THDL Gazetteer
Our GIS-based doorway to names, descriptive information, maps, and more, for places in Tibet and the Himalayas.
GIS Contemporary Maps
View limited versions of our contemporary GIS map data, which show administrative boundaries, census data and environment features.
Historical GIS
GIS studies and datasets with a historical focus. Some contain links to images, video, essays and other resources.
Geographic Information Systems: The THDL GIS Initiative
GIS refers to building spatial databases which provide latitude and longitude ("georeferencing") for every item within the databases. GIS software allows one to query these databases, and then output the results in digital maps that combine various types of information. For example, one might query what temples are within five miles of lakes that are over six square kilometers in size. The results could then be shown as highlighted selections against a backdrop of a digital map showing environmental land types, and administrative units. Our project's long term plan integrates three major types of resources: GIS databases, multimedia documentation of Tibetan places and events, and textual ethno-historical analysis of Tibetan places and events. The present page details our research on GIS databases, including their on-line presenation with interactive capacities.
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THDL Historical GIS
We are creating a historical Geographical Information System (GIS) for Cultural Tibet covering the period from Prehistory to the 20th Century. The GIS focuses on georeferencing point data for prehistoric and historic sites, including the changing administrative seats of indigenous Tibetan bureaucracies. Historical administrative units are linked to socioeconomic data where and when historical records are available. This collaborative effort is intended to become a major resource for researchers interested in historical aspects of Tibetan cultural geography.
THDL Contemporary GIS
We are making available contemporary Geographical Information System (GIS) coverages for Cultural Tibet. These coverages focus on environmental features, administrative units and associated socio-economic census data, and cultural features such as monasteries. This collaborative effort is intended to become a major resource for researchers interested in Tibet's cultural and environmental geography. View our present contemporary Tibet GIS data usingArcIMS (a Java-based GIS application). To view some of the census data behind the scenes, make the "Counties" layer active and use the "i" tool to click on a county. The module requires a browser with JavaScript enabled and does not work with Internet Explorer on a Mac.