map appreciation and map relevance could greatly increase the appeal of such courses to general students and adult learners. The comments are directed only to complete courses, not situations where map use skills are part of another course such as physical geography. (Author)

A study was done to examine changing representations of knowledge in the field of comparative and international education since the 1950s, to identify dominant paradigms and theories in use today and to suggest how these diverse constructs may be mapped at macro and micro levels of social reality as an intellectual field. The study used textual analysis to examine the emergence of paradigmatic and theoretical conceptions. Three major representation of knowledge in the field were identified: the orthodox, the heterodox, and the enfolding heterogeneous. The orthodox is described as linear, hierarchical and centralized and developing in the 1950s and 1960s. The heterodoxy of the 1970s and 1980s was branching, with the emergence of new inquiry perspectives. The new heterogeneity developing in the 1990s is disputatious yet contains complementary knowledge communities. Also found were convergent trends across knowledge communities with discussion noting recent eclectic adaptations as comparative educators and their texts became more polyocular and reflexive. This allows new theory to emerge from combinations of existing theories and the paradigmatic dispositions of our time. Included are 4 figures and a 74-item bibliography. (JB)

The 10 papers in this booklet were presented at meetings of 4 sections within the Division of Special Libraries: (1) "Information Ensurance of a Scientist" (V. Matveyev, USSR); (2) "Linguistic Barriers and Machine Translation" (Stanley Kalkus, USA); (3) "Maps for Planning" (V. I. Zhukov and L. G. Rudenko, USSR); (4) "Development of Atlas Cartography in the USSR" (O. A. Yevteyev and N. Ye. Kotelnikova); (5) "Soyuzmedinform Computer Technology and Soviet Medical Data Bases" (B. Loguinov); (6) "Experiences in Using Soviet Databases in Scandinavia" (Sauli Laitinen, Finland); (7) "The Use of New Information Technologies at INIST-CNRS" (Christian Lupovici); (8) "The Functioning of the Lenin State Library of the USSR Information System on Culture and Arts" (T. I. Lapteva); (9)"Developments in Imaging Technology for Arts Information" (Merrill Wadsworth Smith and Patrick A. Purcell, USA); and (10) "Art Libraries in Cooperation: The Art and Architecture Program Committee of the Research Libraries Group" (Jeannette Dixon, USA). (MAB)

The Wilderness Education Association (WEA) helps people enjoy and protect our nation's most precious resource: Our wilderness areas. The WEA has been training and certifying outdoor leaders around the world for nearly 30 years, teaching students safely and effectively to lead groups in the outdoors without harming the environment. In addition, working with national conservation groups and government agencies, the WEA educates the general public in how to appreciate and conserve the wilderness through special curricula and public service information campaigns. The nine papers comprising these proceedings are: (1) Outdoor Leadership Development in a Wired Age: Effective Training Applications That Keep Pace with Technology (Andy Ballard, Ricky Haro, and Josh Walker); (2) Inspiring Young Leaders through Collaborative Recreation (Mary Darwin, Deb Gisvold, and Mallory Rickbeil); (3) Research Roundtable: Charting the Future of Research in Outdoor Leadership (Marni Goldenberg and Bruce Martin); (4) Outdoor Leadership Development in a Wired Age: Interactive Course Area Guides (ICAGs) (Ricky Haro, Josh Walker, and Andy Ballard); (5) The Woodcraft Archetype of Nature Interaction (Paul Van Horn); (6) Developing Practical Indicators of Outdoor Leadership Competency (Bruce Martin and Mark Wagstaff); (7) Stoked on Leadership (Dane Landrith); (8) Teaching Adventure Education: Theory and Best Practices (Bob Stremba and Chris Mulcahy); and (9) Outdoor Leadership Development in a Wired Age: Navigation Terrain Futures (Josh Walker, Ricky Haro, and Andy Ballard). (Individual papers contain references.) [For the 2006 proceedings, see ED504907.]

This paper describes the development of the hardware-software configuration required for a computerized digitizer-graphics system for encoding locational information at the University of Iowa's Department of Geography and Institute of Urban and Regional Research. Topics covered include system requirements, data structure, hardware configurations, and the development of software to interface the digitizer and an IMLAC PDS-4 minicomputer with a host HP-2000 computer. Problem areas are identified in user documentation, operating efficiency, system support, budgetary, testing, and transportability. (RAO)

The paper describes a method of using simulation games with inverted maps to teach college undergraduates basic cartographic and spatial knowledge in geography. The author discusses the nature of simulation gaming in terms of the conflicting needs for structure and open-endedness, then identifies his major objective in developing the new approach. His dilemma was to construct an instructional simulation game which was relevant to the real world but simplified enough so that the process was emphasized more than the conclusion. The use of inverted (upside-down) maps was the answer. By using inverted, mirror-image maps of particular countries or regions, one can create illusions of imaginary countries. Students are fooled by the inverted images and therefore are not distracted by their prior knowledge or attitudes about certain countries' political or economic aspects. In the author's game, students are given an inverted map of Africa with the five major regions delineated under imaginary names. Real data reflecting the population dynamics of these regions are provided, and students must evaluate the data to determine which region most desparately needs economic aid from the United Nations. Afterwards, the teacher relates the experience to the real world by presenting the game-map in its correct perspective. (AV)

The paper explores the role of geographers in preparing environmental impact statements (EISs). In 1969 the National Environmental Policy Act mandated that an EIS be prepared for every legislative proposal that significantly affects the environmental quality. EISs must be prepared by interdisciplinary teams representing natural and social sciences as well as the fields covered by the projects being assessed. Geographers with cartographic skills are of great value on EIS teams because maps are an effective method of displaying environmental characteristics. In response to criticism of EIS quality, a survey was undertaken in 1978 of 312 colleges and universities offering geography courses to determine how many offered a course designed to teach EIS preparation skills. Seventy percent of the respondents replied that they offered some EIS preparation training or felt that it should be offered. Because new regulations concerning EIS preparation are forthcoming, the author believes this is a critical time for college geography departments to emphasize skills of EIS preparation and to train geographers so that they can contribute to the successful enforcement of the new regulations. (AV)

The cartography departments of the leading Soviet libraries--the Lenin State Library of the USSR, the Saltykov-Shchedrin State Public Library, and the Library of the USSR Academy of Sciences--perform a wide range of operations on cartographic works for reader service and for the development of reference tools and techniques to be used by other Soviet libraries. Planning in cartography departments is based on the tasks facing library science and cartography and the ten-to fifteen-year plans for a concrete library. The department plans are usually drawn up for a term of five years, with shorter times for the monitoring of specific projects, and reflect the key tasks of department development. With centralized guidance, planning is carried out by department members, by library specialists, and by expert cartographers. Plans are coordinated between departments, between libraries, and between libraries and country's cartographic institutions. This cooperation has resulted in progress toward the standardization of the bibliographic control of cartographic works. Despite this progress, a vast potential still remains for deepened specialization and coordination to optimize service to all users. (Author/SL)

The method for spatial relation determination of equipment of an autonomous mapping airship is presented in the paper. The selection of an airship as a carrier was based on our specific requirements such as carrying capacity, long flight time, safety (in case of failure there is no danger of straight fall, airship staying heavier than air therefore it will drop smoothly to the ground) and flight characteristics such as stability of flight in terms of vibrations and possibility to flight at low speed. On the airship a measuring platform is mounted in the damped gravitational gimbal. The platform has modular concept which allows employing different sensors and changes of its amount and position. The only limitation is total weight, which shouldn't exceed 15 kg (carrying capacity of the airship). Currently, equipment consists of tactical grade INS/GPS navigation unit (iMAR iTracer - F200), laser scanner (SICK LD-LRS1000) with conical modification, digital camera in the visible spectrum (Canon 100D, Olympus E-PM1) and professional thermometric camera (FLIR SC645). The aim of the whole project is to create measuring system which will have specific properties suitable for effective mapping of medium-wide areas (units to tens of square kilometers) e.g. [15]. This system should be useful especially for ranges that are too large for conventional surveying with GNSS or total station and too small for using of manned air vehicles from economical and accuracy point of view. The methods for spatial relation determination between pose estimation unit INS/GPS and used sensors are presented in the paper. The methods are based on direct laboratory measuring of coordinate offsets (lever-arms) and in-flight determination of rotation offsets (bore-sights). Bore-sights are determined from comparison between INS/GPS unit and sensors poses, when sensors pose is determined from its observations. Used methods for camera and scanner bore-sight determination are based on the state-of-the-art methods presented in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper describes examples of applying elliptic integrals in mathematical cartography calculations, i.e. related with cartographic projections and reference surfaces. Selected equations and algorithms used in calculating the meridian arc length on an oblate spheroid, meridian arc length on a tri-axial ellipsoid, the equation and length of the geodesic, and coordinate transformation on an oblate spheroid, have been applied. Examples of elliptic integral application for the construction of cartographic projections of a sphere, oblate spheroid and tri-axial ellipsoid are also presented. Important elements of these equations are elliptic integrals of the first, second and third kind. Methods and tools for solving these integrals are presented, as well as calculations testing the described algorithms and methods. The results have allowed to test the precision of the performed calculations and the efficiency of the applied algorithms. The calculations were made using Octave and Matlab software. Conducted study reveals that obtained results are the same regardless of the method used but some methods are more efficient or convenient to use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last two years, given the frequent occurrence of crisis situations, we are becoming more aware of them and the need for proper management of emerging crisis situations and prediction of possible crises in the near future is becoming a necessity. Crisis management is a complex process consisting of several phases that will be explained in this paper. Within each phase there is room for the use of cartographic support. It speeds up communication and provides an indispensable source of information for predicting risks and dangers and analyzing the impact of the crisis on a particular area. Nowadays, the basic source of information is the Internet, so people first look for solutions and instructions on the Internet during crisis situations. It emphasizes the role of online cartographic bases that can be a visualization tool to direct people to safe places and shelters and a source of communication to seek help and mark endangered sites immediately after a crisis situation occurs. After studying the available online views for the Republic of Croatia, a web map and cartographic application for the Republic of Croatia and crisis situations relevant to its area were created as an example of cartographic representations in crisis situations that are missing, which would enable a comprehensive analysis of crisis situations in Croatia by counties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many national and international agencies and organizations collect and provide open access to data on parts of the Earth's surface covered by water. Data on ocean temperature and acidity, precipitation, river flows, lake, sea, and groundwater levels, and many other open data sets allow researchers to monitor and observe water at different scales and time frames, and to better understand ecological processes and human impacts on the water environment. The main challenge in analyzing the vast amount of openly available data on seas, oceans, and other parts of the Earth's surface covered by water is their heterogeneity and the complexity of dynamic processes, which can be highly variable both spatially and temporally. Effective visualization of such data on a map can help in the effort to make mutual relationships obvious, to recognize the impacts of different actions, and model and evaluate tradeoffs among possible solutions. This paper explores the options available to cartographers for designing various thematic representations of data related to the water-covered portions of the Earth's surface. Using a set of openly available data, we demonstrate how choice of map projection, color schema type, and color palette can influence the transfer of information related to ocean health. In this process we examine the role of cartography in designing various thematic representations of data related to parts of the Earth's surface covered by water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The distance between two points on the Earth or a reference surface, defined by their latitude and longitude, can be calculated by using various methods. Regarding their computational complexity, calculation time and errors stem from the assumptions in their formulations; these methods reveal advantages or drawbacks in practice. In this paper, a number of spheroidal and spherical methods as well as a proposed method are investigated. Comparisons relative to their error percentage and duration time of calculation have been performed via C Programming Language and GNU C Compiler under Linux Operating System. In addition, Box-Whisker Analyses have been performed for each method. The experiments have shown that, the increment of the baseline length results in a rise of error percentage. However, most accurate results have been accomplished with Vincenty's Formulas. The formulations based on spherical or planar assumptions for computing the baselines do not reveal very accurate results; however, they are more desirable due to their easier interpretability and calculation speed for specific type of applications. Based on the findings described in this paper, appropriate calculation methods can be easily chosen depending on the purpose of application exemplary, in navigation, environmental science, geodetic and cartographic applications as well as surveying. The main purpose of the research beyond is to decide upon an optimal distance calculation method for academic project "Automated Province Assignment for Satellite Images Based Cascaded K Nearest Neighbor Algorithm: A Case Study of Turkey". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The web-oriented geoinformation system for forest fire danger prediction based on a probabilistic fire danger criteria is described in the paper. The new method of the calculation of the probabilistic fire danger criteria is depicted. A new formula for fire danger assessment for a certain time interval of forest fire season is obtained using the basic principles of the probability theory. A definition of the probability using frequency of events is used to calculate fire danger. The statistical data for certain forestry is used to determine all the multipliers in the formula of fire danger. The geoinformation system for forest fire danger assessment based on the method described here is developed by the Django platform in the programming language Python. The system architecture based on Django's Model-View-Template is described in the paper. The software package that runs on the server allows to get and visualize a set of parameters describing forest fire danger. The GeoDjango framework was used for realization of cartographic functions. A fragment of a forest fire risk map which corresponds to certain value of fire danger is depicted. The estimation of the fire risk and visualization it on the map help to identify areas most prone to fire ignition and spread and to allocate forest fire fighting resources efficiently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2017, the ABET Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) modified Criterion 3 (Student Outcomes) from eleven Student Outcomes (SOs a - k) to seven Student Outcomes (SOs 1 - 7). Most major concepts found within SOs a - k were captured in the transition to SOs 1 - 7; however, several terms were selectively eliminated while other new terminology was added. While ABET publications have listed the changes between ABET EAC SOs a - k and SOs 1 - 7, no linguistic analysis of the transition is readily available. The purpose of this study, therefore, is threefold. The first purpose is to provide an in-depth linguistic crosswalk of terminology used in ABET EAC SOs a - k and SOs 1 - 7. The second is to provide definitions of key terminology used in ABET EAC SOs 1 - 7. The third is to provide a framework for mapping embedded indicators within an environmental engineering curriculum to key words in SOs 1 - 7 for assessment and evaluation purposes. We hypothesize that some programs may overlook these changes and their assessment and evaluation of ABET EAC SOs 1 - 7 could be incomplete. This paper can be useful for programs who remain in a transition between ABET EAC SOs a - k and the new SOs 1 - 7, or for programs who want to cross-check their approach with ours. Our hope is that this study provides baseline definitions for key words in ABET EAC SOs 1 - 7 for the greater engineering community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maps as the most ubiquitous products of geovisualization are a natural part of the humankind. Professionals in business, civic engineering, transportation, agriculture and other fields as well as general public use them in everyday life for navigating in the territory, drawing various information, mining data for research studies, teaching kids to understand the world, arguing relevant interests, etc. However, only a few people realize how many different ways of influence maps can have to the user perception, understands and interprets. Each user perceives map differently, depending on various factors and there is also the influence of subjective opinion, but it is possible to study and evaluate user perception of cartographic works professionally. The paper focuses on user issues as one of the challenges of modern geovisualization. With growing demands on the efficiency of transfer of information from maps to users, gained knowledge has significant value. The authors examine the needs of the target users of the form of geovisualisation product by various factors: from the viewpoint of the human intellect and regarding physical abilities and needs, etc. Customizing the user may not always be reflected only in the context of cartographic terms, but also in the form of processing works - e.g. "indestructible" tourist maps on a hard paper, format maps for biking, etc. The authors emphasize the user issues as an essential condition for a successful transfer of information from the map to the user. It is, therefore, necessary to examine aspects of the user, which recently made available and modern technology such as eye-tracking, EEG, etc. They point to the collaboration with physicians, psychologists and statisticians. However, the most important role remains the geovisualization process. All findings should lead to improving the creation of maps so that the resulting geovisualization product for the user as the most beneficial and also suit their needs and their preferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper summarizes practical insights of cooperation between the cartographer, the thematic specialist and the graphic designer or the technical editor. Presented useful suggestions are based on the experience gained in the projects which involved partnership with historians, namely historical atlases and ad hoc historical maps for text publications and papers. There are discussed preparation issues of map concepts, map unification and thematic content preparations. Several notes are devoted to map symbols design with emphasis on methods that improves the readability of map annotations. It is mentioned the importance of harmonizing map layouts and the matter of correct typography. One section deals with hints for preparation of underlying data model and topographic layers. Further tips are to the topics of workflow and labour management within wider team of authors. The article recapitulates previous knowledge, best practices and impasses for the upcoming interactive atlas of the Czech history, which will be held in the next five years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents the design and deployment of Crismapp - an application aids on the elimination of loss of life and property, developed to support of decision-making processes of the rescue services. It is designed for strategic, tactical and operational management, available in three levels: visualization, enhanced editing mode and full administration. Technologically it is based on the WebGIS 2.0 principle, defined as the combination of WebGIS with Web 2.0 approaches. It supports a wide range of Web standards and a hybrid approach (GeoJSON). As far as possible it implements open souce solutions and standards, and it is built under HTML5, mapping functionality is supported by Leaflet library. Besides basic map functionality it handles with a number of advanced features, especially edit mode for editing both spatial and attribute geographic data in real-time directly via the web browser, connection to cloud storage GitHub/Gist for versioning, complex administration, four predefined default scenarios on various contexts (default, fire, flood, Vrbetice blasts) as a real-life concept of adaptive cartography. The application is filled with real data for real purposes, it allows centralized update and manage data in real-time by rescue services. Currently, it is under the pilot phase of testing by the Fire Department of the Olomouc region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A city is a network of spatial, formal, programmatic, and social relationships. It is a contiguous construct of interdependent components; some are conspicuous while others are hidden. The facets of urbanity that are not very accessible through casual observation must be uncovered in the studies of place. Identifying and interpreting the systems of relationship that make up the urban environment is key to understanding the role a new piece of architecture might have within those existing systems. This paper proposes architectural design studio pedagogy that excavates the plan of the city to find the things we don't see, and understand the things we do. This pedagogy explores the capacity of a single piece of architecture to operate at an urban scale, informing the development of the city around it. Site diagramming confronts students with differences between documentation and analysis. Students must do more than simply read a map; they must interpret information to gain a better understanding of that which might not be immediately apparent. They are also faced with the prospect of differentiating between operations of a single intervention and interrelated networks of the urban fabric. Successfully mapping site requires that contextual information be synthesized into a substantive position regarding the role of architecture in the operational systems surrounding it. This paper will focus on a design studio pedagogy in which urban contexts are seen as a series of "disruptions" to an ordered field. New interventions to the field disrupt existing relationships and forge new ones. Reading and responding to the urban fabric requires an understanding of that which will be disrupted, as well as generate an architecture that can adapt to future transformations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The origin of the unusual landforms of Baer's mounds on the Near-Caspian lowland is not well understood. One of the possible approaches to the understanding of natural history of the region is searching of similar regions. In the many papers the problem of mounds origin is revised but with not of review of geomorphological analogues in the World. Some author states that are not exist of similar landforms anywhere else. The topography characterize by the sets of parallel ridges and hollows / valleys. Range of length of the ridges is 0.5-3 km, average height is 7-10 m, and width is 150-200 m. The clear periodical pattern of the topography allows using landform's spectral analysis in this task. We developed the algorithm of such analysis in the R. The algorithm allows computing the seven parameters: maximum of the waves magnitudes, the importance of given share of waves, the general direction of heights fluctuation, the severity of this direction, frequencies of the biggest wave by the orthogonal directions (W-E and S-N) and the general wavelength. For the Baer's mounds territories the values of spectral characteristics of landforms are unique. The maximum magnitude for mound's territory is about 10 m, and on the around located territories is 1-2 m only. Importance of the main harmonic waves is 0.6 and 0.25 on the averages. The most frequent values of the wavelengths on the mound's site are 700-1500 m, and on the ambient area this parameters are 1500-2500 m and rises with large window size. All this parameters together are spectral fingerprint of these rare landforms. On the SRTM data we started the search of the similar topography. The first results allow saying about existing of similar mounds on the other continents. Used test site - territory of Iran and other neighbor countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the process of creating a useful geographic information system (GIS) viewer on the web that shows the map of the old town of Šibenik, which is located in the heart of Dalmatia. Spatial and attribute data is the core of every geoinformation system so therefore a database with objects of interest (cultural and historical sights in the old town centre) was created. The main goal of the project was to develop a GIS viewer for tourist purposes, but also to provide basic information about the current situation of building for investors and conservators. The rules of cartographic generalization, visualization and digital cartography were taken into account. The paper will describe theoretical and practical aspects of creating a geoinformation system. The theoretical part explains basic terms such as web cartography, web maps, databases and geoinformation systems. The practical part shows the working process which goes from collecting the data and processing it into the database, to creating the map and publishing it on the Internet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper compares the indicators of spatial development for the road network of Croatia towards chosen countries in Europe and on a county level in Croatia. It also shows the number of traffic accidents per counties and links it with indicators of spatial development. The paper presents the results of the research of spatial distribution of traffic accidents in Croatia by counties. An example of a hazardous site identification on the A6 motorway is provided by the accident data report. All the comparisons and analyzes are presented graphically in the form of charts and cartography-related views in the MapViewer 7 software. The result shows that there are significant differences between counties. It is often the case that similar values relate to counties derived from similar level of development and similar number of population. From the results it is concluded that the number of traffic accidents is more dependent on the population than on road network length in relation to the surface of the county. To invest in remediation of hazardous sites, it is necessary to consider more factors than repeated traffic accidents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autostereoscopy is a method for effective visualization of three-dimensional models with the help of ordinary imaging techniques. It allows achieving the 3D object observation without the need for special goggles, displays or other equipment. The Method itself is using rapidly alternating images of given object taken from defined angles, mimicking the position of the human eyes. Such animation induces a sense of depth. Autostereoscopy can be applied to a static image or even dynamic video materials. Firstly, we have focused on the autostereoscopic method itself, going from fundamentals of this technique through the description, how these principles can be used. Detailed guidelines containing available software tools define the process of application of autostereoscopy on ordinary three-dimensional computer models. These procedures are not restricted to specific software and can be used with different various available tools. Moreover, real applications on selected thematic maps are shown. Series of thematic maps is an illustrative set of examples of the way, how an author can use autostereoscopy on real-world examples. Paper summarizes the advantages and disadvantages of the method. Furthermore, it contains a set of examples that will help to pinpoint possible areas of use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the aim of preventing and controlling major accident hazards involving dangerous substances, many risk assessment methodologies have been developed worldwide. Until now, in Romania no formalized methodology has been proposed to competent authorities to determine the risk level of an industrial establishment. Based on the critical analysis of the risk assessment methods, there have been identified the key elements of the methodological basis of risk assessment for establishments concerned by the requirements of SEVESO II Directive. To reach this goal, four indexes were developed: the first one concerning the hazard source (the establishment), the second one the hazard flow (the vector of accident's propagation), the third one the vulnerability of targets (human, environmental or equipment) and the fourth one concerning the safety management (prevention and protection actions). The theoretical approach presented in the paper will allow cartography of risk level for an industrial establishment and its vicinity, representing a useful decision tool for risk managers and competent authorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The majority of information has a spatial context that can be represented in the map. For some kinds of users, the map is not only the possibility but also the necessity. In such cases it is highly important that presented information is correctly understood by the target group of users. Among these belong people with visual impairments, for which, however, the conventional map is insufficient. The number of visually impaired people increases every year and to their full-fledged integration into society is devoted a great attention. The user issues are determined by the users, in this specific case by the users of any geovisualizations and represent the most important influence in the process of map creation and map use. On user requirements and preferences is needed to take special attention and should be the determining factor in creating the concept of cartographic work and through the whole process of map creation. Also it is important to focus the methods of education of people with visual impairment. The connection between map users' issues and tactile cartographic education is one of the most important challenges of multidisciplinary approach. The paper/contribution focuses the user issues in the tactile cartographic education. The modern trends in tactile cartography, 3D printing and modern methods of education (incl. lifelong education) will be presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For some kinds of users, the map is not only the possibility but also the necessity; among these belong people with visual impairments, for which, however, the conventional map is insufficient. The tactile cartography is a part of cartographic science that deals with the creation of maps, plans, globes and other geovisualization products specially made for the perception by touch. Tactile cartography has to significantly simplify the presented reality with regard to the possibility of recognizing symbols on the map, mostly made by embossed drawing on the foil. This significantly differs from the traditional cartography, which aims to present as much details and as possible. The number of visually impaired people increases every year and to their fullfledged integration into society is devoted a great attention. Copyright issues are crucial in the era of the information society. The law essentially requires the authorization to apply the right to use a work (license) to another person. There are possible arrangements and licensing agreements where no such authorization is needed (open licenses), in some cases is it also possible to use authors work in situations prescribed by law. The tactile cartography has its own specifics in the mean of the technological approach, map content and the form of geospace visualization. Therefore, also the copyright issues in the tactile cartography has its own specifics and it is the main topic of the presented paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is the result of a project that examines the potential of web mapping services for military pilots. Military pilots (and perhaps pilots more generally) are special users who can benefit from dynamic mapping. The authors' research is of a user and user centered design of web mapping services. While Geographic Information Systems (GIS) represent a step forward in cartography, users and user issues become increasingly important when such systems are dynamic and/or deployed in a setting where time and space are constrained. We focus here on identifying the limit at which the value-added of online and dynamic mapping exceeds to costs in time and attention. Several methods related to users and usability problems are applied. The goal is to identify the most appropriate function for web mapping service for the Czech pilots, which are the target users. The pilots of the Czech Air Force (CZAF) are already familiar with digital maps. In this paper, two techniques employed for understanding the needs of the target group are employed: the first method is quantitative research on 64 CZAF pilots and their map use; after evaluating these results, the qualitative research followed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Development of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) as mapping systems is gaining more attention in recent years. The need for "real-time" spatial data acquisitions in a more efficient and economical way is the reason why UAV is presented as one of the most promising acquisition techniques today. That is most evident in areas where human life could be endangered which are therefore very difficult for survey using conventional methods. Thus, analyzing the capabilities of this technology and discovering the extents of its usefulness for geodetic survey needs to be conducted. The paper presents an overview of UAV systems and their applications. This overview describes different UAV systems, their characteristics and capabilities. The main objective of this paper is focused on comparison of different software solutions for processing images and analysis of their influence on the quality of Digital Terrain Models. Software packages used in this comparison are 3DM Analyst Mine Mapping Suite and Pix4D mapper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an analysis of spatial diversification relating to the morphology of the Orkhon River Valley bottom along a 417 km-long section, with reference to the lithological conditions and rock resistance to erosion. The research was completed based on the existing cartographic data as grounds for the creation of the GIS database. It has been found that the main factors affecting the morphological diversification of the Orkhon Valley Bottom are as follows: the presence of sedimentary rocks of fluvial origin in the form of widespread alluvial cones, the presence of rocks with considerable erosion resistance and the presence of tectonic faults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines a largely neglected and rarely explored topic, the maps and cartographic techniques in the gazetteers (Fangzhi) of the Song China (960-1279 A.D.). In both fields of the history of China and history of cartography, the maps in the gazetteers of the Song dynasty is a significant topic. As Joseph Needham, a world-renowned scholar in the history of Chinese science, comments, "Anyone at all acquainted with Chinese literature is familiar with the host of 'gazetteers',... In other literatures there is little comparable to this forest of monuments which the industry of provincial scholars erected over the centuries". (Needham 1959, vol. 3, 517). Since very few gazetteers before the Song dynasty have survived, the existed Song gazetteers have become rare and highly valued objects both for research and for collecting. In Chinese culture, a gazetteer is a comprehensive record of a local area. Maps were often considered as an important portion. These maps are an important portion of the extant maps of the Song period and have their own unique characteristics. In addition, they have great influence on later gazetteer maps. Through cartographic analysis on the maps in the nine existed Song gazetteers in detail, this paper reveals characteristics of the gazetteer maps in this period. Similar to the nature of the gazetteers themselves, the maps in these gazetteers presented various spatial images of a local area with the focus on the state administrative structures. Following the practice of the traditional Chinese cartography, all these maps were made based on the same concept of the flat earth surface. On this basis, multiple modes of cartographic representation and variety of map orientation were applied in the map making process. These modes include grid system, plane maps, and bird's eye view. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The perspective that the human body is not only an object in the world, but a lived body with feelings and sensations that creates meaning in interaction with the world is emerging in interaction design. Utilizing movement as a part of the design process is a new discipline in the field of design. Movement-based design methods (MbDM’s) are techniques, procedures or tools that contain movement to stimulate experience, understanding, or creativity within the design process. MbDM can be situated, enacted, context specific or, but not limited to, the use of somaesthetics to gain insights in designing services and products. Although differences exist between these movement-based approaches, they share the commonality of conceptualising physical movement as a material in the design process. Utilising MbDM in a design process can be a daunting task, and with no existing overview of MbDM the development of a practical tool which provides an overview of existing MbDM’s and supports the planning of design activities. The aim of this paper is to present a typology of movement based design methods to be used as a practical tool for designers and facilitators. Through an overarching constructive design research approach, we first did a search in literature and identified seven articles and 23 MbDM. With a phenomenological hermeneutic analysis and critical discussion, we created a typology for mapping identified MbDMs. The ‘movement-based design method’-typology consists of two dimensions: 1) seven submediums that stimulate, form or catalyse movement and 2) the type of design stage for which the movement will gain insights. By displaying the 23 identified MbDMs in the typology, a structured overview gives a practical tool for design professionals, practitioners, and educators to plan a design process with movement. By using the typology as a guide, the designer gets an overview of available methods in different mediums and design stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maps have evolved over time from simple paper documents to intelligent web tools, which today can incorporate rich information embedded via GIS. This paper presents two powerful tools that may offer us a better understanding of the events of World War II. To this end, we proposed the transformation of static maps into interactive web maps using ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS for Desktop. The database structure was divided as following: two types of point feature classes entitled "Targets" and "Cities Europe", two types of line feature classes entitled "River" and "Lines of attack" and five feature classes for the description of modified polygon boundaries and key attacks during World War II in Europe. To highlight the data regarding the types of weapons used in the war and the number of divisions they were employed under, we used the Operation Dashboard section of the ArcGIS platform. Adding a time component using the Time Slider temporal analysis tool has allowed us to create a model describing the movement of troops in Romania throughout the period between the 9th and the 25th of October 1944 of World War II. Another web application was used to compare the country's geographical borders between the years 1945-1949 with its current ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper shows results of effort to improve outcome of former work when the initial correction grids were computed to enable transformation between ETRF2000 and Czech S-JTSK/Bpv coordinate system with PROJ.4 software. The PROJ.4 cartographic projection library is well know for its ability to compute projected coordinates in many national systems. With its cs2cs utility it also allows to transform coordinates between these systems and finally it also supports correction of ellipsoid heights for geoid undulation. All of this is done with WGS84 system as the reference system where is considered as identical with ETRF2000. The library supports two types of datum definition against reference WGS84 system. Seven parameters similarity transformation of geocentric XYZ coordinates or direct transformation of geodetic coordinates using grid files to compute their corrections. The transformation from ellipsoidal height to orthometric height or any other is carried out as a separate step using vertical grid files. The initial grids have horizontal precision better than 10cm and vertical precision better than 7cm contemporary to reference data published by Czech Office for Surveying, Mapping and Cadastre. These results are far more better than results obtained from similarity transformation nevertheless they show some systematic errors and several local extremes. Because of this new correction grids were computed in several slightly different ways, different node distances, different interpolation methods to reduce systematic errors and local extremes. The new correction grids bring about ten times better results mainly because of systematic errors reduction. The local extremes were not possible further suppress unless the grid node distance would increase to impractical level, change of grid formats from CTABLE and GTX format or other changes in PROJ.4 code. The grids allow to use of PROJ.4 to transform and combine high precision data such as LIDAR data, GNSS and conventional geodetic data, rasters, digital elevation models and other data from and to Czech S-JTSK/Bpv system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although archaeologists have a great desire to uncover ancient underground tunnels, it is a really hard work since most of the ancient tunnels are very small, measuring only around 60 in width, typically just enough for a person to crawl through. In addition, although most ancient underground tunnels include small rooms and storage chambers in some places, since the tunnels are generally very long, exploring and mapping those tunnels is not practical at all by using such an approach. In this paper, we present a novel approach to explore and map ancient underground tunnels. The approach we present is based on a combination of autonomous mobile robots, namely a water-proof autonomous mobile robot and an unmanned aerial vehicle. In our approach, while the mobile robot is responsible for exploring and mapping of underground tunnels, the unmanned aerial vehicle is used to map and localize the tunnels on a global map. With a set of calculations realized with handheld highly-accurate GPS devices, possible mapping errors are minimized. A case study is presented to explain the proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a new noise reduction model for digital images. In the proposed model, the intensity similarity between the center pixel and its neighboring pixels within a certain window for constructing a Global Neighborhood Structure (GNS) using Dominant Neighborhood Structure (DNS) maps of central pixels has been measured. The intensity similarity was calculated by using the Canberra Distance measurement equation; where the conventional GNS map approach used the Euclidean distance principle. To evaluate the performance of the proposed model, several noise attacks were imposed on two public image datasets and experimental results demonstrated that the proposed model outperforms the conventional GNS map based denoising technique by exhibiting higher PSNR and SNR values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To represent shadows, traditional methods such as shadow mapping have been frequently used. However, the rendering results do not appear natural since they assume a point light source. On the contrary, methods which assume an area light source can render soft shadows; however, their, computation is too burdensome due to consider over the whole light source surface. Many alternative methods have been introduced, but they have problems such as light loosing. In this paper, we propose a method to improve those problems by using pre-filtered shadow texture. Our approach can be implemented simply, and generates plausible soft shadows in constant rendering time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The map of average land transaction prices constitutes a new cartographic elaboration that is to be drawn up for the whole Poland. It has been defined in the Regulation of the Council of Ministers from October 3rd 2011 on the types of cartographic thematic and special products. According to the regulation the digital map of average land transaction prices should represent variations in average transaction prices of building and agricultural lands for the entire country in relation to the basic, three-level administrative division of the country. The paper brings closer to the idea of a map of average land transaction prices concept mentioned in the Regulation from 2011. Moreover, the authors propose the concept of the map of average transaction prices corresponding to the 1:1000 000 detail levels for the Mazowieckie Voivodship area covering, among others, the city of Warsaw itself. In the first stage the statistical data collected for the purpose of the map elaboration have been characterized and analyzed. The result of that step was statistical indicators calculated for particular counties, which can be shown on the map having been developed. In the next stage the map concept and its design principles are introduced. With the usage of selected cartographic presentation methods the example maps were prepared. Methods and forms of cartographic presentation were chosen regarding the character of the presented phenomena, as well as a reference type of the spatial data used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents information about one of the problematic aspects of georeferencing old maps, which is the layout of grounds control points. The transfer issue of old paper maps into a digital form and publishing them on the internet is still a hot topic, involving a number of professional cartographic companies, universities and government institutions. Old maps are a phenomenon for both the professional community and the general public. Old maps are currently being published as web services, and the user can compare the evolution of landscape in different historical periods. The most important act of publishing old maps on the internet is the georeferencing of scanned maps. Most cartographers georeference without giving adequate attention to choosing the appropriate distribution of grounds control points and without selecting the appropriate map projection. The article deals with the possibility of determining whether grounds control points are appropriately distributed across the map drawing. Old maps very often have a local distortion (shrinkage of paper, connection of individual drawings, etc.), therefore, the article describes the creation of a source code in MATLAB, which should draw attention to inappropriately located ground control points. It is important that the number of grounds control points in each section of a map is approximately the same. Another important indication is that the grounds control points are not too densely placed (e.g. choice of ground control points at one building, etc.), or the grounds control point are not too far from each other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper examines the per capita waste generation rates from from rural areas of Neamţ County (Romania) using thematic cartography. Geographical approach of this issue is difficult because the lack of a geostatistic database at commune scale. Spatial analysis of waste indicators reveals several disparities between localities. Comparability of data between communes located in various geographical conditions must be carefully made according to local waste management systems. Several dysfunctionalities are outlined in order to compare these results, on the one hand, between localities and on the one hand, between recent years. Geographical analysis of waste generation rates is imperative for a proper monitoring of this sector. Data from 2009, 2010 and 2012 shows that rural waste management is in a full process of change towards a more organized, stable and efficient system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eye-tracking technology was not fully utilized in the cartography or geosciences yet. With its use, ways of users reading of maps can be revealed, and maps can be optimized. Before eye-tracking evaluation, it is necessary to detect eye-movements like fixations and saccades. Paper deals with the evaluation of four different settings of the dispersion-based algorithm for optimal fixation detection for evaluation of maps. Data for the case study originated from the cartographic studies, where stimuli displayed the classical orthogonal maps and their 3D (perspective) equivalents. The paper describes the basics of eye movement recordings, its history and used methods. An emphasis is placed on the remote methods, which uses digital images of the front of the eye. Image recognition methods are used for detecting the position of the eye. From these data, fixations and saccades are calculated. Number of a detection algorithm exists. For the data recorded with a sampling frequency lower than 250Hz, I-DT is mostly used. It is essential to find out the best settings of this algorithm. In the case study, three existing threshold settings were compared with the new one. Calculated fixations were compared with the plot of raw data, and the most relevant settings were chosen. For eye-movement analysis, it is possible to use software from the manufacturer, but there exist also the open-source alternative. Software OGAMA is fully sufficient for data analyses, but fixation detection thresholds are entered in a different way. Paper also describes the optimal fixation detection settings in this software. As a result, the fixation detection thresholds for I-DT which represents the recorded data at the best were created. Subsequently, the most corresponding settings were chosen in the open-source software for gaze analyses. The optimal eye fixation detection settings can be used in other cartographic studies using eye-tracking as the main evaluation method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing need for Healthcare Information Systems that meets standards of rigor and demand, as well as the need to provide health researchers with the best quality data, has created a major challenge with regard to interoperability in information systems. Nowadays it is common patient data to be dispersed by various systems. Modern systems are tending to adopt standards for modelling and communicating information, but this is not true for legacy systems, where the precision in terms of medical concepts are not standardized. Many times these systems are developed solutions to a specific needs of a medical service, without care for the terminology of clinical concepts representation or how it is structured in terms of semantic. Research relies heavily on the available data, and in context of Big Data analysis, the possibility of aggregating data from multiple, different and distributed sources in a meaningful and straightforward way is relevant. The main objective of this work is to propose an integration architecture that enables access to clinical data from different heterogeneous sources for research purposes. This paper presents an architecture based on the openEHR standard and a proof of concept of the mapping component that provides a tool for matching the attributes of openEHR Archetypes/Templates and fields of databases. With this approach all the data distributed in various repositories, legacy or openEHR are potentially available to the researcher, through the creation of AQL queries in order to get aggregated results for additional research activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper deals with the ways of creating the cartographic data for replicas of old globes. The first step is to digitize the original old globe and create its 3D and 2D model. In the next step, digital cartographic data are created from digital model of the globe. The paper cartographic materials for production of replicas are subsequently obtained by printing of digital cartographic data. These data are usually meridian gores and polar calottes in high resolution designed for printing and gluing to a globe sphere. The paper describes the cartographic projections used for the gores and calottes construction. In addition, the paper provides practical tips for making your own replicas and gluing gores to a globe sphere. There is also a practical example of an old globe replica that was created. As a replica of old globe, the paper model can be also considered. Therefore, the next part of the paper deals with the creation of these paper puzzles of old globes. For the construction of paper puzzles a polyhedron which can easily approximate the globe sphere is used. Some selected polyhedrons are presented in the paper, including the cartographic projection needed for their creation. In addition to polyhedrons, the article also presents some practical examples of created paper puzzles of old globes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper deals with the creation of historical maps in the environment of geographic information systems on example of prepared historical atlas with an interim title Czech Historical Atlas. At the information age, efforts are being made to move cartographic products into the electronic Internet environment, large atlas works not excluding. The Czech Historical Atlas is a new piece of historical atlas cartography devoted to selected themes of the history of Czech Lands in the twentieth century and was, in accordance with trends of computerization, from the very beginning conceived as partially printed and digital. In preparatory phases of the atlas, it was necessary to solve the division of topics between the printed and electronic version of the atlas as well as to cope with the preparation of maps for digital distribution and the atlas environment as a whole. As carrying, the Esri platform was chosen - partly using the concept of the Story Maps, partly common map applications. Parts of the content will be supplemented by opensource technologies. Important points that needed to be solved included the transfer of selected maps existing within ArcGIS and taken from the Academic Atlas of Czech History, which came out only as a printed publication, to the proposed platform, as well as the workflow of creating new maps in order to take advantage of all the electronic environment possibilities. It was necessary to solve difficulties in designing the map key, especially figural elements, together with issues of frequent alterations of frontiers in the environment of Central Europe in the 19th and 20th centuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The work considers information and computing technologies supporting regional decisions making and based on geoinformation web-systems and mapping web-services. The use of such systems for the information support of regional management is now becoming common. Long-term strategic forecasting and planning of territories development, solution of various institutional and sectoral problems today are often based on the use of integrated information and computing environment, complex information systems of regional management, which are based on geospatial (mapping) data. With all the variety of tasks to be solved, methods and approaches used, information technologies and software products, it is possible to distinguish several characteristic features of IT solutions used in the field under consideration. Such regional geoinformation websystems provide access to huge arrays of geospatial information and services distributed in the Internet, remote data processing with high performance multi-user computers. Usually they are built in service-oriented architecture, and they can be regarded as a set of interrelated software components for spatial data operations, such as import/export, cataloging, visualizing, creating, processing, distribution, etc. Different geospatial platform may be used as a basis - from commercial software (for example - ESRI ArcGIS and its components) to free and open source geospatial software stack, such as OSGeo projects. This paper discusses mapping resources, technologies and web-services developed for regional authorities of Kranoyarsk Territory, Russia. In particular, over the past few years, about a dozen regional-level geoinformation web-systems have been created, including "Geoinformation system for monitoring the state of the environment in the zone of operation of the oil and gas industry enterprises of the Krasnoyarsk Territory", "The network of regional educational services", "The health map of the Krasnoyarsk Territory", "Satellite Remote Sensing data archive of the Krasnoyarsk Territory", "Automated system for monitoring the municipalities in economy and regional development". The modular architecture of the systems under consideration, the use of standard web services for data exchange between these modules, ensures the rapid adaptation of the existing software to the customer requirements, the replication of individual components, and their complementarity. In its turn, registration of created resources, i.e. spatial data in the centralized geoportal catalog, provides the possibility of their simultaneous application in several developments. This service-oriented approach, based on the active implementation of web technologies into application information systems, is increasingly being used now. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]