IGN Live 2026: French Maps App Shows Land Changes

The Cartes IGN app now lets you compare old and new maps of France. This helps see how the land has changed, like with climate change.
By Newsroom | Technology, France |

Paris, France – July 6, 2026 – IGN's annual digital showcase, IGN Live 2026, has focused this year on the evolving landscape of French geographical data. The primary emphasis appears to be on the Ingénieur Géographe National (IGN) entity's core mapping technologies and their application, particularly through its "Cartes IGN" mobile application.

The "Cartes IGN" app, available on Google Play, is presented as a tool for understanding France's territory. It combines IGN's detailed map data – including topographic and plan IGN – with a wide array of thematic geographic information from IGN and its partners. This includes data related to administrative boundaries, land ownership, agriculture, forestry, tourism, protected areas, and transportation networks.

The IGN highlights the app's capacity to display the "human footprint" on the French territory from a bird's-eye view, allowing users to compare historical and current maps or aerial photographs. This feature is framed as a means to observe the "evolution of French landscapes" in the context of climate change. Users can interact with the map to retrieve specific details about buildings or agricultural fields.

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Further details emerge regarding the underlying data processing. The Géoportail platform, the French national geographic information portal, is mentioned in relation to the reception, selection, and archiving of SPOT satellite imagery at the Maison de la télédétection de Montpellier. The IGN asserts that data protection and security standards are maintained during data migration. A "grayscale" display style is noted for its utility in overlaying different types of data, particularly "colored" business-specific information.

The technical specifications touch upon the determination of the land-sea boundary, referencing tidal knowledge and specific tidal coefficients. Specifically, the height of the sea during periods of the highest tidal coefficient, noted as 120, is cited.

While the IGN Live 2026 event was framed as a comprehensive announcement platform, the provided material does not contain significant updates or new revelations from a dedicated "Video Game News, Reviews, and Walkthroughs" source, suggesting a shift in focus for this particular iteration of the event.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is new at IGN Live 2026 about French maps?
IGN Live 2026 showed the Cartes IGN app, which helps people see how French land has changed over time. It uses old and new maps to show these changes.
Q: How does the Cartes IGN app show land changes?
The app lets users compare old maps and photos with new ones. This helps them see how landscapes have changed, which is important for understanding climate change effects.
Q: What kind of data does the Cartes IGN app use?
The app uses detailed map data from IGN, like land ownership, farming, and roads. It also uses satellite images and information from partners.
Q: Is the data in the Cartes IGN app secure?
Yes, IGN says that data protection and security standards are followed when moving and using the information. This includes satellite images.
Q: What was mentioned about sea levels at IGN Live 2026?
The event mentioned how to figure out the land-sea border using tide information. It specifically noted the sea height during the highest tide, which has a coefficient of 120.