Governments depend on a common set of base geographic information as a tool for economic and community development, land and natural resource management, scientific investigation, and health and safety services. Emergency management and homeland security applications rely on this information. Private industry, nongovernmental organizations, and individual citizens use the same geographic data. Geographic information underpins an increasingly large part of the Nation’s economy.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is committed to meeting the Nation’s needs for current base geographic data and maps. By working with partners, the USGS will provide the Nation with access to current, accurate, and nationally consistent digital data and topographic maps derived from these data. This synthesis of information, products, and capabilities, The National Map, will be a seamless, continuously maintained set of on-line, public domain geographic base information that will serve as a foundation for integrating, sharing, and using other data easily and consistently.


Partnership Opportunities in Hawaii
Partnerships with other Federal, State, county, and local government agencies, the private sector, academia, and the public are essential to the success of The National Map. The USGS will coordinate, integrate, and, where needed, produce and maintain base geographic data.

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