African Human Settlements and Land Use from 1984

1984 data on major population centers and land use across Africa, compiled by ESRI, FAO, and UNEP. The dataset was created by digitizing and re-registering multiple historical map sources, including the UNESCO/FAO Soil Map of the World and Rand-McNally atlases. It represents a collaborative effort between environmental and agricultural organizations.

Use Cases

• Analyze the spatial distribution of major population centers across Africa in the early 1980s.
• Study historical land use patterns by referencing the digitized UNESCO/FAO Soil Map data.
• Compare settlement locations against administrative boundaries from related datasets like ADMINLL.
• Assess urban percentage coverage for regions using linked data features like AFURBAN.

Strengths

• Data compiled from multiple authoritative sources, including FAO, UNESCO, and DMA maps.
• Spatial registration performed at a resolution of 0.002 inches during digitization.
• Collaborative creation involving three major international organizations: ESRI, FAO, and UNEP.

Limitations

• Data is from 1984 and may not reflect current conditions.
• Specific row counts, column names, and sample data are unavailable for review.
• The description notes 'no outline of Africa', indicating potential incomplete spatial context.

Provenance

Source

Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), United Nations Environment Program (UNEP).

Collection Method

Maps digitized from paper sources and re-registered to a basemap, then transformed to latitude/longitude coordinates.

Time Range

1984, with source maps dating from 1975 to 1982.

Freshness

null

Geography

Continent of Africa.