Multiple geospatial layers cover the entire continent of Africa, including outlines, terrain units, agricultural land use, soils, vegetation, hydrography, basins, and a desertification hazard model. The database was developed by UNEP using data primarily from FAO and maps prepared by ESRI. Base maps include the 1977 FAO/UNESCO Soil Map of the World and the 1982 Rand-McNally New International Atlas.
Use Cases
- Model desertification hazard using the dedicated desertification hazard model layer.
- Analyze correlations between soil types from the soils layer and agricultural land use classifications.
- Map surface water resources and hydrologic basins from the hydrography and basins layers.
- Assess vegetation cover patterns in relation to terrain units and soil classifications.
Strengths
- Continent-wide coverage for Africa.
- Multiple integrated thematic layers (e.g., soils, land use, vegetation, hydrography).
- Data sources include authoritative organizations like FAO and UNEP.
Limitations
- Specific row counts, file sizes, and temporal recency are unknown.
- Primary source maps date from 1977 and 1982, indicating potential temporal staleness for current conditions.
- Spatial resolution is defined as 0.002 (units unspecified), which may limit fine-grained analysis.
Provenance
- Source
- United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI).
- Collection Method
- Maps digitized with a spatial resolution of 0.002, re-registered to a base map, and transformed to latitude/longitude using an algorithm from USGS and ESRI.
- Time Range
- null
- Freshness
- null
- Geography
- Continent of Africa.