One Solution to the Authoritative Data Question

I’ve run into several discussions of late that basically ask the question: What is authoritative spatial data?

Google’s had to address that quite a bit when country’s “complain” that its maps don’t have a dispute area’s boundaries “right.” The latest issue is in Arunachal Pradesh, a region under dispute by China and India.

The solution: “The Chinese version of Google Maps shows parts of Arunachal Pradesh as inside China’s borders. In contrast, the Indian version of Google Maps depicts the state as part of India. But both of those depictions differ from the global version of Google Maps, which shows Arunachal Pradesh as disputed territory within broken lines on the map.”

Clearly, the answer for different organizations involved in mapping will be different and likely, complex. And, some concerns will clearly be political rather than simply over accurate measurement.

- PC World