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Comment by arlcode | Hacker News Reader

So this is bascially Natural Earth repacked as JSON, CSV and SQL?

It's a nice start. I like it. Would it be possible to add the programm /instructions you used for converting the data from their original shape?

I would love to see an additional SQL version for PostGIS and the likes so that I can use their a large number of spatial functions to work with this data.

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It seems to be the Natural Earth Dataset -- I think the 1:50m-resolution, but with a slightly reduced set of properties (columns). I haven't tried it, but from the looks of it, the sql-files should work with PostGIS as they are.

For what I've seen the data type of the columns is always varchar and not geometry.

Not a big issues merely it's more convenient otherwise ;)

We should definitely fix this in the future! Thank you :)

You're right! Please see the "SOURCE.md" file for all necessary information. Sorry for not linking this file in a prominent place!

Actually, according to the resource-file is isn't Natural Earth after all. The column-names almost fit the NE-Datasaet though...

The SOURCE.md file only lists Natural Earth.

Looks like they include instructions on how to build in SOURCE.md (https://github.com/delight-im/FreeGeoDB/blob/master/SOURCE.m...) - would be great to have that linked in the README though.

Thanks! We'll have to add a link to the README, you're right!

Exactly! Thanks. Although to some it may be "just Natural Earth", we thought it could be useful. JSON, CSV and SQL should be more helpful than the original shape files when building (web and mobile) applications.

We'll love to extend the data to make it ready for PostGIS etc. Will be useful!

unfortunately, while it is in JSON, it is not in GEOJSON, nor anything that appears to be standard.

at least the points are in WKT, so should be able to be converted into something useful.

Thank you! We'll love to hear and discuss what's the best way to represent and store the data. We're open to changes between GeoJSON, WKT, etc.

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