Hellenic Military Geographical Service Explained

The Hellenic Military Geographical Service or HMGS (Greek, Modern (1453-);: Γεωγραφική Υπηρεσία Στρατού or Γ.Υ.Σ.), is the Hellenic Military's mapping agency.

Unit Name:Hellenic Military Geographical Service
Dates:1889-present
Country: Greece
Type:Mapping Agency
Role:To compile topographic and cadastral maps of Greece.

History

Established in 1889 as the “Geodetic Mission” with the purpose of compiling the “Topographic and Cadastral Map of the Country”, the service acquired its current name in 1926. Today, it supports both the Greek Army and the general public with cartographic products.[1]

From 1966 until the 1980s, the service housed the Armed Forces Information Service, Greece's second state-run broadcaster alongside the National Radio Foundation.

Maps

City plans

HMGS supplies City Plans of scales 1:5.000, 1:10.000 and 1:25.000 in Greek and Latin series

Topographic maps

HMGS produces and supplies topographic maps of various scales that cover the whole country and occasionally parts of neighboring countries. Not all maps noted below are available to the public. Part of them are confidential and available only upon approval of HMGS. Although not a state monopoly, and not very famous among hikers, certainly HMGS maps have a much wider coverage in small scales than commercial leisure maps. The maps use the Hellenic Geodetic Reference System 1987 (HGRS87 or ΕΓΣΑ'87) which specifies a Transverse Mercatorial Projection mapping Greece in one zone.

Availability

The products and services of HMGS are not available in the market. They can either be purchased using the e-shop of the service or collected from the offices of the service upon submitting the relevant request form.[2]

See also

References

  1. a brief history of GYS can be found in the Service's website (in Greek/English), http://web.gys.gr/portal/page?_pageid=33,36335&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL
  2. http://web.gys.gr/portal/page?_pageid=33,36288&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL

External links