Document Type

Article

Abstract

The results of a comprehensive survey of the availability and characteristics of digital geo-demographic data in 40 countries around the world are presented.

Geographic information systems (GIS) often used in conjunction with the Internet are being used by technologically savvy companies to perform marketing studies and provide location specific data such as maps to clients and customers. However, the national level Availability and characteristics of the required digital geo-spatial data vary considerably from nation to nation. Every country’s data differs in terms of existence, cost, accuracy, precision, format, content, and availability over the Internet. Some countries (such as Switzerland and the United Kingdom) have current data on every hectare and house along with demographics for every group of 100 residents available for interactive web-based mapping and analysis. Other nations have such data in only non-digital forms and then only internally. Most nations are intermediate in terms of the use of characteristics and availability of geospatial data relevant for E-business.

Presented here are the results, especially those pertaining to E-business, of an e-mail survey of the national census and national mapping authorities of 40 selected countries. These the G7, Russia, China (PRC, Taiwan and Hong Kong), India, Australia, many European countries, along with 4 other Asian, 4 Latin American, 2 Middle Eastern and 2 African nations. Also presented is statistical analysis of the responses and information from follow-up questions.

Download

Share

COinS