Google Maps is a web mapping service application and technology provided by Google, free, that powers many map-based services, including the Google Maps website, Google Ride Finder, Google Transit, and maps embedded on third-party websites via the Google Maps API.

It offers street maps, a route planner for traveling by foot, car, or public transport and an urban business locator for numerous countries around the world. According to one of its creators, Google Maps is "a way of organizing the world's information geographically".

Google created the Google Maps API to allow developers to integrate Google Maps into their websites with their own data points.

By using the Google Maps API, it is possible to embed the full Google Maps site into an external website. Creating a customized map interface requires adding the Google JavaScript code to a page, and then using Javascript functions to add points to the map. Ability to geocode addresses, requiring users to manually add points in (latitude, longitude) format.

• Google maps site
• wikipedia (source of this article)