Topographic Maps
A topographic map provides a detailed graphic representation of the natural and man-made features found on the earth’s surface. Topographic maps use contour lines to portray the shape and elevation of the terrain on a two-dimensional surface. Standard symbols and styles are used to identify general physical and cultural information such as mountains, lakes, vegetation, roads, and railways.
A topographic map is usually published as part of a larger map series, made up of two or more map sheets that combine to form the whole map for a defined area. Most countries of any significant size have several topographic map series, produced at different scales.
Canada
National Topographic System (NTS)
The most frequently used topographic maps in the collection are the Canadian National Topographic System 1:50 000 and 1:250 000 series. Current edition paper NTS maps may be available at the Humanities and Social Sciences Library. Please contact data.library [at] mcgill.ca for more information.
The currently contains nearly 22,000 Canadian maps digitized from the 1:50 000 scale National Topographic Series. The maps date from 1905 to 2012 and cover all of the Canadian provinces and territories.ÌýIt should be noted that the collection is not 100% complete and gaps will be filled in as missing maps become available.
Digital scanned copies of current NTS 1:50 000 and 1:250 000 map sheets are available for free public download via . Both series are also available as vector files.
Other print maps available are the discontinued Canadian National Topographic Series at the scales of 1:25 000, 1:125 000, 1:126 700, 1:500 000 and 1:1 000 000. Coverage varies by series. Please consult the indexes below for specific details.
Series | Details | Index |
---|---|---|
1:1 000 000 | World Aeronautical Chart (WAC). Series discontinued, replaced by International Map of the World (IMW) series. |
IMW Inventory [.pdf] |
1:500 000 | Series discontinued, replaced by air charts. | [.zip] [.kmz] |
1:250 000 | Complete coverage of Canada. | [.kmz] |
1:125 000 | Series discontinued. | Ìý |
1:50 000 Colour maps | Complete coverage of Canada. | Ìý |
1:50 000 Monochromes | Series discontinued. | Ìý |
1:50 000 Half-sheets | Series discontinued. | Ìý |
1: 25 000 | Series discontinued. | [.zip] [.kmz] |
Historical National Topographic System
³ÉÈËVRÊÓƵ Library also holds several historical topographic map series. These maps are located in the Humanities and Social Sciences Library and are available for consultation by request. Please contact sharon.rankin [at] mcgill.ca (Sharon Rankin) for more information. The links below provide lists of specific maps held for each series.
Series | Location |
---|---|
1:506 880 (1 Inch : 8 Miles) | Storage |
1:126 720 (1 Inch : 2 Miles) | Storage |
1:63 360 (1 Inch : 1 Mile) | Storage |
Quebec
Series | Index | Location |
---|---|---|
1:20 000 | Index | Map Collection |
Greenland
Series | Dates | Scale | Coverage | I | Location |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
AMS C401 | 1944 | 1:500 000 | 100% | Int. Topo. 7 | |
AMS C501 | 1957 | 1:250 000 | 20% | Int. Topo. 7 | |
Ìý | 1939-76 | 1:250 000 | 80% | Int. Topo. 7 |
Mexico
Series | Dates | Scale | Coverage | I | Location |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ìý | 1957 | 1:500 000 | 100% | Int. Topo. 1 | |
Ìý | 1981 | 1:250 000 | 100% | Int. Topo. 1 |
Central America
Belize
Series | Dates | Scale | Coverage | I | Location |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
DOS 649 | 1980 | 1:250 000 | 100% | Int. Topo. 2 | |
E552 | 1963 | 1:250 000 | 100% | Int. Topo. 2 | |
E755 DOS 4499 |
1976 | 1:50 000 | 100% | Int. Topo. 2 |
Costa Rica
Series | Dates | Scale | Coverage | I | Location |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
E561 | 1970 | 1:200 000 | 100% | Int. Topo. 2 | |
E763 | 1983 | 1:50 000 | 99% | Int. Topo. 2 |
Guatemala
Panama
Series | Dates | Scale | Coverage | I | Location |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ìý | 1978 | 1:250 000 | 100% | Int. Topo. 2 | |
E762 | 1993 | 1:50 000 | 62% | Int. Topo. 2 |
Argentina
Series | Dates | Scale | Coverage | I | Location |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ìý | var. | 1:500 000 | 83% | Int.Topo. 2 | |
11723 | 1953-73 | 1:250 000 | 7% | Int.Topo. 2 | |
Ìý | 1948-53 | 1:100 000 | <5% | Int.Topo. 2 | |
Ìý | 1949-56 | 1:25 000 | <5% | Int.Topo. 2 |
Bolivia
Series | Dates | Scale | Coverage | I | Location |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
H531 | var. | 1:250 000 | 21% | Int.Topo. 2 | |
H731 | var. | 1:50 000 | <5% | Int.Topo. 2 |
Brazil
Chile
Series | Dates | Scale | Coverage | I | Location |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ìý | 1971-75 | 1:500 000 | 100% | Int.Topo. 3 | |
Ìý | var. | 1:250 000 | 94% | Int.Topo. 3 | |
Ìý | Ìý | 1:25 000 | <5% | Int.Topo. 3 |
Colombia
Guyana
Guyane (French Guiana)
Series | Dates | Scale | Coverage | I | Location |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ìý | 1947-51 | 1:100 000 | 65% | Int.Topo. 3 | |
Ìý | var. | 1:50 000 | 29% | Int.Topo. 3 |
Peru
Venezuela
Anguilla
Series | Dates | Scale | Coverage | I | Location |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
DOS 443 | 1973 | 1:50 000 | 100% | Int.Topo. 4 | |
DOS 343 | 1961 | 1:25 000 | 100% | Int.Topo. 4 |
Antigua and Barbuda
The Bahamas
Region | Series | Dates | Scale | Coverage | I | Location |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bahamas | DOS 358 | 1962-64 | 1:25 000 | 100% | Int.Topo. 3 | |
DOS 158 | 1961 | 1:2 500 | <5% | Int.Topo. 3 |
Barbados
British Virgin Islands
Cayman Islands
Dominica
Series | Dates | Scale | Coverage | I | Location |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
E703 DOS 451 |
1963 | 1:50 000 | 100% | Ìý | G5101.C224 1963 G7 |
DOS 351 | 1991 | 1:50 000 | 100% | Ìý | G5101 E635 1991 G7 |
E803 | 1978 | 1:25 000 | 100% | Int.Topo. 4 |
Dominican Republic
Grenada
Guadeloupe
Series | Dates | Scale | Coverage | I | Location |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ìý | 1954-69 | 1:50 000 | 100% | Int.Topo. 4 | |
Ìý | 1969 | 1:20 000 | 94% | Int.Topo. 4 |
Jamaica
La Martinique
Series | Dates | Scale | Coverage | I | Location |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ìý | 1958 | 1:50 000 | 100% | Int.Topo. 4 | |
Ìý | 1955 | 1:20 000 | 96% | Int.Topo. 4 |
Montserrat
Puerto Rico
Series | Dates | Scale | Coverage | I | Location |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ìý | 1940-53 | 1:30 000 | 97% | Int.Topo. 4 | |
Ìý | var. | 1:20 000 | 81% | Int.Topo. 4 |
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Series | Dates | Scale | Coverage | I | Location |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
E703 DOS 443 |
1979 | 1:50 000 | 100% | Ìý | G5041 C224 1978 G7 |
DOS 343 | 1975 | 1:25 000 | 100% | Int.Topo. 4 |
Saint Lucia
Series | Dates | Scale | Coverage | I | Location |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
E743 | 1964 | 1:50 000 | 100% | Int.Topo. 4 | |
Ìý | 1991 | 1:50 000 | 100% | Ìý | G5111 E635 1991 G7 |
DOS 345 | 1981 | 1:25 000 | 100% | Int.Topo. 4 |
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Trinidad and Tobago
Turks and Caicos Islands
Series | Dates | Scale | Coverage | I | Location |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
DOS 609 | 1971 | 1:200 000 | 100% | G4985 1971 G7 | |
Ìý | 1968-69 | 1:25 000 | 100% | Int.Topo. 3 | |
Ìý | 1971-73 | 1:10 000 | 8% | Int.Topo. 3 |
United States Virgin Islands
West Indies
Ìý