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French Answer for Google Earth

Geoportail, the French answer to Google Earth is up and running and reports indicate that more than five million internet users have tried the new service during the first day alone. The site was so heavily trafficked that only one in every five users was able to connect. Google Earth provides users with high-resolution aerial photos of the globe and the National Geographic Institute wanted their own version.

"This fantastic interest encourages the promoters of this innovative project to go even further," the IGN said. "But it has also caused the saturation of the site, beyond anything we may have feared." The site`s developers wanted it to be open for the everyone, but if the current level of traffic continues they will have to regulate access to the site.

Not like Google, which provides view of the entire planet but high resolution only for certain areas, the French website provides high resolution of the entire territory of France, and that`s why so many people are trying to access it. The site was built using 400,000 aerial photographs provided by the IGN. All of France is now available online with the exclusion of military zones that were left blurred.