Vector-based geospatial data represents physical features as collections of points, lines, and polygons. Often, these features will have metadata associated with them. In this section, we will look at some of the major sources of free vector-format geospatial data.
OpenStreetMap (http://openstreetmap.org) is a site where people can collaborate to create and edit geospatial data. It is described as a "free, editable map of the whole world that is being built by volunteers largely from scratch and released with an open-content license."
The following screen snapshot shows a portion of a street map for Onchan, Isle of Man, based on data from OpenStreetMap: