Mapping Our Shared Environment

The North American Environmental Atlas combines and harmonizes geospatial data from Canada, Mexico and the United States to allow for a continental and regional perspective on environmental issues that cross boundaries. It is a unique tool to analyze and raise awareness of our shared environment and ecosystems across the continent, to demonstrate their value, and to help us see what needs to be done to protect them.

The dozens of map layers of the Atlas are unique in that they harmonize geographic information across North America’s political boundaries. By comparing these map layers, we can better understand and quantify critical trends and interrelationships at the North American level.

Explore this interactive story for a better understanding of how the Atlas can be useful to you.

Explore more than one thousand publications and articles that utilized data from the North American Environmental Atlas.

North American Environmental Atlas

Map Files

CEC Atlas Map

Populated Places, 2009

This North American Atlas base layer shows a selection of named populated places suitable for...

2011

CEC Atlas Map

Railroads, 2009

This North American Atlas base layer shows the railroads of North America. The railroads included...

2011

CEC Atlas Map

Nighttime Lights

This map is an image of nighttime lights of North America, including the Caribbean and...

2010

CEC Atlas Map

Priority Conservation Areas: Grasslands, 2010

This map shows the grasslands priority conservation areas (GPCAs) within North America's Central Grasslands, an...

2010

CEC Atlas Map

Estimated Freight Railroad CO2 Emissions along the Mexico City to Montreal Transportation Corridor, 2010

This map shows the estimated annual freight railroad CO2 emissions for the year 2010 along...

2010

CEC Atlas Map

Estimated Freight Railroad CO2 Emissions along the Mexico City to Montreal Transportation Corridor, 2035

This map shows the estimated annual freight railroad CO2 emissions for the year 2035 along...

2010

CEC Atlas Map

Estimated Truck CO2 Emissions along the Mexico City to Montreal Transportation Corridor, 2010

This map shows the estimated annual truck CO2 emissions for the year 2010 along the...

2010

CEC Atlas Map

Estimated Truck CO2 Emissions along the Mexico City to Montreal Transportation Corridor, 2035

This map shows the estimated annual truck CO2 emissions for the year 2035 along the...

2010

CEC Atlas Map

Marine Ecoregions

These marine ecoregions are areas of general similarity in terms of physiographic, oceanographic and biological...

2009

CEC Atlas Map

Installed Renewable Energy

This map shows the total installed renewable energy capacity for the states, provinces, and territories...

2009

CEC Atlas Map

Baja to Bering Region

The Baja California to Bering Sea Region (B2B) is one of fourteen Ecologically Significant Regions,...

2009

CEC Atlas Map

Priority Conservation Areas: Baja to Bering, 2005

This map shows the 28 marine priority conservation areas in the Baja to Bering region....

2009

CEC Atlas Map

Human Impact on Marine Ecosystems

This map shows the impacts of humans on the ocean’s ecosystems. To generate this map,...

2008

CEC Atlas Map

Terrestrial Species of Common Conservation Concern

This map layer provides range maps for the North American Species of Common Conservation Concern,...

2008

CEC Atlas Map

Marine Species of Common Conservation Concern

This map layer provides range maps for the North American Species of Common Conservation Concern,...

2008

CEC Atlas Map

MPA Ecological Scorecards Sites

To assess the environmental conditions of marine protected areas (MPAs), experts developed an Ecological Assessment...

2008

Tools

Map of North America

Map Viewer

The North American Environmental Atlas map viewer provides access to several data layers, including terrestrial and marine ecosystems as well as human influence.

Text over a close-up of a map

MapMonday

From tracking Uber orders in Montreal to understanding the effect of coastal farming activity in Sinaloa, Mexico– maps help us navigate and understand the world around us.

North American Land Change Monitoring System

A collaborative initiative between Canada, Mexico, and the United States to monitor land cover - the observed physical cover on the surface of the Earth - and its change over time.

Publications

GIS Updates

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Contact

Questions about the North American Environmental Atlas? Contact:

Orlando Cabrera-Rivera
Head, Environmental Quality
(514) 350-4323