by Michaela Langstone

Created on: September 19, 2008

Google Maps can be used to find addresses, local businesses and a host of other things such as places of interest. It is similar in function to Google Earth, but is an online version for which you do not require a download.

To get Google Maps for a specific country, type in http://maps.google followed by the extension of the country of interest (.com for US, .co.uk for UK, .es for Spain, .co.jp for Japan, etc.) So if you'd like to see a map of France in French, for example, you would d type in http://maps.google.fr.

When you have opened your map, you may type in a business address to get directions to a meeting, state a particular attraction you would like to look at, or whatever takes your fancy. So, if I am interested in finding Buckingham Palace, I would go to http://maps.google.co.uk, type in "Buckingham Palace" in the search field, click 'Search Maps' (or press the Return key). I would then be taken to a map view of the area surrounding Buckingham Palace, with itself in the middle, marked by a red balloon with a letter. If I click on the red balloon (in this case, there are several), I will get more information about my place of interest - such as its full address and main telephone number. A brief synopsis of what each red balloon contains appears on the left hand side of the window.

I can then explore the road names and features like in a normal A to Z guide, with the added bonus of being able to zoom in and out of the map by using the slide control located to the left hand side of the map below the navigation buttons. The navigation buttons allow you to pan in four directions - the centre button is to return to the last view. The bus stops are shown by tiny white icons with a blue bus on them. I can click on these to get more information - either they will tell me which buses stop there, or would have a hyperlink to more information.

On the top right hand side of the map, you have the buttons for "Map", "Satellite" and "Terrain". Since the default view is the map, you can click on "Satellite" to see a bird's eye view of the region. Most satellite views are high resolution, especially for popular places, so you will be able to see details. The "Terrain" function shows you the main roads as well as the height above sea level. You will notice that any slopes are shaded in this view.

Two relatively new features to Google Maps are the "Street View" and "More..." buttons. Where "Street View" is available, a little yellow man shows up on the map along with blue

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