title: Converting Shapefile/KML file to Google-encoded polygons?
body: <p>I'm looking at thematicmapping.org and see that they have shape data available for download. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be in formats that will go into Google Maps as polygons. The shape data that I'm looking to use is this:</p>
  
  <p><a href="http://www.icgg.org/downloads/2008_cpi_large.kml" rel="nofollow">http://www.icgg.org/downloads/2008_cpi_large.kml</a>
  or
  <a href="http://thematicmapping.org/downloads/TM_WORLD_BORDERS_SIMPL-0.3.zip" rel="nofollow">http://thematicmapping.org/downloads/TM_WORLD_BORDERS_SIMPL-0.3.zip</a></p>
  
  <p>They're simplified polygons of the world. How do these get converted to Google-encoded polylines that can be placed onto a Google map? I've been getting frustrated with searches only turning up partial answers and references to dead links. Thanks in advance for any help anyone can offer!</p>