What is an ArcGIS web map?
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An ArcGIS web map is an interactive display of geographic information that you can use to tell stories and answer questions. For example, you may find or create a map that addresses the question, How many people in the United States live within a reasonable walk or drive to a supermarket? This map has layers showing which neighborhoods are within a 10-minute drive or 1-mile walk to a supermarket, and for context, the map has a topographic basemap that includes cities, roads, and buildings overlaid on land cover and shaded relief imagery.
What do maps contain?
Maps contain a basemap; layers; an extent; a legend; and navigation tools such as zoom, pan, place finders, and bookmarks. Many maps also contain interactive elements such as a basemap gallery that allows you to switch between maps like imagery and streets, plus measure tools, pop-ups that display attributes about a specific feature, and buttons for playing data over time. They are constructed using data layers from services and files to communicate a specific message or provide specific map-based capabilities.
Where can you use maps?
Maps can be opened in standard web browsers, mobile devices, and desktop map viewers. They can be shared through links, embedded in websites, and used to create browser-based and device-based apps.
How do you create maps?
Maps can be authored in five basic steps: choose a basemap, add layers, change style, configure pop-ups, and save the map. Once you create your map, you can share it, embed it in a website, and use it to create an app.