Fact Sheet FS-234-95 (May 1997)
[Information]
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is seeking dynamic partners in a challenging project to
produce a new National Atlas. The USGS published The National Atlas of the United States
of AmericaTM in 1970. This printed volume contained
765 maps that included scientific information on national characteristics, such as the
following:
- Physical Features - relief, geology, climate, water resources
- Economic Activities - agriculture, minerals and mining, manufacturing, trade,
transportation
- Historical Evolution - discovery, exploration, territorial growth
- Sociocultural Conditions - population, income, education
- Administrative Subdivisions - counties, Standard Metropolitan Statistical Areas, judicial
districts, congressional districts.
The new National Atlas will meet or exceed the standard of excellence inherent in the original
atlas. But The National Atlas of the United States of AmericaTM project will also exploit geospatial information technologies
developed
during the past 25 years to make products that are more adaptable, interesting, and useful than
any book of maps. National Atlas products on CD-ROM will use geographic information system
(GIS) data viewing and analysis tools with authoritative and up-to-date sets of federally collected
geospatial and geostatistical data, providing users with the capability to make their own maps.
Users will have the flexibility to select, combine, symbolize, and display the data sets of interest
to them. High-quality maps of visually stimulating and stable subject matter will be printed. In
addition, Internet access to National Atlas sites on the World Wide Web will allow users to get
the latest time-sensitive information and data base updates and will provide links to other sites
that provide data discovery tools, higher resolution data, or more appropriate or local sources for
information.
This ambitious undertaking cannot succeed without the energetic, experienced, and focused
participation of business partners. The scope of The National Atlas of the United States of
AmericaTM is so extensive that the USGS could not
possibly satisfy the varied expectations of individual personal computer users without having
partners.
We have the resources, experience, and talent to accomplish the following:
- organize Federal Government data cooperatives,
- foster data production, exchange, and integration standards,
- perform GIS design and conduct geospatial data analysis, and
- determine and produce the highest quality cartographic representation of National Atlas
contents.
Our partners from the private sector must have experience in designing, developing, and
marketing products that individual consumers find useful and compelling. Our partners will work
cooperatively with the USGS in the activities shown:
- conduct market research as a basis for product development decisions,
- develop quick and easy-to-use software that combines GIS and multimedia functionality
in innovative ways to promote an understanding of the Nation's heritage, resources, and
progress, and
- distribute the product through a widespread retail sales network.
In the past few months, the USGS began preliminary product development. Some recent
accomplishments of The National Atlas of the United States of AmericaTM project are listed below:
- completing base cartographic data sets that provide a consistent and accurate framework
for thematic mapping efforts,
- starting market research activities, including customer assessment (focus groups, surveys,
and so on) and product assessment (analysis of point of sales results and comparison of
existing electronic map products),
- finishing an electronic prototype that demonstrates the potential of the National Atlas and
supports customer assessment activities; it also served as a research and development
opportunity to assess graphical user interface alternatives, and allowed the USGS to
investigate the integration of multi-media and GIS functionality, and
- beginning map prototypes that have a modern design and that uphold the USGS tradition
of producing some of the finest maps in the world.
The National Atlas of the United States of AmericaTM will provide millions of Americans a national, map-like view into
the
wealth of information collected by the Federal Government. The project represents a unique
opportunity to cooperatively research and develop consumer-level products that take GIS to its
next step of acceptance - societal use that leads to a deeper understanding of our national
heritage. A geographically aware populace is a primary goal of the National Atlas project. Your
organization should consider reaching the potential markets that The National Atlas of the
United States of AmericaTM can stimulate and serve.
Your company can obtain more information about these possibilities from:
Steve Strader, CRADA Coordinator
U.S. Geological Survey
519 National Center
Reston, Virginia 20192
Phone: 703-648-4652
Fax: 703-648-5542
E-mail: [email protected]
or
Jay Donnelly, Project Manager
U.S. Geological Survey
508 National Center
Reston, Virginia 20192
Phone: 703-648-5395
Fax: 703-648-5939
E-mail: [email protected]
Additional up-to-date information is available on our Web site at www.usgs.gov/atlas
For information on other USGS products and services, call 1-888-ASK-USGS, use the
Ask.USGS fax service, which is available 24 hours a day at 703-648-4888, or visit the general
interest publications Web site on mapping, geography, and related topics at mac.usgs.gov/mac/isb/pubs/pubslists/index.h
tml.
For additional information, visit the ask.usgs.gov Web
site or the USGS home page at www.usgs.gov.
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This document has undergone official review and approval for publications established
by the National Mapping Division, U.S. Geological Survey.