Natural Resources Canada
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The New North America Framework Data
Over the past year the Atlas programs in Canada, the United States and Mexico have partnered with the Commission for Environmental Cooperation, an organization funded by the three countries, signatory to the North American Free Trade Agreement, to compile a new digital base map of North America at the 1:10 million scale.
In June 2004, the Atlas of Canada released a new set of 1:10 million North American framework data as part of a unique partnership with the National Atlas programs in the United States (USGS) and Mexico (INEGI). This 'framework data' includes a number of map layers: populated places, hydrology (lakes and rivers), transportation (road and rail), administrative boundaries, bathymetry, glaciers and sea ice. These data layers are available free-of-charge from "‘mirror" servers in each of the three countries and can also be visualized via standard protocols (Open GIS Consortium (OGC) Web Map Servers).
Since many current issues (for example, energy, water and biodiversity) are continental in scope, our partnership vision is to build a North American Atlas online.
