Maantiedosta

Maantiedosta is a Finnish term that refers to geography-related information or data. It is formed from maantieto, the field of geography, and its elative form maantiedosta is used to indicate content derived from or about geography. In practice, maantiedosta denotes geographic knowledge, datasets, and materials used to describe the Earth's surface and its phenomena.

The concept encompasses various geographic elements, including topography, land use, climate, vegetation, population distribution, and spatial relationships. It also covers the tools and products used to study and present geographic information, such as maps, geographic information systems (GIS), spatial analyses, and remotely sensed data. Common data formats associated with maantiedosta include digital elevation models (DEMs), vector and raster map layers, and coordinate reference systems.

Maantiedosta is applied across multiple sectors. In education, it supports teaching and learning about spatial patterns and environmental processes. In planning and policy, it informs urban development, transportation, land use, and disaster risk management. In research, it underpins analyses of climate change, biodiversity, and human-environment interactions. Public administration and media frequently rely on maantiedosta for reporting and decision-making.

In Finland, much maantiedosta originates from national authorities and public data portals, notably the Maanmittauslaitos (National Land Survey) and open data services. Ethical and legal considerations include privacy, land ownership, data accuracy, and licensing. The term is often used interchangeably with maantietoa to describe geographic knowledge or information in a broader sense. See also maantieto, karttatieto, GIS.