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The National Topographic System or NTS is the system used by Natural Resources Canada for providing general purpose topographic maps of the country. NTS maps are available in a variety of scales, the standard being 1:50,000 and 1:250,000 scales.
Topographic maps are also commonly called contour maps or topo maps. In the United States, where the primary national series is organized by a strict 7.5-minute grid, they are often called or quads or quadrangles. Topographic maps conventionally show topography, or land contours, by means of contour lines.
Building on the success of more than 130 years of USGS topographic mapping, the US Topo series is the current generation of maps of the American landscape. The newest USGS topo map web app gives the public the opportunity to create custom topographic maps on demand.
US Topo map data is derived from the geographic information system (GIS) data of The National Map and is continuously updated via National, state, local, and commercial partnerships. Current and historic USGS topographic maps are available for immediate download from The National Map Downloader .
Coordinates: 38.9470°N 77.3675°W. The United States Geological Survey ( USGS ), founded as the Geological Survey, is an agency of the United States government whose work spans the disciplines of biology, geography, geology, and hydrology.
- 8,670 (2009)
- $1.497 billion (FY2023)
- March 3, 1879; 144 years ago (as Geological Survey)
- United States Department of the Interior
The U.S. Geological Survey is celebrating the 125th anniversary of its national program for topographic mapping (1884–2009). Topographic maps became a signature product of the USGS because the public found them—then and now—to be a versatile tool for viewing our Nation's vast landscape.
National Geographic Society
