Time for 5 more, very cool, mappy things via this weekly [almost] segment. Enjoy some tips this week to learn how to make Tolkein Style maps, see how Google Maps handles boundary disputes, view amazing time lapse images, and find a College any place in the country that provides a degree in any program of choice. Do you have a tip for us for a future edition? Please share with us in a comment below or via Twitter @geojobegis
Mapping UK Parks, JR Tolkein Style
This is one of those stories that’s makes you say, “ummm AWESOME!!” A cartographer in the UK is mapping all of the country’s national parks using a very fun and clever map style modeled after J.R.R Tolkein. These maps will transport you back in time, feeling as if you woke up in a Lord of the Rings Story. These maps are works of art, done in hand print style and you can even buy them online. We love this one, wouldn’t it be a great vector map style?
Google Maps in Other Countries
Google Maps is the defacto World Map, as such, countries that are involved in border disputes can get a little worked up if maps show their territory in a different way. So Google needs to manage these disputes in an effort to not upset customers or an entire country! For example, Google needs to keep countries like Myanmar happy. The solution, the maps you see depend on your computer’s IP address.
World TimeLapse
TIME is proud to host the public unveiling of these images from orbit, which for the first time date all the way back to 1984. Over here is Dubai, growing from sparse desert metropolis to modern, sprawling megalopolis. Over there are the central-pivot irrigation systems turning the sands of Saudi Arabia into an agricultural breadbasket — a surreal green-on-brown polka-dot pattern in the desert. Explore the World!

NCES IPEDS College Map
Do you know someone searching for a college? This fabulous, map drivenresource lets you search the country for an institution to attend. Simply setup a query filter based on faculty or major/field of study and optionally specify a State or other location parameter. The map will update and you’ll also be presented with a table of school along with information about tuition, fees and weblink. Very handy for those of you looking for a good grad program!
Learn ArcGIS
The Learn ArcGIS resource from Esri is a fabulous learning tool for anyone wanting to polish their GIS skills and learn some new tips and tricks. Esri has shared a number of real-World lessons based on real problems. Each lesson walks you through the problems, provides you with data and guides you through a GIS-based solution. Lessons include seagrass habitat prediction, a hurricane evacuation map and more. We actually shared a whole blog post on this Lesson it was that impressive!
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