# GB Overview Maps Documentation

Ordnance Survey's GB Overview Maps product provides two overview maps of Great Britain at 1:5 000 000 scale.

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**This product is updated annually in January.**
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<figure><img src="/files/LrRjzwYi3ynjWOec4vCz" alt=""><figcaption><p>A GB Overview Plus map showing detailed areas of England, Wales, and Scotland</p></figcaption></figure>

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**Our simplest maps of the British Isles**

The GB Overview Maps product is free to view, download and use for commercial, educational, and personal purposes.

:new: **Improved cartography**

The GB Overview Maps product was refreshed in January 2025 with a new look and closer affiliation with other contextual mapping products.

:new: **National Parks, towns and cities shown**

This product now includes shaded National Park areas in addition to cities and towns throughout England, Wales and Scotland.
{% endtab %}

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**Provide context to your message**

The maps are great for hand-outs, desktop publishing and classroom use.

**Initial maps for GIS**

These are ideal as initial maps for your GIS. They highlight Great Britain while showing neighbouring European countries.
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{% tab title="Summary" %}

* **Access:** Download via the [OS Data Hub](https://osdatahub.os.uk/)
* **Data theme:** Contextual
* **Data structure:** Raster
* **Coverage**: Great Britain
* **Scale:** 1:5 000 000
* **Format:** GeoTIFF
* **Ordering area:** All of Great Britain
* **Publication month:** January
  {% endtab %}

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**Colour options**

Palette of 256 colours.

**Customisation options**

While you can’t change the look of the map itself, you can open it in image editing or desktop publishing software and make annotations.
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## How to get this product

Access to this OS OpenData product is free [through the OS Data Hub](https://osdatahub.os.uk/data/downloads/open/GBOverviewMaps).


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