[Data-modeling] Maps! Maps! Maps!

[Ed Laurent]

If anyone on this list has experience with maps I'd appreciate your input on
my MapCentral base:
http://mapcentral.freebase.com/


In particular, I'd like feedback on the FGDC metadata schema in development
(Note that most of the properties are held by included types):
http://mapcentral.freebase.com/type/schema/base/mapcentral/fgdc_metadata


Here's my working example of using the FGDC metatdata type (2001 NLCD):
http://mapcentral.freebase.com/view/guid/9202a8c04000641f8000000009e849fa


Keep in mind that I'm not a geographer so there may be many important
details that I'm missing.  For example, I'm still trying to figure out
whether/how to model:

1) Map projections
http://mapcentral.freebase.com/view/base/mapcentral/views/map_projections

2) Geographic coordinate systems
http://mapcentral.freebase.com/view/base/mapcentral/views/geographic_coordinate_systems
This one is especially confusing because the term is sometimes used
synonymously with "Datum" but not always (see description).

3) Projected coordinate systems
http://mapcentral.freebase.com/view/base/mapcentral/views/projected_coordinate_systems
Example:
http://mapcentral.freebase.com/view/guid/9202a8c04000641f8000000009e85c99

and 4) Systems of map projections:
http://mapcentral.freebase.com/view/base/mapcentral/views/map_projection_systems

Mostly, I modeled FGDC schema using this image map:
http://www.fgdc.gov/csdgmgraphical/index.html
Then I modified them based on issues that arose while entering the 2001 NLCD
example (resulting in simpler schema) and finding other data that might be
interesting to use down the road (resulting in more schema and greater
complexity).

Thanks!
-Ed
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