The ArcWorld data contain global
geographic and attribute data at two scales (1:3,000,000 and
1:25,000,000). The data is designed to facilitate thematic mapping
at the level of entire countries. The data contain information
describing countries, cities, transportation, rivers and waterbodies,
and associated attribute data (i.e., demographic and socioeconomic
data).The data set was produced by Environmental Systems Research
Institute (ESRI) and can be used with their Arc/Info and ArcView
software packages.
Thematic mapping combines statistical
data with geographic features to display the variation of a
given topic (e.g., population) across a geographic area. ArcWorld
has several rich databases for display by country. The data
sets cover population, agricultural products, health, environment,
government and finances, education, labor force and industry.
The databases described below are
designed for display with either the 1:3M or Browse coverages.
A detailed breakdown of the items in each data set can be found
in the ArcWorld User's Guide, Appendix B. Please note that not
all the statistical coverages are described below; these are
just some highlights.
Population and housing data. POP_GEO
contains several different populations statistics, such as total
population, population density, male to female ratios, population
by age, growth rates, and household size. The data are taken
from the World Bank, and are provided in five year intervals
from 1965 to 1989, allowing for analysis of change over time.
Agricultural data.
AGRICUL contains data concerning food production and nutrition.
Included are statistics on percent of land in farms, food imports,
food production, and calorie supply. The data are taken from
the World Bank, and are provided in five year intervals from
1965 to 1989, allowing for analysis of change over time.
Environmental data. WRI_3M contains
statistics on more than 100 topics, including deforestation,
protected lands, biological diversity, energy production, and
air quality. There are also data on transportation, housing,
education, and health in this coverage. The data are taken from
the World Resource Institute's 1992-1993 World Resources Database.
The date of collection varies by item, ranging from 1970 to
1990.
