It is the basic need of man to travel. There was a huge extension in travelling with the growth in population. In every era anybody who was well aware of paths and ways was given more importance because caravan did travel through see, and land under his guidance. A person who is aware of the directions and paths is considered as guide. Man has pondered a lot in making this system easier and convenient. In the beginning, the sun, the moon and the stars were observed to find the direction during travelling. With the passage of time a lot of maps and tools like compass were made. With evolution of science, man devised better tools and instruments in the field of Geography and Cartography. Some geographical and basic information about Geography and Cartography is given here.
Today there are latest and useful navigation system is planted in the modern means of travelling like aeroplanes and cars. With the help of which, information about destination and track of destination can be found easily. There is a wonderful invention of smart phone which not only is used for communication but also has the function of a compass, maps and GPS. In this modern device not only directions, distances information but also real pictures of every place and corner of the earth, are available. Within a few minutes man can find any destination with the help of maps.
Smart phones and some other devices have compass, GPS and navigation system. Usually direction is found with compass but if the device does not have compass hardware, direction can be found with GPS while travelling. GPS does connect to four satellites at a time and tells the altitude and longitude of a place. Besides it geographical information and maps are installed already or they are retrieved via internet from various companies.
Nowadays various companies or departments provide this geographical information without any cost like Google, Yahoo, Microsoft and Wikimapia etc. In fact all are excellent but Google has dominated this realm also by the softwares like Google earth and Google maps. As the names tell the story that Google Maps is about mapping and the Google Earth is about geography in which snaps of the earth are taken by satellite in the real shape of a globe and provides many geographical information.
Various services of social media such as youtube or others earned their name with the cooperation of common people i.e. lay men gave a great hand in promoting these services and these services became a huge company, similarly common people contributed a lot in the development of the Google Earth and Google Maps. Initially Google made a rough sketch of the earth in which there were the maps of several countries and their cities and roads. Later on Google introduced such services that anyone can take part in providing information e.g. Google Map Maker, Panoramio and Sketch-up. A common internet user can draw any map and mark any place with the help of Google Map Maker; and picture of any place can be uploaded by Panoramio and a 3D map can be designed of any building with the help of Sketch-up. The information gained with the help of Google Map Maker, Sketch Up and Panoramio is checked by Moderators of Google and this information is included in Google Maps and Google Earth if this information is found correct. All over the world people took great part in this proceeding of making maps and uploading pictures. There is a great contribution of the common people and the cartographers in this latest Google Earth and Google Maps. Nowadays most of the places are traced and marked in these softwares. Map Makers from all over the world took part in improving Google Maps/Earth. Pakistani Map Makers also took great part in this field, to get the detail of Pakistani Map Makers follow this link.
Nowadays Google Earth/Maps are so prominent to get geographical information. These softwares are available for all computer operating systems as well as many smart phones. Even navigation system of cars also gets information from Google Earth/Maps. Different machines like computer and mobile provide Google Earth/Maps service due to installed hardwares i.e. if a device has the hardware of compass or GPS, these devices can provide directions otherwise not. Here is a glimpse of some facilities of Google Earth/Maps.
Google Maps is in fact a complete program of Maps with the help of which we can find a place, distance from one place to other, its path and required time and various maps. Devices like smart phone have the facility of GPS, this program gets information from the satellite and tell us about the required place and direction while travelling. If we have already informed Google Maps, it does guide us during travelling place by place, turn right or left etc. Besides it gives update about the traffic of the roads. In Google Maps anyone can save his favorite destinations so that he may get instant information instead of searching required place. It would be kept in mind that in Google Earth/Maps the path, trace of required destination is different from the path made in Google Map Maker. Because whatever we make in Google Map Maker, Google incorporates this information in software and shares it with others but what information is given in Google Earth/Maps, this information is only visible to its own maker or those persons whom the maker allows to share.
Google Earth is wonderful software about Geography and maps. Google Earth has all the facilities of Google Maps and some other facilities. In Google Earth real pictures of the earth have been taken by the satellite and a globe is framed like real earth. In earlier stages we twirl the globe to trace a place, but Google Earth is much advance than that. We can see the place by any angle and mountains are same as original in it. We can find the altitude from sea level of any place and latitude of the place. We can also find the day or night time of a place. The information of streets that are included in Google Earth can be found by Street Viewer like someone is walking himself in these streets. Maps made by Map Maker, uploaded picture of a place by Panoramio and buildings made by Sketch-up can also be seen in Google Erath. Besides it weather, the information about a place provided by international organizations can also be seen in Google Earth. Even solar system, moon and Mars also can be observed by Google Earth.
When we zoom in a place in Google Earth, there would appear different signs of different kinds. Then we can click the desired information tag about which we need information. It gives so much information about a specific point that it is very hard to see the map, when these signs of different kinds appear. That’s why we do not select all the layers of information during Google Earth installation. Later on different layers can be selected or removed according to our need.
People of all disciplines are using Google Earth/Maps in modern times but especially travelers, tourists and students of geography are using it mainly. Some persons are very fond of maps and geography; Google Earth is a blessing for such eager people. Now it is time when people do not tell the path of required place but they trace the place in Google Earth and send this file via email to the stranger for guidance. When the stranger opens this file in Google Earth or gives code in Google Maps, he finds the place conveniently and this file or code makes him reach this particular place. Every corner of the world has been traced and nowadays the earth is searched or traced with the eye of Google.
