Unit five: Tourism

---

Google Earth is a virtual global program that was originally called Earth Viewer and was created by Keyhole, Inc., a company acquired by Google in 2004. Earth Viewer was renamed Google Earth in 2005. It maps the earth by using images obtained from satellite imagery, aerial photography and GIS 3D globe. The release of Google Earth caused an increase in public interest in geospatial technologies and applications. The viewer displays houses, the colour of cars and even the shadows of people and street signs. It allows viewing of buildings and structures in some areas in 3D. There are several kinds of maps. Topographical maps show both the natural features of the earth`s surface, such as land slopes, lakes, rivers, mountains and valleys and man-made features such as towns and bridges. Road maps for travellers and tourists have symbols for historic sites, hotels, churches and hospitals. Military mapmakers hace special symbols that show military activities and installations. For all maps, mapmakers try to use symbols that resemble the actual feature as closely as possible. Every map has a list of symbols and explanations.