The Global Map Canada was developed by Natural Resources Canada from 1:1 M base maps. It provides information of the whole land area at 1 km resolution in a consistent manner. Spatial features are stored in four vector layers: transportation,boundaries, drainage and population.
Global Map Canada is part of a set of digital maps that accurately cover the whole globe. The Global Map international co-operation initiative was implemented to develop global geospatial information to understand the present status and changes of global environment.
In response to the Rio Summit, the International Steering Committee for Global Mapping (ISCGM) was established in 1996. The objective of the ISCGM was to promote the Global Mapping Project advocated by the Government of Japan. In 1998, Prof. John E. Estes, Founding Chairperson of ISCGM, invited National Mapping Organizations (NMOs) of the world to participate in the project. In response, 197 countries/regions participated in the project.