The (e.g., national, provincial, or local) required for your project?
When you download country-specific data, you receive separate files for each administrative level. For instance, for Kenya, you would get:
Specialized format optimized for R spatial packages like sf and sp .
GADM does not provide a public API; direct file download is required. download gadm data version 36 work
Many ongoing academic studies and multi-year projects started using version 3.6 and must keep using it to prevent spatial drift or boundary mismatches.
If you require global data, you can download the entire dataset as a single GeoPackage (1.4 GB) or as a shapefile (2.1 GB) from the dedicated world download page. Be aware that these are large files and may take a long time to download.
Global Administrative Areas (GADM) is a high-resolution database of country administrative boundaries. It provides spatial data for maps, geographic analysis, and spatial statistics. Many researchers and GIS professionals specifically seek Version 3.6 because of its widespread compatibility with historical datasets and specific legacy projects. The (e
GADM maps boundaries according to specific geographic standards, which might not reflect the political stance of every nation. Always check your study area against local official maps if working on sensitive geopolitical projects.
Second-level subdivisions (e.g., counties, districts).
This comprehensive guide will walk you through downloading GADM data version 3.6 and step-by-step methods to work with it effectively in your spatial projects. Part 1: How to Download GADM Data Version 3.6 GADM does not provide a public API; direct
GADM data uses the longitude/latitude coordinate system on the WGS84 datum. Project your layers if you need to calculate accurate distances or areas.
The recommended standard. It is a single file containing all administrative levels for a country or the world.
To download GADM data version 3.6, you must access the historical archive directly on the official website or its mirrors.
The GADM website recommends downloading data by country due to the large file sizes of global datasets. For each country, you can choose from a variety of file formats, including:
GADM 3.6 is but has restrictions: