OpenStreetMap - the free wiki world map. OpenStreetMap - switzerland. OpenStreetMap. OpenStreetMap (OSM) is a collaborative project to create a free editable map of the world. Two major driving forces behind the establishment and growth of OSM have been restrictions on use or availability of map information across much of the world and the advent of inexpensive portable satellite navigation devices.[4] Created by Steve Coast in the UK in 2004, it was inspired by the success of Wikipedia[5] and the preponderance of proprietary map data in the UK and elsewhere.[6] Since then, it has grown to over 1.6 million registered users,[7] who can collect data using manual survey, GPS devices, aerial photography, and other free sources. This crowdsourced data is then made available under the Open Database License. The site is supported by the OpenStreetMap Foundation, a non-profit organization registered in England.
History[edit] Steve Coast founded the project in 2004, initially focusing on mapping the United Kingdom. State of the Map[edit] Map production[edit] Contributors[edit] Wikimapia - let's describe the whole world! Worldmap warper - harvard university. Bing maps. Yahoo maps. National geographic - maps. Maps of the world.