geteach.com has 320+ interactive map layers across 33 mapsets, organized under three top-level categories: Physical Geography, Human Geography, and Special Collects. This page is a full directory of every layer and exactly how to find it, so you never have to hunt for a map mid-lesson.
How to load a layer
- Click Select Map at the bottom-right corner of a map canvas
- Choose a top-level category: Physical Geography, Human Geography, or Special Collects
- Click a mapset name to reveal its individual layers
- Click a layer name to load it onto that canvas
Every path in this directory follows the same format: Select Map → [Category] → [Mapset] → [Layer]
Physical Geography
Blue Marble (12 layers)
Path: Select Map → Physical Geography → Blue Marble → [month]
One NASA true-color satellite image per month, showing seasonal shifts in vegetation, snow cover, and exposed land.
January · February · March · April · May · June · July · August · September · October · November · December
Carbon Dioxide Concentration (12 layers)
Path: Select Map → Physical Geography → Carbon Dioxide Concentration → [month]
Global atmospheric CO2 concentration by month.
Climate (15 layers)
Path: Select Map → Physical Geography → Climate → [layer name]
- Climate Regions — 12 simplified global climate zones (ESRI)
- Bivariate Climate — blends temperature and precipitation (2004–2023) into a single dual-variable map
- Climate Graphs — interactive climograph generator, 0.25° resolution, 2003–2023 normals
- NOAA-DEM — elevation, for orographic/rain shadow analysis
- Ocean Currents — warm/cold surface circulation
- Wind Currents — trade winds, westerlies, polar easterlies, pressure belts
- El Niño Temperature Anomaly (Nov. 2015 SST departures)
- La Niña Temperature Anomaly (Nov. 2011 SST departures)
- El Niño Summer / El Niño Winter — seasonal global impact patterns
- La Niña Summer / La Niña Winter — seasonal global impact patterns
- Human Climate Niche–2020 — current habitability zones
- Human Climate Niche–2070 — projected habitability under RCP 8.5
- Climograph Challenge — gamified location-guessing from climate data
Forest Change 2000–2014 (4 layers)
Path: Select Map → Physical Geography → Forest Change 2000–2014 → [layer name]
Forest Extent · Forest Loss · Forest Gain · Forest Gain/Loss
Land Cover (1 layer)
Path: Select Map → Physical Geography → Land Cover → Land Cover
NASA global land cover classification.
Land Temperature (12 layers)
Path: Select Map → Physical Geography → Land Temperature → [month]
Global mean surface temperature by month.
Ocean Maps (4 layers)
Path: Select Map → Physical Geography → Ocean Maps → [layer name]
Sea Surface Temperature · Sea Surface Salinity · Sea Surface Density · Ocean Currents
Physical Maps (6 layers)
Path: Select Map → Physical Geography → Physical Maps → [layer name]
Natural Earth · NOAA Physical · NOAA-DEM · Topographic NASA · USGS Topo · World Topo-Bathy
Plate Tectonics (9 layers)
Path: Select Map → Physical Geography → Plate Tectonics → [layer name]
Tectonic Plates · Plate Boundaries · Seafloor Age · NOAA-DEM · Natural Earth · Earthquakes – 4.5+ (30 days) · Tsunamis – From 2000 B.C. · NOAA-Volcanoes · World Topo-Bathy
Precipitable Water (12 layers)
Path: Select Map → Physical Geography → Precipitable Water → [month]
Global atmospheric moisture by month.
Sea Surface Temperature (12 layers)
Path: Select Map → Physical Geography → Sea Surface Temperature → [month]
Vegetation Index (12 layers)
Path: Select Map → Physical Geography → Vegetation Index → [month]
NASA NDVI vegetation greenness by month.
Human Geography
Anthropocene (7 layers)
Path: Select Map → Human Geography → Anthropocene → [layer name]
Anthropocene · City Background · Air Traffic · Shipping Traffic · Roads · Transmission Lines · Global Human Modification
Earth at Night (3 layers)
Path: Select Map → Human Geography → Earth at Night → [layer name]
Earth at Night – 2016 · Earth at Night – 2012 · Earth at Night – 2002
Economy (11 layers)
Path: Select Map → Human Geography → Economy → [layer name]
GNI/capita (2021 PPP$) · GDP/capita (2021 PPP$) · Gini Index · Informal (Shadow) Economy · Agriculture Labor · Industry/Mining Labor · Service Labor · Exports · Imports · Poverty (% of Population) · Economic Freedom Index
Energy (13 layers)
Path: Select Map → Human Geography → Energy → [layer name]
Electricity – Production · Electricity – Consumption · Electricity – Nonrenewable · Electricity – Renewable · Electricity – Fossil Fuels · Electricity – Nuclear · Electricity – Hydroelectric · Electricity – Other Renewable · Crude Oil – Reserves · Oil Exports · Oil Imports · Petroleum Consumption · CO2 Emissions (per capita)
Gender Inequality Index / 2021 (6 layers)
Path: Select Map → Human Geography → Gender Inequality Index (2021) → [layer name]
Gender Inequality Index · Maternal Mortality Ratio · Adolescent Birth Rate · Parliament Seats (%) · Some Secondary Education (%) · Labor Force Participation Rate
Geography Land (10 layers)
Path: Select Map → Human Geography → Geography Land → [layer name]
Area · Arable Land · Agricultural Land Use · Permanent Crops · Permanent Pastures · Forest Land Use · Other Land Use · Cropland · Pastureland · Food v. Feed
Historic Maps (12 layers)
Path: Select Map → Human Geography → Historic Maps → [layer name]
1492 – Behaim · 1544 – Agnese · 1570 – Ortelius · 1589 – Jode · 1595 – Hondius · 1630 – Hondius · 1670 – de Wit · 1691 – Sanson · 1720 – de L’Isle · 1744 – Bowen · 1786 – Faden · 1794 – Dunn
Human Development Index (6 layers)
Path: Select Map → Human Geography → Human Development Index → [layer name]
HDI (2023) · Life Expectancy (UN) · School Life Expectancy · Mean Schooling (years) · GNI/capita (2021 PPP$) · Gini Index
Population Density (5 layers)
Path: Select Map → Human Geography → Population Density → [layer name]
Population Density–2025 · Population Density–2000 · Population Density–1975 · Arithmetic Density · Physiological Density
(2025, 2000, and 1975 layers are interactive — clicking returns population count, density per km², and a 50-year growth chart. Source: Global Human Settlement Layer, P2023A, European Commission Joint Research Centre.)
Society (14 layers)
Path: Select Map → Human Geography → Society → [layer name]
Freedom Index · World Languages · Religion · Physicians Density · School Life Expectancy · School Expectancy – Female · School Expectancy – Male · Mean Schooling (years) · Mean Schooling – Female · Mean Schooling – Male · Literacy – Total · Improved Drinking Water · Improved Sanitation · Daily Caloric Supply
Demographics (National) (15 layers)
Path: Select Map → Human Geography → Demographics (National) → [layer name]
Population (Total) · Total Fertility Rate (TFR) · Birth Rate · Death Rate · Natural Increase (per 1000) · Growth Rate (%) · Migration (Net) · Life Expectancy · Infant Mortality Rate · Child Mortality Rate · Median Age · Total Dependency Ratio · Youth Dependency Ratio · Elderly Dependency Ratio · Urban Population (%)
UN Quick Facts (4 layers)
Path: Select Map → Human Geography → UN Quick Facts → [layer name]
UN Country Facts · UN Sub-Region Facts · UN Region Facts · UN World Facts
Special Collects
Africa Project (7 layers)
Path: Select Map → Special Collects → Africa Project → [layer name]
Blue Marble · NOAA-DEM · Climate Regions · Land Cover · African Rivers · African Mines · Freedom Index
Brexit Results 2016 (8 layers)
Path: Select Map → Special Collects → Brexit Results 2016 → [layer name]
United Kingdom (Simple) · UK Nations (Simple) · UK Regions (Simple) · UK Local (Simple) · United Kingdom (Complex) · UK Nations (Complex) · UK Regions (Complex) · UK Local (Complex)
Continental Drift (14 layers)
Path: Select Map → Special Collects → Continental Drift → [layer name]
300 Ma · 275 Ma · 250 Ma · 220 Ma · 200 Ma · 175 Ma · 150 Ma · 125 Ma · 100 Ma · 75 Ma · 50 Ma · 25 Ma · Present · Fossil Species
Earth–Sun Relationship (12 layers)
Path: Select Map → Special Collects → Earth-Sun Relationship → [month]
Geochron-style layers showing the solar terminator, day-length by latitude, and the subsolar point for each month.
Settlement Patterns (8 layers)
Path: Select Map → Special Collects → Settlement Patterns → [layer name]
Population Density–2025 · Earth at Night – 2016 · Natural Earth · NOAA-DEM · Climate Regions · Land Cover · Cropland · Global Human Modification
Historic – HDI (6 layers)
Path: Select Map → Special Collects → Historic – HDI → [layer name]
HDI (2023) · HDI (2020) · HDI (2010) · HDI (2000) · HDI (1990) · HDI (1980)
Human Modification (2 layers)
Path: Select Map → Special Collects → Human Modification → [layer name]
Aerosol Earth · Global Human Modification
Demographics — Global, Regional, and Sub-Region (15 layers each)
Path: Select Map → Special Collects → Global-Demogr. / Regional-Demogr. / Sub Region-Demogr. → [layer name]
Same 15 indicators as Demographics (National), at world, regional, and sub-regional scale: Population (Total) · Total Fertility Rate (TFR) · Birth Rate · Death Rate · Natural Increase (per 1000) · Growth Rate (%) · Migration (Net) · Life Expectancy · Infant Mortality Rate · Child Mortality Rate · Median Age · Total Dependency Ratio · Youth Dependency Ratio · Elderly Dependency Ratio · Urban Population (%)
Mr. Lewis’ (Grade 6) (1 layer)
Path: Select Map → Special Collects → Mr. Lewis’ (Grade 6) → Earth’s Continents
Quick reference: commonly requested layers
| Looking for… | Path |
|---|---|
| HDI (current) | Human Geography → Human Development Index → HDI (2023) |
| HDI, historical (1980–2020) | Special Collects → Historic – HDI → HDI ([year]) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | Human Geography → Economy → GDP/capita (2021 PPP$) |
| GNI per capita (PPP) | Human Geography → Economy → GNI/capita (2021 PPP$) |
| Gini index | Human Geography → Economy → Gini Index |
| Poverty rate | Human Geography → Economy → Poverty (% of Population) |
| Gender Inequality Index | Human Geography → Gender Inequality Index (2021) → Gender Inequality Index |
| Literacy rate | Human Geography → Society → Literacy – Total |
| Freedom index | Human Geography → Society → Freedom Index |
| Life expectancy | Human Geography → Demographics (National) → Life Expectancy |
| Population growth rate | Human Geography → Demographics (National) → Growth Rate (%) |
| Urban population % | Human Geography → Demographics (National) → Urban Population (%) |
| CO2 emissions per capita | Human Geography → Energy → CO2 Emissions (per capita) |
| Global human modification | Human Geography → Anthropocene → Global Human Modification |
| Earth at Night | Human Geography → Earth at Night → [year] |
| Climate regions | Physical Geography → Climate → Climate Regions |
| Plate tectonics / earthquakes | Physical Geography → Plate Tectonics → [layer name] |
A few notes on the menu structure
- The top-level menu always has exactly three categories: Physical Geography, Human Geography, Special Collects
- Human Development Index is its own mapset — it includes HDI scores and Life Expectancy, Schooling, and GNI layers, not just HDI
- Economy includes GDP, GNI, Gini, poverty, trade, and informal-economy layers
- Society includes literacy, sanitation, water, caloric supply, religion, languages, physicians, and freedom index
- Gini Index appears in both Economy and Human Development Index
- Africa Project is a curated regional collection under Special Collects — not a general “development” category
- Layer names are exact and punctuation-specific (e.g. “GNI/capita (2021 PPP$)”)
For the full curriculum alignment of every layer to AP Human Geography, NGSS, and Geography for Life standards, see Map Layers & Curriculum Alignment.