Static web maps Most of these images are view-only. Many organisations such as map libraries or tourist information providers make their maps available in this way. This form of presentation can be very useful, for instance, to make historical maps more widely accessible, as can be seen at the http://odur.let.rug.nl/~welling/maps/blaeu.html, where rare maps by the famous Dutch cartographer Blaeu can be viewed. The quality of the images depends on the scan-resolution. Static view-only maps can also serve to give the web-surfers a preview of the products that are available from organisations, such as National Mapping Agencies. When static maps offer more than view-only functionality, it can be to offer an interactive view to the user by offering zooming, panning, or hyperlinking to other information. The much-used "clickable maps" are examples of the latter and they can be very useful to have the map act as an interface to the spatial data. Clicking on geographic object could lead the user to quantitative data, photographs, sound or video or other information sources on the Web. It is also possible to have the user interactively determine the contents of the maps, by choosing data layers, and even the visualisation of the information, by choosing symbology and colours (see for example the national Atlas Information System of Canada, at http://ellesmere.ccm.emr.ca/home-english.html). Feedback/Questions / Last updated May 11, 2001