The National Institute of Geographic and Forestry Information has launched a new free application on May 15, 2024, allowing users to consult its maps and much more. Through the Cartes IGN application, the renowned French cartography institute aims to distinguish itself from Google Maps by adopting an ecological approach.
Hiking and cycling enthusiasts are well acquainted with IGN maps in their paper version. To meet the new needs of users, travelers, athletes, or hikers, the National Institute of Geographic and Forestry Information unveiled a mobile application called Cartes IGN on May 15, 2024.
This mobile application, available for free on Google Play and the App Store, allows users to view maps in digital format. It offers an improved version of the geoportail.gouv.fr website.
This French application can help you find your way, orient yourself, and reach a specific location by following a route, just like its main competitor Google Maps... But it stands out from Google's tool with other unique features.
During the presentation of this new tool, the Minister of Ecological Transition Christophe Béchu praised IGN Maps as an application "of powerful public interest."
In addition to calculating routes, this application aims to help users "discover France differently" and understand the surrounding territory. Unlike the maps from GAFAM, this application also lists agricultural lands, forests, and beaches.
To provide maximum information on each territory, the application relies on "the data and references of IGN, but also on third-party data," such as:
• Data from the National Forestry Office (ONF);
• Data from the French Office for Biodiversity (OFB);
• Data from the international database Open Street Map for businesses;
• Data from local authorities, regional parks, and departmental fire or rescue services.
The compilation of this mass of data into a single tool opens up new possibilities. For example, it is possible to "filter the data displayed on a map by theme":
• Agriculture.
• Natural risks.
• Public services.
• Transportation.
• Tourism.
• Protected areas.
This application can provide a wide range of information, such as the location of businesses, the population of a municipality, drone no-fly zones, the type of crops in an agricultural plot, or the tree species surrounding you.
A true "treasure trove of information on the French territory," this new tool interests citizens, administrations, and businesses alike. Its open nature, with data and services freely accessible to all, and without trackers, guarantees user confidentiality and privacy.
One of the unique features of the IGN Maps application is the ability to observe the evolution of the French territory through a before/after functionality.
Through IGN maps, users can go back in time and visualize the retreat of the coastline, urban sprawl, or the impact of human activities on the environment: deforestation and reforestation of certain areas, or the deployment of renewable energy parks in France, for example...
The National Institute of Geographic and Forest Information, which presents itself as "the cartographer of the Anthropocene", highlights an unparalleled ecological approach among existing mapping applications.
This new comparison tool is a boon for anyone interested in the evolution of the French territory in the age of climate change and ecological upheavals. Moreover, any user can report a change in a territory or a potential anomaly on a map, thereby contributing to the enrichment of the application's data.
By downloading this new free application on your smartphone, you will not only have the satisfaction of using a mapping tool made in France but also the ability to visualize the ecological upheavals on our territory.
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