Hillshades are made by processing georeferenced digital elevation models. The process places a virtual light source above an elevation model and calculates which areas are lightened up and which fall in the shadow. Light characteristics, vertical/geographical source will be determinant for the hillshade.
Some years ago I prepared a hillshade model for Tanzania. It was fun and before I knew it I had prepared elevation models for seven more countries.
This article points to a file gallery where the files are available for download.
Hillshades area available for Botswana, Burundi, Madagascar, Tanzania, South Africa, Comoros, Malawi, Rwanda, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Leshoto and Namibia.
OpenStreetMap, SRTM based hillshade and both of them combined.
Used as a semi-transparent layer in a map the hillshade represent an important element of a visually pleasing cartography. To get the best results it is necessary to work with the different layers adjusting transparency. The above example shows how Goma (Congo) and the area around can be represented. The OpenStreetMap (left) is added on top of the hillshade (middle) giving us the map to the right.
The hillshades are available for download below:
Botswana hillshade tiff file
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
This file contains hillshades generated based on the CSI-SRTM 90 m digital elevation model 4.1. Original was downloaded from
http://srtm.csi.cgiar.org/
Merge and hillshades were done using ArcGIS 9.3.1 by Ragnvald Larsen. Default options for generating hillshades using Spatial Analyst were used. These were
* Light source azimuth 315 degrees and altitude 45 degrees
* Z factor 1
* 0utput cell size 0,000833333
Larsen does not represent the data owner and all requests on ownership to the original data should be addressed to Cgiar.
Free use only restricted by regulations as informed by cgiar. For commercial use also contact cgiar.
Regards,
Ragnvald Larsen
www.tzgisug.org
| Languages: | English |
| Author: | Ragnvald Larsen |
| Platforms: | Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 |
| Requirements: | PDF Reader |
| Category: | hillshade |
| License: | GNU General Public License |
| Date: | 22/05/2012 |
Burundi hillshade tiff file
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
This file contains hillshades generated based on the CSI-SRTM 90 m digital elevation model 4.1. Original was downloaded from
http://srtm.csi.cgiar.org/
Merge and hillshades were done using ArcGIS 9.3.1 by Ragnvald Larsen. Default options for generating hillshades using Spatial Analyst were used. These were
* Light source azimuth 315 degrees and altitude 45 degrees
* Z factor 1
* 0utput cell size 0,000833333
Larsen does not represent the data owner and all requests on ownership to the original data should be addressed to Cgiar.
Free use only restricted by regulations as informed by cgiar. For commercial use also contact cgiar.
Regards,
Ragnvald Larsen
www.tzgisug.org
| Languages: | English |
| Author: | Ragnvald Larsen |
| Platforms: | Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 |
| Requirements: | PDF Reader |
| Category: | hillshade |
| License: | Freeware |
| Date: | 29/05/2012 |
Madagascar hillshade tiff file
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
This file contains hillshades generated based on the CSI-SRTM 90 m digital elevation model 4.1. Original was downloaded from
http://srtm.csi.cgiar.org/
Merge and hillshades were done using ArcGIS 9.3.1 by Ragnvald Larsen. Default options for generating hillshades using Spatial Analyst were used. These were
* Light source azimuth 315 degrees and altitude 45 degrees
* Z factor 1
* 0utput cell size 0,000833333
Larsen does not represent the data owner and all requests on ownership to the original data should be addressed to Cgiar.
Free use only restricted by regulations as informed by cgiar. For commercial use also contact cgiar.
Regards,
Ragnvald Larsen
www.tzgisug.org
| Author: | Ragnvald Larsen |
| Platforms: | Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 |
| Category: | hillshade |
| Date: | 22/05/2012 |
Malawi hillshade tiff file
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
This file contains hillshades generated based on the CSI-SRTM 90 m digital elevation model 4.1. Original was downloaded from
http://srtm.csi.cgiar.org/
Merge and hillshades were done using ArcGIS 9.3.1 by Ragnvald Larsen. Default options for generating hillshades using Spatial Analyst were used. These were
* Light source azimuth 315 degrees and altitude 45 degrees
* Z factor 1
* 0utput cell size 0,000833333
Larsen does not represent the data owner and all requests on ownership to the original data should be addressed to Cgiar.
Free use only restricted by regulations as informed by cgiar. For commercial use also contact cgiar.
Regards,
Ragnvald Larsen
www.tzgisug.org
| Languages: | English |
| Author: | Ragnvald Larsen |
| Category: | hillshade |
| License: | Freeware |
| Date: | 29/05/2009 |
Rwanda hillshade tiff file
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
This file contains hillshades generated based on the CSI-SRTM 90 m digital elevation model 4.1. Original was downloaded from
http://srtm.csi.cgiar.org/
Merge and hillshades were done using ArcGIS 9.3.1 by Ragnvald Larsen. Default options for generating hillshades using Spatial Analyst were used. These were
* Light source azimuth 315 degrees and altitude 45 degrees
* Z factor 1
* 0utput cell size 0,000833333
Larsen does not represent the data owner and all requests on ownership to the original data should be addressed to Cgiar.
Free use only restricted by regulations as informed by cgiar. For commercial use also contact cgiar.
Regards,
Ragnvald Larsen
www.tzgisug.org
| Languages: | English |
| Author: | Ragnvald Larsen |
| Requirements: | PDF Reader |
| Category: | hillshade |
| Date: | 24/09/2009 |
Southern Africa hillshade tiff file
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
This file contains hillshades generated based on the CSI-SRTM 90 m digital elevation model 4.1. Original was downloaded from
http://srtm.csi.cgiar.org/
Merge and hillshades were done using ArcGIS 9.3.1 by Ragnvald Larsen. Default options for generating hillshades using Spatial Analyst were used. These were
* Light source azimuth 315 degrees and altitude 45 degrees
* Z factor 1
* 0utput cell size 0,000833333
Larsen does not represent the data owner and all requests on ownership to the original data should be addressed to Cgiar.
Free use only restricted by regulations as informed by cgiar. For commercial use also contact cgiar.
Regards,
Ragnvald Larsen
www.tzgisug.org
| Languages: | English |
| Author: | Ragnvald Larsen |
| Category: | hillshade |
| Date: | 30/05/2012 |
Tanzania hillshade tiff file
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
This file contains hillshades generated based on the CSI-SRTM 90 m digital elevation model 4.1. Original was downloaded from
http://srtm.csi.cgiar.org/
Merge and hillshades were done using ArcGIS 9.3.1 by Ragnvald Larsen. Default options for generating hillshades using Spatial Analyst were used. These were
* Light source azimuth 315 degrees and altitude 45 degrees
* Z factor 1
* 0utput cell size 0,0004166665, 0,0004166665
Larsen does not represent the data owner and all requests on ownership to the original data should be addressed to Cgiar.
Free use only restricted by regulations as informed by cgiar. For commercial use also contact cgiar.
Regards,
Ragnvald Larsen
www.tzgisug.org
| Author: | Ragnvald Larsen |
| Category: | hillshade |
| License: | Freeware |
| Date: | 01/06/2012 |
Uganda hillshade tiff file
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
This file contains hillshades generated based on the CSI-SRTM 90 m digital elevation model 4.1. Original was downloaded from
http://srtm.csi.cgiar.org/
Merge and hillshades were done using ArcGIS 9.3.1 by Ragnvald Larsen. Default options for generating hillshades using Spatial Analyst were used. These were
* Light source azimuth 315 degrees and altitude 45 degrees
* Z factor 1
* 0utput cell size 0,000833333
Larsen does not represent the data owner and all requests on ownership to the original data should be addressed to Cgiar.
Free use only restricted by regulations as informed by cgiar. For commercial use also contact cgiar.
Regards,
Ragnvald Larsen
www.tzgisug.org
| Languages: | English |
| Author: | Ragnvald Larsen |
| Platforms: | Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 |
| Requirements: | PDF Reader |
| Category: | hillshade |
| Date: | 24/09/2009 |
Zimbabwe hillshade tiff file
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
This file contains hillshades generated based on the CSI-SRTM 90 m digital elevation model 4.1. Original was downloaded from
http://srtm.csi.cgiar.org/
Merge and hillshades were done using ArcGIS 9.3.1 by Ragnvald Larsen. Default options for generating hillshades using Spatial Analyst were used. These were
* Light source azimuth 315 degrees and altitude 45 degrees
* Z factor 1
* 0utput cell size 0,000833333
Larsen does not represent the data owner and all requests on ownership to the original data should be addressed to Cgiar.
Free use only restricted by regulations as informed by cgiar. For commercial use also contact cgiar.
Regards,
Ragnvald Larsen
www.tzgisug.org
| Author: | Ragnvald Larsen |
| Category: | hillshade |
| License: | Freeware |
| Date: | 29/05/2012 |
The elevation model being the basis for the hill shades were made based on the Shuttle Ratar Topography Mission (SRTM). the SRTM mission was a research project initiated to generate a global digital elevation model.
The files are compressed using 7-zip free utility. The files are compressed to around 30% of their original size.
Should you find that some of the files are not working or in other ways are not to specification please leave a comment below.
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