Spatial data

Spatial data (geographic information) refers to all data including a reference to a certain place or a geographical area. Spatial data sets often include objects of nature or the built environment, whereas spatial data describes any kind of activity or phenomenon provided with a known location.

Spatial data is a central part of the society's data reserve. Spatial data can be combined on the basis of location information, analysed regionally and visualised on maps. Spatial data also allows providing various kinds of map and spatial data services for the Internet.

Paikkatietoikkuna is a web site that presents spatial data sets and services in words and map images. Paikkatietoikkuna offers access to view maps and spatial data sets, provided by different data producers. The web site also features news and articles related to spatial data as well as information about events in the field.

Maps are part of the infrastructure for spatial data

The infrastructure for spatial data consists of spatial data sets, their descriptions as well as web services offering these.

The implementation of the infrastructure for spatial data and the services it offers has really taken off, thanks to EU's Inspire Directive. The Directive aims at rationalising the use of spatial data, increasing the cooperation between authorities and creating diverse services for citizens. With the Directive, many spatial data sets will become available in coherent form from all EU member countries.

The role of the National Land Survey of Finland for implementing the infrastructure for spatial data is, on one hand, to offer its spatial data sets for common use and, on the other hand, to administer the national search service for spatial data as well as to offer supportive services to implement the infrastructure for spatial data.

Information, recommendations and instructions related to the Inspire Directive and the infrastructure for spatial data have been compiled in Paikkatietoikkuna.