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Geospatial Data Available from the McMaster University Library

Soil and Terrain Database for Latin America and the Caribbean

Source Description Metadata Attributes Demo Sample How To Obtain

Source:

United Nations. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Soil and Terrain Database for Latin America and the Caribbean (1:5 million scale). [CD-ROM]. FAO Land and Water Digital Media Series #05. 1998.

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Description:

Part of a global project to inventory soils. This CD-ROM contains reports, databases and digital maps for Latin America and the Caribbean (covering Mexico, the Caribbean Islands and all of South America).

Map file formats: ArcInfo export format (.e00). Attribute tables in Paradox and .dbf formats.

The CD-ROM includes two geographical boundary files (Soterlac, Soil and Terrain and Latadm, Administrative Divisions) and a number of attribute tables which can be joined.

The Soil and Terrain (SOTER) data includes the Caribbean Islands. The administrative division boundary file (latadm) includes only Central and South America - the Caribbean Islands are not included.

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Metadata:

There are a number of metadata document files available on the CD-ROM, including:

1) Readme.1st document, which shows the directory structure and contents of the CD-ROM.

2) Completion of a 1:5 million Soil and Terrain Digital Database (SOTER) for Latin America and the Caribbean (SOTERLAC) 1993-1997: Terminal Report (Soterrep.doc), which describes the process of creating the Soil and Terrain database.

3) Coverage of Latin America - Administrative Divisions (Latadm/Readme.doc), which describes the authorship of the administrative divisions boundary file Latadm.

4) Latin America Administrative Units Map of CIAT (Latadm/Latadm.doc), which documents updates to the administrative divisions boundary file as of 14 July 1998.

5) FAO Coding System for Subnational Administrative Unit GIS Maps (Latadm/Faocode.doc), which is an file explaining the codes for all levels of administrative units in the Latadm boundary file.

A paper copy of all of these documents is available in the Map Collection.

There is also an online help file on the CD (SOTER1/SOTHELP) which contains additional information.

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Attribute Fields in These Data Files:

Soterlac (Soil and Terrain unit boundary file - includes the Caribbean Islands) SampleSoterlac-id (unique identifier), Suid (SOTER unit id), Cntrcode (country code), Cntrname (country name), Faosoil, Iso, Soilsel, Lndf (major landform), Hyps (hypsometry), Lith (lithology)
Latadm (Administrative divisions boundary file - does not include the Caribbean Islands)Atlas_s (name of 1st level division), Atlas_p (name of 2nd level division), Atlas_t (name of 3rd level division), Cntcode (country code), Uncode (UN country code), Cntname (alpha name code), Country_name , Type1 (type of 1st level division), Pcode (1st level code), Level1 (unique id within country), Name1, Type 2, Dcode, Level2, Name2, Type3, Sdcode (subdistrict code), Level3, Name3, Code (alpha code land/water), Num (numeric code land/water), Disitem
Additional tables (in both Paradox and Dbase formats, some metadata found in online help (SOTER1/SOTHELP). Some tables do not appear to have any field that will allow them to join to supplied geographical boundary files. Anameth, Climdat, Climsour, Climstat, Es_codes, Labmeth, Labname, Landuse Sample image, Attribute codes, Profildb, Profile, Rephoriz, Soilcomp, Sourcmap, Terrain, UK_codes, Vegetat Sample image, Attribute codes.

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Demo Location:

An ArcView project is available as a demo of this data, on the ArcView workstation in the Map Collection.

H:/data demos/FAO/Latin America/demo.apr

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How to Obtain These Files:

1) The CD-ROM is available for loan to McMaster researchers and students, with valid ID.

2) Request the CD-ROM from the Map Collection in Mills Library Room 110. The call number for the CD-ROM is UN9 FA5 98S05.
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Contact: mapref@mcmaster.ca
Last Reviewed: August 11, 2003
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