Seeking API to return GeoJSON data for countries borders?

Question

Is there a simple free REST API where I can send the name or code of a country and get in return geojson data which highlights it's borders ?

I'm writing an application where I will have a changing list of countries and I have to outline their surface/borders on a openlayers map.

I've perfected/learned how to do it using sample geojson from this github but I haven't been able to find a RESTful api which serves me similar data?

Does anyone know of such a service, bonus points if I can send multiple country names at once so I don't need to make a lot of calls.

Answer 1

If you do not find any it is not difficult to set up your own. Install Geoserver and you can get geojson out from WFS with requests like

http://demo.opengeo.org/geoserver/wfs?service=wfs&version=1.0.0&request=getfeature&typename=topp:states&outputformat=application/json&propertyname=STATE_NAME,the_geom&CQL_FILTER=STATE_NAME=%27Illinois%27

You just need to install world_boundaries shapefile into your server or save it into PostGIS database and you have a pretty rest-alike service for country borders.

Answer 2

ThePlacename.com has an api that returns place borders in GeoJSON format: http://theplacename.com/restapi

Answer 3

I've perfected/learned how to do it using sample geojson from this github but I haven't been able to find a RESTful api which serves me similar data?

Why would you want this as a REST interface? A pinch of JavaScript would filter that GeoJSON file down to specific countries. Remember, GeoJSON is JSON is JavaScript, and FeatureCollections are just arrays. They are malleable.