Google Maps
Web mapping platform launched by Google in 2005.
Wikipedia / Wikimedia Commons
Google Maps is a mapping service and app from Google. It provides satellite and aerial views, standard street maps, 360-degree street-level panoramas (Street View), live traffic updates, and directions for walking, driving, cycling, and using public transit. By 2020, over one billion people around the globe were using it each month.
The project began as a C++ desktop program created by brothers Lars and Jens Rasmussen, along with Stephen Ma and Noel Gordon, at the Australian company Where 2 Technologies. Google bought the company in October 2004 and turned the software into a web application. After also purchasing a geospatial data visualization firm and a real-time traffic analysis company, Google Maps launched in February 2005. Its front end relies on JavaScript, XML, and Ajax. An API lets third-party sites embed maps, and a business locator works in many countries. Google Map Maker, which let users collaboratively edit the map, was shut down in March 2017, but crowdsourced contributions continued through the Google Local Guides program, though non-Local Guides can still contribute.
The satellite view is a top-down perspective; high-resolution city images come from aircraft flying between 800 and 1,500 feet, while most other imagery is from satellites. As of a 2011 report, much of the satellite imagery is no more than three years old and is updated regularly. Google Maps originally used a variant of the Mercator projection, which couldn't accurately show polar areas. In August 2018, the desktop version added a 3D globe view, though users can still switch to a 2D map in settings.
A mobile version of Google Maps first appeared in 2006; later versions include GPS turn-by-turn navigation and parking assistance. By 2013, it was the most popular smartphone app globally, used by over 54% of smartphone owners. In 2017, the Android app alone had two billion users, alongside other Google services like YouTube, Chrome, Gmail, Search, and Google Play.
**History**
**Acquisitions** Google Maps began as a C++ program by Danish brothers Lars and Jens Eilstrup Rasmussen, Noel Gordon, and Stephen Ma at Sydney-based Where 2 Technologies, founded in early 2003. Originally a downloadable desktop app, the team later pitched a web-only version to Google, which acquired the company in October 2004. The Rasmussen brothers, Gordon, and Ma joined Google. That same month, Google
- launch_date
- February 2005
- founders
- Lars Rasmussen, Jens Rasmussen, Stephen Ma, Noel Gordon
- developer
- initial_programming_language
- C++
- users_as_of_2020
- over one billion per month
- most_popular_smartphone_app_as_of
- 2013
Lore & Background
Google Maps began as a C++ desktop program developed by brothers Lars and Jens Rasmussen, Stephen Ma and Noel Gordon in Australia at Where 2 Technologies. In October 2004, the company was acquired by Google, which converted it into a web application. After additional acquisitions of a geospatial data visualization company and a real-time traffic analyzer, Google Maps was launched in February 2005. The service's front end utilizes JavaScript, XML, and Ajax. Google Maps offers an API that allows maps to be embedded on third-party websites, and offers a locator for businesses and other organizations in numerous countries around the world. Google Map Maker allowed users to collaboratively expand and update the service's mapping worldwide but was discontinued from March 2017. However, crowdsourced contributions to Google Maps were not discontinued as the company announced those features would be transferred to the Google Local Guides program, although users that are not Local Guides can still contribute.
Google Maps's satellite view is a 'top-down' or bird's-eye view; most of the high-resolution imagery of cities is aerial photography taken from aircraft flying at 800 to 1,500 feet (240 to 460 m), while most other imagery is from satellites. Much of the available satellite imagery is no more than three years old and is updated on a regular basis, according to a 2011 report. Google Maps previously used a variant of the Mercator projection, and therefore could not accurately show areas around the poles. In August 2018, the desktop version of Google Maps was updated to show a 3D globe. It is still possible to switch back to the 2D map in the settings.
Google Maps for mobile devices was first released in 2006; the latest versions feature GPS turn-by-turn navigation along with dedicated parking assistance features. By 2013, it was found to be the world's most popular smartphone app, with over 54% of global smartphone owners using it. In 2017, the app was reported to have two billion users on Android, along with several other Google services including YouTube, Chrome, Gmail, Search, and Google Play.
Reader's Guide
Google Maps transformed how people navigate and explore the world, becoming an essential tool for billions. Its significance lies in making detailed geographic data, real-time traffic, and route planning freely accessible to a global audience. The platform's evolution from a desktop program to a mobile app with GPS navigation and parking assistance reshaped personal travel and logistics. By offering an API for third-party embedding and crowdsourced contributions through Map Maker and later Local Guides, Google Maps created a dynamic, constantly updated map system. Its satellite and aerial imagery provided unprecedented views of cities and landscapes, while the shift to a 3D globe in 2018 improved polar representation. Despite controversies—such as a French court ruling over free mapping, vandalism incidents, and API pricing changes—Google Maps remained the dominant mapping service. Its legacy includes setting the standard for digital cartography, influencing urban planning, and enabling location-based services across industries. The platform's continuous updates and integration with other Google services ensured its lasting impact on everyday life and global connectivity.
Did You Know?
- Google Maps began as a C++ desktop program developed by brothers Lars and Jens Rasmussen, Stephen Ma and Noel Gordon in Australia at Where 2 Technologies.
- In August 2018, the desktop version of Google Maps was updated to show a 3D globe, replacing the Mercator projection.
- By 2013, Google Maps was found to be the world's most popular smartphone app, with over 54% of global smartphone owners using it.
- In April 2015, a vandalism incident on Google Maps near Rawalpindi, Pakistan, showed the Android logo urinating on the Apple logo, leading to a temporary worldwide disabling of editing on Map Maker.
More in Danish inventions 1-21
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record