Enhanced Vector Shorelines of the World - One Island, One Coastline, One River and One Lake at a time.
The above map shows some of my completed island mapping projects. Each icon contains the name of the primary
island associated with the project and a link to the post. Once all of my projects are posted, the map will be
covered with icons. To productively use the map, zoom into a region of interest. Then select an
icon.
Each of my maps is constructed of numerous layers of information.
All of the layers are vector files. I will make these files available upon request. You are free to use them with certain
restrictions - 1) Don't sell them. You can use them on research projects, post them to your website or things of that
nature. If you aren't sure about the use of my maps, drop me a line and we can discuss your idea. 2) Give me credit
when you use my vectors or images of my maps. Credit them to Peter Minton @ EVS-Islands
If I have the island vector
file(s) and based upon your need, I will make them available. Images of my maps are yours to download and use, with the above
restrictions applicable. Enjoy!
Monday, July 09, 2007
Dao Bach Long Vi VN - A Fancy Map!
Dao Bach Long Vi - Landsat Image N-48-20_2000 (1-17,500)
Dao Bach Long Vi - Marplot Map (1-17,500)
I haven't posted one of these in a long time. It is an Enhanced Vector Shoreline of a Vietnamese island. It seems that I posted this before, but I'll be darned if I can find it on my site. Oh, well.
Dao Bach Long Vi is a potential Marine Protected Area. For now, it is home to a lighthouse and a very small population of fishermen.
Dao Bach Long Vi - Marplot Map (1:17,500) - A Fancy Map
Yes siree, this is a fancy map. I took my original map, less lat/lon and scale box, and worked it over in my free paint program, ImageForge. I am still experimenting with fonts and text (credits and such), but the overall composition looks good. It took an extra two-hours to complete this project, but it is well worth it.
This is the rest of the islands. I posted Nghi Son Island previously. Nine smaller islands make up the balance of these islands. The outlying islands have little information posted about them on the Internet. Needless to say, due to heavy development within the area, these islands will be affected. Whether that effect will be negative or positive, only time will tell. Time and the Vietnamese government..
Nghi Son Island and Coast
Nghi Son Island, the main island of the group, is the large island just off shore. This island will become an integral part of both the existing cement factory and the oil refinery scheduled to be built in 2008.
Back in 1966, I served a year in Vietnam. I was in the Air Force stationed at Da Nang. That conflict tore Vietnam apart both figuratively and literally. Many times I've wondered if the Vietnamese people have been able to repair their once ravaged country. This island and the surrounding mainland indicates positive steps toward recovery are being made.
This area is north of the old DMZ. In August 1964, Vietnamese patrol boats took off from this area and fired upon the USS Maddox, which was on an intelligence gathering mission. This controversial incident led to the single greatest major escalation of that conflict, the Gulf of Tonkin Incident.
Now days, the area is noted for the Nghi Son Cement Factory, located in the Nghi Son Industrial Area, and port. The industrial area and port provide employment and other opportunities for the local inhabitants. Recovery is happening in Vietnam, slowly.
Just a few remarks about the complexity of this mapping project. I initially selected this area due to some off-lying islands. Those were mapped within the first few hours. I decided to work on Nghi Son Island as an after-thought. It turned out to be quite complex. What appears to be finger-like dikes in the lagoon are most probably related to aquaculture. What I have identified as EVS Land Bare along the coast is most probably a series of beaches. The area is riddled with limestone which is used in the cement operation. However the Landsat imagery hints at it's locations within the area, but not enough that I feel confident in identifying it. The Nghi Son area of this project took about six to eight hours to complete. Interesting, but not fun. However, when you are stubborn and determined to complete each mapping project, you just keep pushing until everything is complete. I think that goes for most projects in life.
The main island, along with it's smaller neighbors, is situated to the south of Da Nang VN. The islands are covered with thick forests. The small population makes their living from the sea.
The name of the main island carries the moniker of the Cham people that once claimed this mainland area as part of their empire. This empire existed up until the 1400's, when it was finally overrun by the Sinicized Vietnamese. Originally, the Cham people of the kingdom of Champa were highly influenced by "Mother India". They were a Hindu people that in the later years slowly converted to the Muslim faith. About 1,000,000 of the Cham people live scattered throughout Vietnam, Cambodia and Hainan Island.
During a search on the Internet for sites about Cu Lao Cham I came across a site entitled SOG Paradise Island. It is sponsered by an individual that served on the island between December 1966 to December 1967. That was the same time I served. I was stationed in Da Nang, just to the north. I never heard of this group or their mission, even though I carried a Top Secret Clearance. I had no need to know, so I didn't know. Some bad stuff apparently took place on this island involving prisoners and interegation. I am please that this island is now a tourist attraction and part of a recently established Marine and Nature Reserve. This is a much better use of these islands than some military purpose.
This is a repost and a reconstruction of the original shoreline. I have also added the vegetation layer for all of the islands in the group. The digitizing was fast and simple. I work at 1:12,500 when I digitize from the Landsat base imagery. If necessary, I work on certain areas at 1:6,250. The area identified as EVS Land Bare is most likely a rocky shore. The western shore of Cu Lao Cham appears to have sand beaches. They are identified as EVS Land Sand.
A moderately priced, easy-to-use GIS package, which I use to load, view and work with Landsat ETM+ imagery from which I digitize layers of information for my island maps.
