THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE ICC 2009

With the presence of the National Defense Secretaries, the Commander in Chief of the Army, the Public Works Minister, the Army Generals and numerous authorities of the Public Services and Academics, the Official Opening of the International Cartographic Conference has been held in the main auditorium (“Aula Magna”) of the Military School.

The Director of the Geographic Military Institute (IGM) in charge of the organization of the event, Colonel Juan Vidal García-Huidobro, welcomed more than eighthundred scientists, highlighting the work of the IGM in the creation of the official cartographic base of the country, which has meant a major support for the development and security of the nation.

Later, and after the artistic presentation of the Bafochi ballet and the band of the Chilean Army, the Sub-Secretary of War, Gonzalo Garcia Pino spoke on behalf of the National Defense Minister, who, together with highlighting the participation of the three Chilean Mapping Agencies, the IGM, the SAF and SHOA, in the development of the country's official maps, announced the approval of the start of the project "Southern Latitude". Submitted by the IGM, this means a new regular cartographic coverage at 1: 25, 000 scale for Chile, which will enable precision digital mapping in greater detail, and at the same time update the existing regular cartography coverage 1:50,000.