The mapcode system was designed specifically as a free, brand-less, international standard for representing any location on the surface of the Earth by a short, easy to recognize and remember “code”, usually consisting of between 4 and 7 letters and digits.
The shortness is the key differentiating factor between mapcodes and other location references;[1] more densely populated areas are designated with shorter (4 character) codes.
In fact, a significant number of people live in the 100 square kilometers of very densely populated city centers of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague, Eindhoven and Utrecht, which are covered by 4-letter codes.
With the exception of Antarctica and the international waters, few localities on the surface of the Earth require a mapcode longer than 7 letters.
The mapcode system was developed in 2001 by TomTom's Pieter Geelen and Harold Goddijn,[3] soon after the GPS satellite signals were opened up for civilian use.