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Online Maps

 * Google Maps
 * David Rumsey Historical Maps Collection
 * Old Maps Online Collection
 * Library of Congress Maps Collection
 * FamilySearch Catalog

Tips for Using Maps
Maps must be used carefully for several reasons:


 * There are often several places with the same name. You may want to use a  Gazetteer to help you.
 * The spelling and even names of some towns may have changed since your ancestor lived there.
 * Place-names are often misspelled in English sources. Difficult names may have been shortened and important diacritic marks omitted.
 * Political boundaries are not clearly indicated on all maps.

Finding the Specific Town on the Map
To successfully research maps from Mexico, you must identify the town where your ancestor lived. Because there are several towns that have the same name, you may need some additional information before you can locate the correct town on a map. Using gazetteers can help you to identify a place's the jurisdiction and help you locate it on a map. See the Mexico Gazetteers article for more information.

Types of Maps
Different types of maps help you in different ways, for example:


 * Historical atlases describe the growth and development of countries, showing boundaries, migration routes, settlement patterns, military campaigns, and other historical information.
 * Road atlases are useful because of the detail they provide.
 * Other types of maps include: parish maps, state maps, tourist maps, topographical maps, and air navigation maps. City maps are extremely helpful when researching in large cities such as Mexico City.

Historical Maps Collections
Historical map collections are helpful because they can show you the geography of your ancestor's residence at or around the time they lived there. The following collection is helpful:


 * Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection for Mexico - this collection at the University of Texas is available online. This map collection also covers areas besides present-day, Mexico. These areas are relevant because they belonged to Mexico or Spain at certain times.

Why Use Maps
Maps are an important source to locate the places where your ancestors lived. They help you see the neighboring towns and geographic features of the area from which your ancestor came.

Maps are also helpful in locating places, parishes, geographical features, transportation routes, and proximity to other towns. Historical maps are especially useful for understanding boundary changes.

Maps are published either individually or as an atlas. An atlas is a bound collection of maps. Maps may also be included in gazetteers, guidebooks, local histories, historical geographies, encyclopedias, and history texts.