[SDI-Africa] Christmas and GIS

[Gordon Ojwang]

Christmas and GIS
The biggest mapping fun at Christmas time is NORAD’s Santa tracking. The 
tracking started back in 1955 when a Sears department store misprinted the 
number children could call to get updates on Santa’s whereabouts. The 
number instead went through to the Colorado Springs’ Continental Air 
Defense Command (CONAD) Center. The then Director of Operations at the time, 
Colonel Harry Shoup, instructed his staff to provide radar based updates to 
those calling in about Santa locations. The tradition of providing updates 
continues to this day. The application uses GIS technology to track Santa 
starting on December 24th. Using NORAD’s radar system called the North 
Warning System, visitors can log on to the website: 
http://www.noradsanta.org/ to track Santa’s movements as he leaves the 
North Pole. Santa tracking can be done in English, Spanish, French, Italian, 
German and Japanese. The site offers a mobile app to also track Santa with 
Google Maps for mobile.
 
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