The contents of a KMZ file are a single root KML document (notionally 'doc.kml') and optionally any overlays, images, icons, and COLLADA 3D models referenced in the KML including network-linked KML files. KML files are very often distributed as KMZ files, which are zipped KML files with a. Some KML information cannot be viewed in Google Maps or Mobile. KML shares some of the same structural grammar as Geography Markup Language (GML). Other data can make a view more specific, such as tilt, heading, or altitude, which together define a 'camera view' along with a timestamp or timespan.

Every place has a longitude and a latitude. The KML file specifies a set of features (place marks, images, polygons, 3D models, textual descriptions, etc.) that can be displayed on maps in geospatial software implementing the KML encoding. Google Earth was the first program able to view and graphically edit KML files, but other projects such as Marble have added KML support.

KML became an international standard of the Open Geospatial Consortium in 2008. It was created by Keyhole, Inc, which was acquired by Google in 2004. KML was developed for use with Google Earth, which was originally named Keyhole Earth Viewer. Keyhole Markup Language ( KML) is an XML notation for expressing geographic annotation and visualization within two-dimensional maps and three-dimensional Earth browsers.

Kmz file reader