Using the map is easy. To understand how it works, it is helpful to think of it as being built up in layers.

The "bottom" layer, called the baselayer, is always visible.

You can imagine all the other layers as being made of thin sheets of glass, lying flat on top of the baselayer. On each of these layers, all objects of the same type are drawn: for example, one layer shows the schools, another shows the shops, another health facilities, etc.

Each of these layers can be turned on (made visible) or off (made transparent)  by clicking or un-clicking their layer boxes on the map legend (in the upper-left corner of the map).

When you turn on a layer, all its objects will show up clearly over the baselayer because they will be highlighted with colors and have special symbols. You can activate as many layers as you want at the same time -- but of course, with too many active layers at once, the map may seem "crowded", making it harder to find exactly what you are looking for. We suggest that you only activate those layers you really need at the moment, turning them on and off to best help you find your way around.

Try working through the tutorial below ... you will see how simple it really is.

Getting started

When you start up the map, you will always see the baselayer. We've added some explanation to help you understand the map tools you can use when navigating.

Look and see!

Showing a single layer

If you click on one of the layer boxes, you'll clearly see the places in Larabanga which are assigned to that layer. The layer names are quite obvious about what you will see.

Here we've chosen to visualize "Commerce".

Look and see!

Zoom in

Now we've zoomed in on the center of town, still showing the "Commerce" layer.

"Additional" information:  you can see -- on the upper right -- a small information box. If you click on certain layer objects, some additional information about them will be shown in this box.  (For example, a shop's name, what it sells and/or a phone number.) Not all  layer objects have this extra information, but if you are interested, you can try zooming in and clicking directly on it.

Look and see!

Showing more than one layer

You can click as many layer boxes as you want and their objects will be visible all at the same time. If the map gets too "crowded" just click to close a layer. Occasionally, an object will appear in more than one layer.

Look and see!