Dear Gerardo you can use QGIS software in order to create simple maps...

Hi Gerardo, may I suggest Quantum GIS. I've used it in the past for a number of projects and I've been able to create simple maps using it. For the roads and protected areas you can find the layers you need freely available with a quick search on the web. You can find out more about Quantum and download it here - http://www.qgis.org/en/site/forusers/download.html

Hello Gerardo, QGIS (Quantum GIS) is quite easy to use and its an open source free software. You can visualize some data and satellite imagery within using the openlayers plugin and you can also download data from sites like openstreetmap.  http://www.qgis.org/ I highly recommend it for simple and more advanced tasks in GIS. 

I also recommend QGIS. Alternatively there are lots of R packages for map creation and analysis. Many basic layers such as roads and protected areas are freely available online as shape files or rasters through various sources, a Google search should turn them up.

Dear all, thank you all for your answers. I downloaded QGIS and are learning to use it. The next step is to find the right layers. There is a compilation of them done by the Costa Rican Institute of Technology. Again, thank you all for your suggestions. GA

Dear all, the attached document could be of interest to some of you. It was shared by Achim Haeger. It is a very efficient and quick explanation of how to make a simple map in QGIS. BTW, this is an excellent software. Thank you all for your recommendation. Best, GA

If you need a simple map with some statistics you can use R with maptools.

For simple but very strong maps particularly when needing a quick result or even to get a handle on ones data possibilities is the free section of CartoDB, Check out the gallery.

https://cartodb.com/)

Try GMT at http://gmt.soest.hawaii.edu/

Hi Gerardo,

In addition to what has been said, I will suggest you try the Map Maker 4. See link below

http://www.mapmaker.com/v4/Map%20maker%204.Pro.htm

It's free for those of in Africa. I think is a very nice tool for map making and easy to learn.

It's not simple, but QGIS is a free GIS map editing software. You don't have to use all feature though and it's possible to deactivate most of the software menus and toolbars if needed. Please find attached a simple guide for journalists (but it's on an old version) you could maybe feel the sofware by reading it (see attached). The software has much evolved since then, but you should find loads of info and tutorials on the web, even for non-experts.

If you prefer, you could use UMaps based on openstreetmap, but it's in french i fear : https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/fr/

EDIt : sorry, i didn't see the page 1 of answers :)

http://multimedia.journalism.berkeley.edu/tutorials/qgis-basics-journalists/

Hi Robin,

Thanks for the UMap link, didn't know about that and in some ways similar to CartoDB.

English language link is: https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/

https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/

Hola Gerardo, te recomiendo gvSIG, es un software libre con amplia documentación en castellano y de facil manejo.

Si no tienes ni idea sobre SIG uMap esta genial, también es codigo libre.

¿Que tipo de mapas quieres hacer? Sería de ayuda saberlo para poder orientarte.

Un saludo a Costa Rica.

Kind Lyndon,

You could test also http://giscloud.com, see the MapEditor they offer also in free version, with some little limits, e.g. in terms of forms personalization, but with good potential in terms of data sources employeed between local dbs, wms services, map tile srvices, etc., and with some suitable topic utilities of data re-projection, etc.

It is available also the premium version to obtain the full gis platform functionality, even if not so cheap in term of cost, but with the possibility of a mont/user fee.

It is a useful solution provided entirely in modality SaaS, that is probably one of itss better advantages.

Good work,

Best Regards

Andrea De Tommasi

http://www.giscloud.com/apps/map-editor

Thanks Andrea, I'll have a look at it

regards

Lyndon

Spring - software from Brazil. 

Here is the link - www.dpi.inpe.br/spring/portugues/download.php

I already worked with that software.

Wow... thank you all for your links and responses. QGIS solved my problem since I was already familiar with similar applications such as ArcMap, and needed to do a simple map. QGIS was very easy and intuitive to use, but it is important to see that there are other resources, which I am starting to explore. This is definitively useful for other Researchgate users. All the best, GA

QGIS or DIVAGIS

this was an interesting thread, as said useful for all of us! I used the old ArcExplorer software as a lightweight viewer and mapmaker to publish our Groms shapes, but the new javabased Arcexplorer is awkward and cannot digest my old projects. I think DIVAGIS is still in use and stable http://www.diva-gis.org/ and probably much easier to use than QGIS.

QGIS is the best option.. lots of tutorials available in web..

Ok Gerardo, por lo que veo neceitas hacer es Webmapping, por lo que algo simple no sería Qgis, Arcmap u otro del estilo.

Cómo ya probaste map box y google map, la opción mas simple que estos es uMap (anexo liga), es simple, tiene mapas base y tu pones lo demás, lo puedes publicar en tu página y hacerlo colaborativo.

Saludos,

https://umap.openstreetmap.fr/es/

QGIS

QGIS for sure.

QGIS, its easy to install and use, its opensource and there are a lots of step by step tutorial available on the net. however, if you feel burden to install a software, you can use mapping function in http://maps.google.com/ as shown on this link : https://support.google.com/maps/answer/3045850

good luck!

QGIS is the best option It's a free and open source GIS with a lot of tutorials available online its simple to lean and its user friendly. 

Best wishes. 

Dear all, thank you all for your answers. After trying different platform, the best option for me was QGIS. As a former ArcMap user, I was acquainted with some of the general features of QGIS so the learning curve is not very steep. QGIS has the advantage of being an integrated software with simple options, no need to load external extensions, and in general very simple to use. I highly recommend it. Best, GA

QGIS and SNAP software, both of them are open source and free

regards

Good choice ! As you get used to QGIS, and as a former Arcgis user, you will probably be surprised to discover that QGIS is for a bunch of feature much more powerful (in the sense of customisation) then Arcgis (!) As an example, I'll just point out the very advanced layout features in the atlas mode, where you can almost modify almost anything you like for each page (change paper size, add custom html code, etc) or the powerful expression builder...

If you want to make some quick maps https://conservation.ibat-alliance.org/ is a nice online platform with protected areas, KBAs, and other layers for doing so.

well done dear Paul

regards

QGIS is the best open-source software.

Concordo com os colegas. O QGIS é uma ótima opção!!

QGIS

You can deal with the UNBiodiversity lab that builds the layers you mention and you have the option to choose only those or add others, you can do quick analysis and configure a map for export and printing. I leave the link

https://www.unbiodiversitylab.org/index.html