Open geographic data applications of the National Centre for Geographic Information (NICHD)

The National Centre for Geographic Information publishes open geospatial data from the National Cartographic System, the National Geographic Institute and other organisations through web applications and mobile applications to facilitate access to and consultation of geographic data by citizens.

Geospatial data is published via web services and APIs for reuse, so in the case of high-value datasets, it can be used in a variety of ways high-value datasets such as geographic names, hydrography or addresses as required by the as required by the EUthe EU has already made these datasets available to the public by June 2024 as they are associated with major benefits for society, the environment and the economy.

But in the applications listed below, the geographic data are visualised and consulted through web services, so that for downloading the data, it is possible to use web services and APIs directly, through a platform accessible to any user with a wide range of geographic information, ranging from topographic maps to satellite images.

But not only data can be reused, also application software is reusable, for example, the Solar Energy Potential of Buildings visualiser which is based on a visualiser API, named API-CNIG and allows the same tool to be used for different thematic areas.

Some examples of applications are:

Solar Energy Potential of Buildings

Provides the photovoltaic capacity of a building according to its location and characteristics. It also provides the average over the year and a point grid to identify the best location for solar panels.

National Geographic Gazetteer

It is a toponym search engine that collects the names, official or standardised by the corresponding competent bodies , with geographical references.

Unified postal address calculator

It is a converter that allows to know the geographical coordinates (latitude and longitude in WGS84) of the postal addresses of a place, and vice versa. In both cases, the input file is a CSV file, supporting both coordinates and postal addresses.

Basic Maps of Spain

It facilitates connection to IGN services and to the CNIG download centre to obtain maps and routes. With this mobile application you can follow the routes of the National Parks or the stages of the Camino de Santiago. It allows you to plan excursions using maps, navigate and take guided tours, without the need for an internet connection after downloading data.

Map a la carte

It allows you to create a customised map using the printed series of the National Topographic Map at scales 1:25.000 and 1:50.000. It offers the possibility of defining its area, incorporating contents, personalising the cover, obtaining a pdf file and even acquiring paper copies by post.

IGN Earthquakes

It allows the reception and visualisation of all seismic events in Spain and its surroundings. It provides the distance to the epicentre of the seismic event and epicentral parameters, as well as the geolocation of the user's position and the epicentre.

Maps of Spain

It is a free mobile viewer ideal for hiking, cycling, running, skiing, etc., which uses as background cartography the services of the National Geographic Institute and another set of services from other Ministries, such as the Cadastral information of the plots provided by the General Directorate of Cadastre.

Camino de Santiago

It includes information of a cultural and practical nature on each of the stages (hostels, monuments, etc.), as well as a complete Pilgrim's Guide detailing what you should know before starting out on any of the routes. This application is based on ESRI software.

National Parks

Displays information on the history, fauna, flora and excursions in Spain's National Parks. It includes hundreds of points of interest such as information centres, accommodation, viewpoints, refuges and even routes through the parks, indicating their duration and difficulty. The app is available for download on Android e iOS. This application is based on ESRI software.

GeoSapiens IGN

It presents interactive maps, free to use and free of charge, to study the physical and political geography of Spain and the world. It consists of different games relating to the whole of Spain or by autonomous communities, the whole world and by continent.

In addition to the applications developed by the CNIG, which are also presented in this video this videothere are many other digital solutions developed by third parties that reuse open geospatial data to offer a service to society. For example, in the list of data reusing applications.gob.es you can find from a map that shows the fires that are active in Spain in real time in Spain in real time to an app that shows where the parking spaces for people with reduced mobility parking spaces for people with reduced mobility in each town.

In short, anyone can make use of the open geographic data of the National Cartographic System, the National Geographic Institute and other bodies published by the CNIG , thus extending the advantages offered by the availability of open geographic data. do you know of any other application resulting from the reuse of open data? You can send it to us at dinamizacion@datos.gob.es