Today, Google announced GeoJSON support for the Google Maps API. GeoJSON is an open source file format that eases visualization creation. The thought behind GeoJSON support lies in the data format's ability to simplify code. In a blog post announcing the support, Jen Kovnats, Google Maps API Team Product Manager, commented:

"Maps give us an easy way to visualize all types of information, from patterns in health expenditure across the world, to oceans with the highest concentration of coral reefs at risk. The tools used to create these maps should be just as easy to use. That’s why, starting today, the JavaScript Maps API will support GeoJSON, making it simpler for developers to visualize richer data, with even cleaner code."

The Google Maps API is one of the most used mapping tools across the developer community. However, prior to today's announcement, pulling data from multiple sources was a cumbersome process. Data that was previously treated as "unrelated" can now be pulled with a single line of code to build a meaningful, cohesive visualization. GeoJSON supports many new geometry types that make altering visualizations more intuitive. Point, LineString, Polygon, MultiPoint, MultiLineString, MultiPolygon constitute some of the supported geometries. The benefit of GeoJSON support allows developers to update an entire map with a single command as opposed to feature by feature, manual updates. Interested developers should start with the developer docs. The Maps API team is excited to receive feedback on the API and the inevitable new maps that will be built with the new support. The team encourages developers to share on its Google+ page.