The imperative for proactive cooperative national mapping strategies in the new millennium

There is no comprehensive global mapping program in existence today, despite the efforts of those involved in the International Map of the World project begun in the late 1800s. While the IMW project was finally declared ended in the 1980s, there are now several current projects that will help fill some of the gaps in the mapping needs of a variety of users, including the Global Map project. In addition to a brief review of this project, an example of the application of Global Map data to local phenomena is given.