Ever more sophisticated computerized maps- loaded with information about a nation's physical information, population , and natural resources- are a valuable tool for assessing environment and development conditions within countries and developement.

One such set of maps, the Africa Data sampler, has recently been developed by the world Resource Institute (WRI), anon profit policy research institute in Washington, D.C. in collaboration with the world Conservation Monitoring Center in the United Kingdom and PADCO inc., a private firm in Washington, D.C.

To date,much of the information in the Africa Data Sampler has not been a available form to policymakers and others in Africa.the Africa Data Sampler is an attempt to repatriate this data and make it more accessible to africans.

the maps allow users-including international and organizations, relief agencies,university students, and others- to quickly evaluate various on-the ground features at either a national or regional level.for example, a user can look closely at the location of mangrove forests in West Africa and then the picture to include nearly roads and settlements.

Available for each African country,the maps can easily combined to create regional watershed, and other transborder "mega-maps". All the maps and data for the entire continents are available on a single CD-ROM

The maps contain a wealth of information. Administrative boundaries and settlements (with such features as mines and power stations) are shown allong with infrastructure (roads , railway lines, power lines ,bridges ,tunnels , and airports), hydrolgy (lakes , rivers , streams, and dams), topography (counters and points with recorded elevations), sub-national boundries (administrative units and positioning within those units), and forests , wetlands, and protected areas.

Policy analysts can integrate the internationally comparable datasets with their own computerized maps.with some additions modifications and modifications , the information can help researchers or planners assess such conditions as stresses on critical habitat, coastal resources, forests, and cropland. Analysts can also use the maps to assess and compare them to conditions in neighbouring countries and regions.

GIS experts can emerge the data using popular GIS and mapping programs and can then edit the data ,produce high-quality maps, or add other geographic layers.These maps can't do everything, of course.Limitations of scal, consistency, and data quality make the maps in their present form suitable for use in shaping decisions on infrastructure management environment impact assessments , forest concessions, or agricultural extensions, for instance.

Technical Information

The digital maps are introduced through Guided Tours and Views.The Guided Tours use a Window-based map viewing and query software called ArdView (Version 1).ArcView is available on the internet .The digital format allows users equipped with readily available hardware and software to view, query,print and distribute maps.

Both the diskettes and CD-ROM use the PC ARC/INFO format. The CD-ROM comes with a 160 page user's Guide (in nglisg only) that includes a detailed data dictionary and textual description of the guided tours that shows how to examine the data and explore different areas within a country.

Users will need an IBM compatible computer with a 486 or higher processor, a minimum of 8 megabytes of RAM, and Arc View to run the Guided Tours.the diskettes are 3.5", 1.44 MB.

the CD-ROM ($179) and data diskettes ($50) can be ordered directly from WRI publications,P.O. Box4852,Hampden Station ,Baltimore Maryland 21211 USA.For additional information, contact Africa Data Sampler Project ,World Resource Institut, 1709 New York Ave., NW,Washington, D.C. 20006 USA (Fax: 1(202)-638-0026; or internet: nhenninger@wri.org ).