International Map Year (IMY) is a worldwide celebration of maps organized by the International Cartographic Association (ICA) and supported by the United Nations (UN).
IMY will be officially opened at the International Cartographic Conference in Rio de Janeiro in August, 2015, and then continue until December, 2016.
According to the IMY website the purposes of IMY include:
- Making maps more visible to citizens and students
- Demonstrating how maps can be used
- Showcasing map and atlas production technology
- Showing the importance of sustained investment in geographic information infrastructure
- Increasing student recruitment
The ICA has also produced a World of Maps ebook designed to broaden the knowledge of maps among the public and children. This ebook can be downloaded from the IMY site.
To find events related to IMY, see the IMY website’s Events page. In the US, IMY events are primarily organized by the Cartography and Geographic Information Society (CaGIS), the US representative to the ICA. See the CaGIS website for ways to get involved in CaGIS.
Help celebrate the International Map Year!