A KML file can, for example, add data points to a Google Earth map of New Zealand that show where various scenes from the three 'Lord of the Rings' films were shot.

Google Earth has moved into a tighter orbit around Google search. Google Earth users can now search for specific geographic data layers, otherwise known as Keyhole Markup Language (KML) files, to create map overlays.

In a post on the Google Maps API Blog, Google Earth product manager Chikai Ohazama offers an example: Navigate to New Zealand in Google Earth and enter "Lord of the Rings" in the Google Earth search box. The result is a KML file that, when selected, adds data points to the map of New Zealand that show where various scenes from the three Lord of the Rings films were shot. [More] [Google Earth]