GAEA, a Java-based Map Applet Dimitris Kotzinos, Poulicos Prastacos Regional Analysis Division Institute of Applied and Computational Mathematics Foundation for Research and Technology – Hellas P.O. Box 1527 71110 Heraklio Greece Phone: +30-81-391765 Fax: +30-81-391761 e-mail: kotzino@iacm.forth.gr ABSTRACT Internet is changing the ways data are exchanged and presented. GIS benefit form the widespread use of the internet to make geographic data accessible to everybody. GAEA (Geographic Accessories for Efficient Applications) Map Applet that is presented in this paper enhances the ability of the web browsers to present and manipulate geographic data on-line by adding full GIS functionality to them with no effort at the users’ side. The various internet GIS architectures are reviewed and the Java-based design and implementation of GAEA is presented. The capabilities of the system are explored and explained and its current and future use to real world applications is discussed. Finally some pointers for future research and enhancements are presented. Keywords GAEA, GIS, internet GIS, digital maps, Map Applet, Java.