Map data and licences

A Map visual uses outside data: the basemap, the terrain, the boundaries and the place names. Every map carries the credit for those sources, and Licences opens the Map data and licences dialog that names each source with its licence.

The credit on the map

The credit chip sits on the map and shows where the map's data comes from:

• © DataMind opens datamind.earth.
• © OpenStreetMap opens the OpenStreetMap copyright page at openstreetmap.org/copyright.
• © Mapterhorn appears while the 3D view draws terrain, and opens the terrain attribution at datamind.earth/attribution.

The credit folds as you use the map:

• It starts in full and folds to a small info mark after five seconds of visible time, or on your first real gesture on the map. Dragging, zooming, rotating, clicking and using the wheel all fold it; the moves the map makes on its own never do. Time on a hidden tab does not count.
• Click the info mark to open the credit again. It stays open for ten seconds, and then folds again.
• While the credit is folded, its links and Licences are out of the tab order until you open it again.
• In a narrow tile, the DataMind credit is shortened; the OpenStreetMap credit and Licences always stay whole.

The credit cannot be switched off. It folds, but it never leaves the map.

Open the licences

1. Find the credit on the map. If it has folded to the info mark, click the mark to open it.
2. Click Licences.
3. The dialog Map data and licences opens with the summary line "Where this map comes from", and lists four sections: Map data, Terrain (3D view), Boundaries and place names and Fonts and software.

What the dialog lists

Map data

• "Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL 1.0)"

Terrain (3D view)

• Terrain © Mapterhorn, from the Copernicus GLO-30 digital elevation model.

Boundaries and place names

• The world boundaries are made with Natural Earth (public domain) and simplified for the map.
• "Districts: World Bank Official Boundaries, © The World Bank, licensed under CC BY 4.0"
• City names include data from GeoNames. Some places are shown under the names officially used in their country, not historical names.
• "Wikidata labels and identifiers (CC0 1.0)."
• "Boundaries and names are reference data for data visualisation, not a statement on any territorial claim."

Fonts and software

• The map lettering uses the FiraGO typeface (SIL OFL 1.1).
• MapLibre GL JS and Protomaps (BSD-3-Clause).

Questions, answered

Where does the map's data come from?

The basemap comes from OpenStreetMap. Terrain comes from Mapterhorn and the Copernicus GLO-30 digital elevation model. The world boundaries are made with Natural Earth, district boundaries come from the World Bank, city names include GeoNames data, and labels and identifiers come from Wikidata. The Map data and licences dialog names each source with its licence.

What licence applies to the map data?

The OpenStreetMap data that draws the basemap is available under the Open Database License (ODbL 1.0). The dialog gives the licence of every other source as well.

Why did the credit fold away by itself?

The credit folds to a small info mark after five seconds of visible time, or on your first real gesture on the map: a drag, a zoom, a click, a rotate or the wheel. The map's own movements never fold it, and time on a hidden tab does not count.

How do I see the credit again after it folds?

Click the info mark on the map. The credit opens in full for ten seconds, and then folds again; screen readers announce the control as Show map data credit or Hide map data credit, depending on its state. While it is folded, its links and Licences are out of the tab order, so open it first.

Can I hide or remove the credit?

No. The credit cannot be switched off: it folds to its info mark, and it comes back in full when you open it. Every map keeps it.

Does the licences dialog work without the map?

Yes. The notice is built into the app rather than fetched from the map, so it works with no network.

What does "© Mapterhorn" mean, and when does it show?

It credits the terrain data of the 3D view. It appears in the credit while the 3D view draws terrain, and its link opens the terrain attribution. The dialog adds the source: the Copernicus GLO-30 digital elevation model. For the 3D view itself, see Map buildings and the 3D view.

Where do the credit links go?

© DataMind opens datamind.earth, the map service's site. © OpenStreetMap opens the OpenStreetMap copyright page at openstreetmap.org/copyright. © Mapterhorn opens the terrain attribution at datamind.earth/attribution.

Which licences cover the boundaries and place names?

The world boundaries are made with Natural Earth, which is public domain. District boundaries are "World Bank Official Boundaries, © The World Bank, licensed under CC BY 4.0". City names include data from GeoNames, and Wikidata labels and identifiers are CC0 1.0. The dialog notes that boundaries and names are reference data for data visualisation, not a statement on any territorial claim.

Which fonts and software does the map use?

The map lettering uses the FiraGO typeface, under SIL OFL 1.1. The map uses MapLibre GL JS and Protomaps, under BSD-3-Clause.

Why is the DataMind credit shortened in a small tile?

The tile is too narrow to print every credit in full. The DataMind credit is the one that shortens; the OpenStreetMap credit and Licences always stay whole.