(All links in the bottom)

When we use Google Maps, we use proprietary software and not free? Yes, we do. Because so way we use non-free data. Non-free because Google denies download satellite, terrain, and road data (such a GeoPackage). Yes, you can just screenshot and get photo, but Google have no way to download its data. Thus, Google Maps is non-free shit. Only fact that Google is one of evil corporations makes all its products and other stuff aren't free.

So, I want to show much-much more feature-rich and free sites with geographical, geophysical, geodesic, etc. data.

The deeper we will, the scarier software we will see.

First of all, you need something for viewing Earth expanse. The most famous and well-known thing is Open Street Map. I suppose, every fifth people know about it. In "geo-niche" it takes hard position as reliable map giver. I really believe that this is the coolest map ever. And I believe that only free software concepts can make so lively and high-quality map. But there is one limitation. There are no satellite data.

Hey, weather is geography, too, right? Therefore, for farmers and others I have a feature-rich offer. Of course, weather forecasting isn't boundless prognosis. Feeling that "here we go again" will visit you, if you will use weather forecasting. But for approximately values you can use it. I think, you heard my warning. Now, want to present you OpenWeatherMap. Honestly, just today I meet it first. It's not a big thing, because most of all suchlike apps give approximately values and you can use whatever which bearing free software ideas.

But, what about people who want to see satellite photographs? Internet has what they want. It is Sentinel Hub. "The SENTINEL-2 mission will carry a Multi-Spectral Instrument (MSI), capable of acquiring data in 13 spectral bands. This is envisaged to ensure continuity for the SPOT and LANDSAT data." Actually, it's not just a map, it more database than map. There you select an area and explorer gives you list of photos. Some are cloudy, some are almost clean. World's your oyster. Choose any you want.

Picture that abruptly you wanted to hiking in mountain. You ought to create a way that you will follow. OpenTopoMap is a topographic map which have isolines, shading, roads, and necessary elements for all people. It's based on OSM. If you want to go to Alps, you can use Alps Topographic Maps... But, you, likely, know more about it than I.

If I told about topography, I should tell about terrain maps and other attend stuff. Much people use SRTM. ASTER also may take place here. In my humble opinion, they all have poorer quality than JAXA. By the way, JAXA is recent Japanese creature. DEM can be used in many cases.

At end, you may want a GIS software. Geographic Information System (GIS) is word for "an electronic system used to store, process and display geographic information, especially maps". You know, it's all-purpose thing, such a Swiss Army knife. For example, you can make just a map of your town, and much, much more. Only common sense can stop list of work which GIS does. I think, nice GIS is QGIS.

My geographic interest is just a hobby. I'm not a scientist with university behind my back, I'm just a hobbyist. My work is only propagate my hobby to people crowd, to popular culture by scientific-popular language. I'm also a follower of FOSS trail. In this word pair I mean "not use proprietary software as many as possible; use full free sources; and may pirate".

Links:
openstreetmap.org
eorc.jaxa.jp/ALOS/en/dataset/a…
opentopomap.org
openweathermap.org