May 2022

Population, Landscape, And Climate Estimates (PLACE), v4 (2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, 2020)


PURPOSE

To provide tabular data to researchers without GIS capabilities who need data on population and land area by country across a range of physical characteristics. These include measures such as the number of persons living within coastal zones, the total area within a specific elevation strata, or the number of persons living within different climate zones.


DESCRIPTION

The National Aggregates of Geospatial Data Collection: Population, Landscape, And Climate Estimates, Version 4 (PLACE IV) data set provides measures of population and land area for 248 statistical areas (countries and other territories recognized by the United Nations (UN)). It improves upon previous versions by providing these estimates at both the national level, and where possible, subnational administrative level 1 for the years 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, 2020, and by 5-year and broad age groups for the year 2010. Zonal statistics are computed to estimate the number of people (head counts) and the land area (square kilometers), as totals and by urban and rural designation, within multiple biophysical themes for each administrative unit, United Nations geographic region and subregion, and World Bank economic classification. The biophysical themes include: biomes, climate zones, coastal proximity zones, elevation zones, and population density zones. PLACE IV provides these country characteristics in tabular format so they may be used in statistical analyses. It converts geospatial data into national and subnational level data in tabular formats as a service to researchers and analysts who do not have access to geoprocessing tools. 


ACCESSING THE DATA

The data may be downloaded at https://sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu/data/set/nagdc-population-landscape-climate-estimates-v4/data-download


DATA FORMAT

This archive contains data in tabular format as .csv or file geodatabase (.gdb) tables. The data are delivered for a variety of geographic regions including country, region, sub-region, lending category, and income group.

The data files are compressed zip files. Downloaded files need to be uncompressed in a single folder using either WinZip (Windows file compression utility) or similar application. Users should expect an increase in the size of downloaded data after decompression. 


DATA VALUES

Counts of urban, rural and total population and land area in square kilometers.


SPATIAL EXTENT

Global, computed from raster data at 30 arc-second (about 1 km) resolution.


DISCLAIMER

CIESIN follows procedures designed to ensure that data disseminated by CIESIN are of reasonable quality. If, despite these procedures, users encounter apparent errors or misstatements in the data, they should contact SEDAC User Services at ciesin.info@ciesin.columbia.edu. Neither CIESIN nor NASA verifies or guarantees the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of any data provided. CIESIN provides this data without warranty of any kind whatsoever, either expressed or implied. CIESIN shall not be liable for incidental, consequential, or special damages arising out of the use of any data provided by CIESIN.


USE CONSTRAINTS

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0). Users are free to use, copy, distribute, transmit, and adapt the work for commercial and non-commercial purposes, without restriction, as long as clear attribution of the source is provided.


RECOMMENDED CITATION(S)

Data Set:

Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN), Columbia University. 2022. National Aggregates of Geospatial Data Collection: Population, Landscape, And Climate Estimates, Version 4 (PLACE IV). Palisades, NY: NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC). https://doi.org/10.7927/rht8-jv78. Accessed DAY MONTH YEAR.


ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Funding for development and dissemination of this data set was provided under the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) contract 80GSFC18C0111 for the continued operation of the Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC), which is operated by the Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN) of Columbia University.