[Qgis-user] Newbie to GIS and QGIS

[Jel Coward]

Hi all

Briefly - I am new to GIS and to QGIS.  Running on ubuntu 10.04 LTS.

Motivation - to be able to generate and manipulate maps (I work with Search 
and Rescue in BC (by work, I mean, I do it for free :)   - and a desire to 
understand mapping better.


I thought I would start with trying to get QGIS to open/display a map of 
our local area.

I went here

http://geogratis.cgdi.gc.ca/geogratis/en/option/select.do?id=5460AA9D-54CD-8349-C95E-1A4D03172FDF&datasets=092j07 
<http://geogratis.cgdi.gc.ca/geogratis/en/option/select.do?id=5460AA9D-54CD-8349-C95E-1A4D03172FDF&datasets=092j07>

and downloaded the ESRI shape file - which turns out to be a zip file of a 
bunch of files.

I opened QGIS to a blank project and tried opening all the files via 'add 
vector layer'

I got a list of layers, all checked, on the left and something that might 
be a map on the right :-)   Indeed I think I recognise some 
shapes/patterns, but there are no labels for places, and nothing really 
resembling a usable map.


........now I know that this is my lack of understanding and not a qgis 
failing.    Can anyone help get me kick-started a little here please?   (or 
just get me kicked if that fees better :)


Many thanks all - and many thanks to the devels and community for producing 
this great open-source product.

Cheers

Jel Coward






-- 
Jel
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