How was Google Maps created?

I'm sure it's really simple but to be able to see a house and a 360 degree view of the street and even up to the sky is amazing. I'd love to know how they did it and how long it took.
How was Google Maps created?
Google Maps (for a time named Google Local) is a free web mapping service application and technology provided by Google that powers many map-based services including the Google Maps website, Google Ride Finder and embedded maps on third-party websites via the Google Maps API. It offers street maps, a route planner for bicycles, pedestrians (routes less than 6.2 miles[1]) and cars, and an urban business locator for numerous countries around the world.





A related product is Google Earth, a stand-alone program for Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux which offers more globe-viewing features.


Google Maps provides high-resolution satellite images for most urban areas in Canada and the United States (including Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands) as well as parts of New Zealand, Australia, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iran, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Ireland, Iraq, Japan, Jordan, South Korea, Taiwan, the Bahamas, Bermuda, Kuwait, Mexico, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and many other countries. Google Maps also covers many cities including Moscow, Istanbul, and most of India and Pakistan.





Various governments have complained about the potential for terrorists to use the satellite images in planning attacks[2]. Google has blurred some areas for security (mostly in the United States),[citation needed] including the U.S. Naval Observatory area (where the official residence of the Vice President is located), and until recently,[citation needed] the United States Capitol and the White House (which formerly featured erased housetop). Other well-known government installations are visible including Area 51 in the Nevada desert.





With the introduction of an easily pannable and searchable mapping and satellite imagery tool, Google's mapping engine prompted a surge of interest in satellite imagery. Sites were established which feature satellite images of interesting natural and man-made landmarks, including such novelties as "large type" writing visible in the imagery, as well as famous stadia and unique geological formations. As of November 2008[update], the U.S. National Weather Service also now uses Google Maps within its local weather forecasts, showing the 5脳5km "point forecast" squares used in forecast models. [2]





Although Google uses the word "satellite", most of the high-resolution imagery is aerial photography taken from airplanes rather than from satellites.[3]


oogle created the Google Maps API to facilitate developers integrating Google Maps into their web sites with their own data points. It is a free service, which currently does not contain ads, but Google states in their terms of use[7] that they reserve the right to display ads in the future.





By using the Google Maps API it is possible to embed the full Google Maps on an external web site. Developers are required to request an API Key,[8] which is bound to the web site and directory entered when creating the key. Creating your own map interface involves adding the Google JavaScript code to your page, and then using Javascript functions to add points to the map.





When the API first launched, it lacked the ability to geocode addresses, requiring you to manually add points in (latitude, longitude) format. This has since been rectified.





At the same time as the release of the Google Maps API, Yahoo! released their own Maps API.[9] Both were released to coincide with the O'Reilly Web 2.0 Conference. Yahoo! Maps lacks international support, but included a geocoder in the first release.





As of October 2006[update], Google Gadgets' Google maps implementation is much easier to use with just the need of one line of script. The drawback is that it is not as customizable as the full API.





In late 2006, Yahoo began a campaign to upgrade their maps, to compete better with Google Local and other online map companies. Several of the maps used in a survey were similar to Google maps.





Google Maps actively promotes the commercial use of their API. One of its earliest adopters at large scale are real estate mashup sites. Google's case study is about Nestoria, a property search engine in the UK and Spain.
Reply:They have a large fleet of Google-mobiles driving around taking pictures. Like this one:


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/co...
Reply:they drove a beetle with a camera on the streets and it took snapshots while they were driving