Download Shapefile Countries World: A Guide for GIS Users
If you are a GIS user, you may have encountered shapefiles before. Shapefiles are a popular geospatial vector data format for storing the location, shape, and attributes of geographic features. They are widely used in various GIS software and applications for mapping, analysis, and visualization. In this article, you will learn what shapefiles are, how to download them for any country in the world, and how to use them in some common GIS applications.
What is a shapefile?
A shapefile is a digital vector storage format for storing geographic location and associated attribute information. This format lacks the capacity to store topological information. The shapefile format was introduced with ArcView GIS version 2 in the early 1990s by Esri as a mostly open specification for data interoperability among Esri and other GIS software products.
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Shapefile components
A shapefile consists of a collection of files with a common filename prefix, stored in the same directory. The three mandatory files have filename extensions .shp, .shx, and .dbf. The actual shapefile relates specifically to the .shp file, but alone is incomplete for distribution as the other supporting files are required.
The .shp file contains the feature geometry itself. It stores the coordinates of the vertices that define each point, line, or polygon feature.
The .shx file contains the shape index format. It is a positional index of the feature geometry that allows seeking forwards and backwards quickly.
The .dbf file contains the attribute format. It stores the columnar attributes for each feature in dBase IV format.
Some optional files may also be present in a shapefile. These include:
The .prj file contains the projection information. It defines the coordinate system and projection parameters of the data.
The .sbn and .sbx files contain the spatial index format. They are used to speed up spatial queries by creating a grid index on the features.
The .cpg file contains the code page information. It specifies the character encoding used for the attribute data.
The .xml file contains the metadata information. It describes the content, quality, condition, and other characteristics of the data.
Shapefile advantages and limitations
Some of the advantages of using shapefiles are:
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World Bank official boundaries data catalog
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How to extract features from shapefile of world countries using QGIS
How to crop layer from shapefile of world countries using IGISMAP
How to render shapefile of world countries at different scales using ArcGIS
How to use API endpoints for interactive maps of world countries boundaries
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Best sources for downloading shapefile of world countries for free
Comparison of different formats for downloading shapefile of world countries
Benefits and challenges of using shapefile of world countries for GIS analysis
Tips and tricks for downloading and using shapefile of world countries efficiently
Reviews and ratings of different websites for downloading shapefile of world countries
They are simple and easy to use.
They are widely supported by many GIS software and applications.
They can store large features with a lot of associated data.
They can be compressed and grouped in ZIP files for easy distribution.
Some of the limitations of using shapefiles are:
They have a file size limit of 2 GB.
They do not support null values, dates, or time fields.
They do not store topological information, such as connectivity and adjacency.
They do not support advanced geometry types, such as curves, multipatches, or annotation.
How to download shapefile data for any country?
If you want to download shapefile data for any country in the world, you have several options. There are many sources of shapefile data available online, some of them free and some of them paid. You can also use different methods of downloading shapefile data, depending on your preference and convenience. In this section, we will explore some of the most common sources and methods of downloading shapefile data for any country.
Sources of shapefile data
There are many websites that offer shapefile data for various geographic regions and themes. Some of them are:
Natural Earth Data
Natural Earth Data is a public domain map dataset that provides free vector and raster data at various scales. It includes shapefiles for countries, regions, states, provinces, cities, rivers, lakes, coastlines, boundaries, and more. You can download the shapefiles from their website or use their web map service (WMS) to access the data online.
USGS Earth Explorer
USGS Earth Explorer is a web-based application that allows users to search, browse, and download satellite imagery, aerial photography, elevation data, land cover data, and other geospatial data from various sources. It includes shapefiles for administrative boundaries, hydrography, transportation, land cover, and more. You can download the shapefiles from their website or use their web map service (WMS) to access the data online.
OpenStreetMap
OpenStreetMap is a collaborative project that aims to create a free and editable map of the world. It provides vector data for roads, buildings, land use, natural features, points of interest, and more. You can download the shapefiles from their website or use their web map service (WMS) to access the data online.
Other sources
There are many other sources of shapefile data that you can find online. Some examples are:
GADM: A database of global administrative areas that provides shapefiles for countries and their subdivisions.
DivA-GIS: A website that provides free spatial data for environmental analysis and mapping. It includes shapefiles for administrative boundaries, climate data, biotic data, and more.
World Bank: A website that provides open access to global development data. It includes shapefiles for indicators such as population, poverty, health, education, environment, and more.
Methods of downloading shapefile data
There are different methods of downloading shapefile data from the sources mentioned above. Some of them are:
Using web applications
Some websites provide web applications that allow users to select and download shapefile data interactively. For example:
Natural Earth Data has a web application called Quick Start Kit that lets users choose the scale and theme of the shapefile data they want to download.
USGS Earth Explorer has a web application called Data Download Application that lets users search and download shapefile data by location, date range, sensor type, or keyword.
OpenStreetMap has a web application called Export Tool that lets users download shapefile data by drawing a bounding box on the map or entering coordinates.
Using direct access links
Some websites provide direct access links to download shapefile data in bulk or by category. For example:
Natural Earth Data has a page called Downloads that provides direct links to download all the shapefile data at various scales and themes.
GADM has a page called Download that provides direct links to download all the shapefile data for countries and their subdivisions.
DivA-GIS has a page called Data that provides direct links to download all the shapefile data by country or by theme.
Using download manager tools
Some websites provide download manager tools that allow users to download multiple shapefile files at once or resume interrupted downloads. For example:
USGS Earth Explorer has a tool called Bulk Download Application that lets users download multiple shapefile files at once by creating a list of products.
World Bank has a tool called Data Catalog API that lets users download multiple shapefile files at once by using an application programming interface (API).
OpenStreetMap has a tool called Osmosis that lets users download and process shapefile data by using command-line options.
How to use shapefile data in GIS applications?
Once you have downloaded the shapefile data for your country of interest, you can use them in various GIS applications for mapping, analysis, and visualization. There are many GIS applications that support shapefiles, either natively or through plugins. In this section, we will show some examples of how to use shapefile data in some common GIS applications.
Examples of GIS applications that support shapefiles
Some of the GIS applications that support shapefiles are:
ArcGIS Pro
ArcGIS Pro is a desktop GIS application developed by Esri that allows users to create, edit, analyze, and share spatial data. It supports shapefiles natively and can import and export them easily. It also provides tools for projecting, validating, and converting shapefiles to other formats.
QGIS
QGIS is a free and open-source desktop GIS application that allows users to view, edit, analyze, and share spatial data. It supports shapefiles natively and can import and export them easily. It also provides tools for projecting, validating, and converting shapefiles to other formats.
Google Earth Pro
Google Earth Pro is a desktop application that allows users to explore the world in 3D. It supports shapefiles through a plugin called Shapefile to KML Utility that can convert shapefiles to KML files, which are the native format of Google Earth. It also provides tools for projecting, validating, and editing shapefiles.
Other applications
There are many other GIS applications that support shapefiles, either natively or through plugins. Some examples are:
MapInfo Professional: A desktop GIS application that supports shapefiles natively and can import and export them easily.
GeoServer: A web-based GIS server that supports shapefiles through a plugin called Shapefile Data Store that can read and write shapefiles.
R: A programming language and environment for statistical computing and graphics that supports shapefiles through a package called sf that can read and write shapefiles.
Steps to import and display shapefiles in GIS applications
The steps to import and display shapefiles in GIS applications may vary depending on the application and the format of the shapefile. However, the general steps are:
Locate the shapefile files (.shp, .shx, .dbf, etc.) on your computer or online.
Open the GIS application and create a new project or map.
Add the shapefile as a layer to the project or map by using the import or add data function of the application.
Select the appropriate coordinate system and projection for the shapefile layer if needed.
Adjust the symbology, style, and label of the shapefile layer if desired.
Save and export the project or map as needed.
ArcGIS Pro example
To import and display a shapefile in ArcGIS Pro, you can follow these steps:
Locate the shapefile files (.shp, .shx, .dbf, etc.) on your computer or online.
Open ArcGIS Pro and create a new project or open an existing one.
In the Insert tab, click Map to add a new map to the project.
In the Catalog pane, browse to the folder where the shapefile files are stored.
Drag and drop the .shp file from the Catalog pane to the map view or the Contents pane.
The shapefile layer will be added to the map with a default symbology and projection.
To change the symbology of the layer, right-click on it in the Contents pane and select Symbology. You can choose from various options such as single symbol, unique values, graduated colors, etc.
To change the projection of the layer, right-click on it in the Contents pane and select Properties. In the Layer Properties dialog box, click Coordinate System and choose from various options such as predefined coordinate systems, custom coordinate systems, etc.
To label the layer, right-click on it in the Contents pane and select Label. You can choose from various options such as field, expression, placement, etc.
To save the project, click File and then Save or Save As.
To export the map, click Share and then Map or Layout. You can choose from various options such as format, resolution, extent, etc.
QGIS example
To import and display a shapefile in QGIS, you can follow these steps:
Locate the shapefile files (.shp, .shx, .dbf, etc.) on your computer or online.
Open QGIS and create a new project or open an existing one.
In the Browser panel, browse to the folder where the shapefile files are stored.
Drag and drop the .shp file from the Browser panel to the Layers panel or the map canvas.
The shapefile layer will be added to the map with a default symbology and projection.
To change the symbology of the layer, right-click on it in the Layers panel and select Properties. In the Layer Properties dialog box, click Symbology. You can choose from various options such as single symbol, categorized, graduated, etc.
To change the projection of the layer, right-click on it in the Layers panel and select Properties. In the Layer Properties dialog box, click Source. You can choose from various options such as current project CRS, selected CRS, etc.
To label the layer, right-click on it in the Layers panel and select Properties. In the Layer Properties dialog box, click Labels. You can choose from various options such as value, expression, placement, etc.
To save the project, click Project and then Save or Save As.
To export the map, click Project and then Import/Export or Layout Manager. You can choose from various options such as format, resolution, extent, etc.
Google Earth Pro example
To import and display a shapefile in Google Earth Pro, you need to convert it to a KML file first. You can use the Shapefile to KML Utility plugin to do this. To import and display a KML file in Google Earth Pro, you can follow these steps:
Locate the KML file on your computer or online.
Open Google Earth Pro and create a new project or open an existing one.
In the File menu, click Open and browse to the KML file.
The KML file will be added to the map with a default style and projection.
To change the style of the layer, right-click on it in the Places panel and select Properties. In the Edit Placemark dialog box, click Style/Color. You can choose from various options such as icon, color, scale, etc.
To change the projection of the layer, right-click on it in the Places panel and select Properties. In the Edit Placemark dialog box, click Location. You can choose from various options such as altitude mode, latitude/longitude format, etc.
To label the layer, right-click on it in the Places panel and select Properties. In the Edit Placemark dialog box, click Name. You can enter any text you want for the label.
To save the project, click File and then Save or Save Place As.
To export the map , click File and then Save Image or Email Image. You can choose from various options such as format, resolution, extent, etc.
Conclusion
In this article, you have learned what shapefiles are, how to download them for any country in the world, and how to use them in some common GIS applications. Shapefiles are a simple and widely used geospatial vector data format that can store the location, shape, and attributes of geographic features. You can download shapefiles from various sources online, using different methods such as web applications, direct access links, or download manager tools. You can also use shapefiles in various GIS applications for mapping, analysis, and visualization, by importing and displaying them with appropriate coordinate systems, symbology, and labels.
We hope this article has been helpful and informative for you. If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to contact us. Thank you for reading!
FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions about shapefiles and their answers:
What is the difference between shapefiles and geodatabases?
A geodatabase is another geospatial data format developed by Esri that can store multiple types of geographic data in a single file or a relational database. Unlike shapefiles, geodatabases can store topological information, null values, dates, time fields, advanced geometry types, raster data, network data, and more. However, geodatabases are less compatible with other GIS software and applications than shapefiles.
How can I create my own shapefiles?
You can create your own shapefiles by using various GIS software and applications that have editing capabilities. For example, you can use ArcGIS Pro or QGIS to create new shapefiles from scratch or from existing data sources. You can also use online tools such as Mapshaper or geojson.io to create new shapefiles from geojson or csv files.
How can I convert shapefiles to other formats?
You can convert shapefiles to other formats by using various GIS software and applications that have conversion capabilities. For example, you can use ArcGIS Pro or QGIS to convert shapefiles to geodatabases, KML files, geojson files, etc. You can also use online tools such as MyGeodata Converter or Convertio to convert shapefiles to various formats.
How can I merge multiple shapefiles into one?
You can merge multiple shapefiles into one by using various GIS software and applications that have merging capabilities. For example, you can use ArcGIS Pro or QGIS to merge shapefiles by using the Merge tool or the Append tool. You can also use online tools such as Mapshaper or geojson.io to merge shapefiles by uploading them and exporting them as one file.
How can I split a shapefile into multiple parts?
You can split a shapefile into multiple parts by using various GIS software and applications that have splitting capabilities. For example, you can use ArcGIS Pro or QGIS to split shapefiles by using the Split tool or the Extract tool. You can also use online tools such as Mapshaper or geojson.io to split shapefiles by uploading them and exporting them as multiple files.
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