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  • Writer's pictureGeoinformers

Download free vector data of your country or whole world


The Shape files of your country can be downloaded from the links provided here. You can also download the Shapefile for whole world.

The resources are compiled from many internet sources, with gratitude. There are many border disputes; therefore, you are advised to use world data carefully.

The internet links for free vector datasets are listed below-

  • THEMATICMAPPING

Download LinkAccording to the site, ‘The dataset is available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License. If you use this dataset, please provide a link to this website.’ The world border dataset is provided by Bjorn Sandvik. Though it was originally downloaded from mappinghacks.com, the thematic mapping website owner has done some changes in the Shapefile making it more useful. Download Link

  • GDAM

‘Global Administrative Areas’ website provides vector data for all most all of the countries in Geopackage, R SpatialPolygonsDataFrame, ESRI file geodatabase, Google Earth .kmz and Shapefile formats. This website has very good repository of country wise vector data.Download Link

  • DIVA-GIS

This provides a free computer program for mapping and geographic data analysis (a geographic information system. The website offers country level data, global data, species occurrences data, crop gene bank collection data and many others. Download Link

  • GEOFABRIK

The site provides data extracted from the openStreetMap project. On this website region wise list is given and countries of interest can be selected to download data. Download Link

There are many other resources that provide free vector data for various regions.

How can this data be used-

  • The world data can be used to create various types of thematic maps i.e. Physical Maps, Climate Maps, Vegetation Maps, Population Density Maps, Economic Activity Maps and world region maps. Few interesting examples are given below-

Population density


Source: http://sites.millersville.edu/cgeiger/GEOG281/MapsText2015/MapsSection1/Maps1UnitH/Maps1H3_1.html

The population density map using 2005 attribute data was created by Dr. Geiger for his teaching of Map Interpretation and Analysis module at Millersville University, Pennsylvania.

State of peace


Source: Yaaka Digital Learning Network

Wealth levels


Source: Yohan Hill | Twitter

Level of poverty


Source: Pakistan Defence

Subjective well being


Source: Thematic Maps Blog

What each country leads the world in


Source: The Future Mapping Company


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