Sources of the maps

This page names all the data sources that maps by maps.express can use. It applies to maps on screen and to files whose source line points here. It does not show which sources a single map actually contains: that depends on area, zoom and design. If a map carries an address with an ID, such as maps.express/q/…, that page shows the sources of exactly that file if we have an individual record.

• OpenStreetMap

  Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Data under ODbL 1.0. More information: https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright. Licence: https://opendatacommons.org/licenses/odbl/1-0/

• Natural Earth

  Small-scale data: Made with Natural Earth. Public domain.

• Relief

  Relief based on Mapzen Terrain Tiles. Processed and generalised for the map (hillshading, colouring). Depending on area and zoom, the dataset combines the following sources, given here as worded in the Mapzen list:

  • ArcticDEM terrain data DEM(s) were created from DigitalGlobe, Inc., imagery and funded under National Science Foundation awards 1043681, 1559691, and 1542736
  • Australia terrain data © Commonwealth of Australia (Geoscience Australia) 2017
  • Austria terrain data © offene Daten Österreichs – Digitales Geländemodell (DGM) Österreich
  • Canada terrain data contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
  • Europe terrain data produced using Copernicus data and information funded by the European Union - EU-DEM layers
  • Global ETOPO1 terrain data U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
  • Mexico terrain data source: INEGI, Continental relief, 2016
  • New Zealand terrain data Copyright 2011 Crown copyright (c) Land Information New Zealand and the New Zealand Government (All rights reserved)
  • Norway terrain data © Kartverket
  • United Kingdom terrain data © Environment Agency copyright and/or database right 2015. All rights reserved
  • United States 3DEP (formerly NED) and global GMTED2010 and SRTM terrain data courtesy of the U.S. Geological Survey

• EU-DEM (Copernicus)

  In Europe from medium zoom levels: EU-DEM, produced using Copernicus data and information funded by the European Union. Generated using European Union’s Copernicus Land Monitoring Service information.

• Aerial and satellite imagery

  If you turn on aerial or satellite imagery, the source shown is named on the map. Depending on the area we use:

  • EOxCloudless 2016 (EOX), CC BY 4.0
  • Aerial imagery Bavaria (Bayerische Vermessungsverwaltung), CC BY 4.0
  • Aerial imagery Austria (basemap.at), CC BY 4.0
  • Aerial imagery Switzerland (swisstopo), swisstopo OGD
  • Aerial imagery Spain PNOA (IGN España), CC BY 4.0
  • Aerial imagery France BD ORTHO (IGN Géoplateforme), Licence Ouverte 2.0
  • Aerial imagery USA (USGS), Public Domain

• Symbols

  • Microsoft Fluent Emoji Flat · MIT
    Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation. MIT License. Sanitized SVG drawings.
  • Microsoft Fluent Emoji High Contrast · MIT
    Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation. MIT License. Sanitized SVG drawings.
  • Pinhead · CC0 1.0
    Pinhead · CC0 1.0 · sanitized SVG drawings
  • Circle Flags · MIT
    Copyright (c) 2026 HatScripts. MIT License. Sanitized SVG drawings.

• More

  Airport positions: OurAirports. Some places and points of interest: Wikidata (CC0). Place search and routes are based on OpenStreetMap data (Photon, Nominatim, Valhalla, FOSSGIS OSRM, OpenRailRouting).

The data was processed and generalised for the map. Naming a source does not mean that data providers, authorities or the European Union endorse or support this map. Maps are not a basis for navigation.

This list is updated when our sources change. Last updated: November 2026