1. A computer-implemented method for pre-fetching remote resource data to a mapping application executing on a client computing device for subsequent display on the client computing device, the method comprising: sending a request for mapping data from a client computing device to a remote mapping system; receiving map data at the client computing device in response to the sent request for mapping data, wherein the received map data includes: (1) image data describing an image of a first graphic feature, the image data specifying mathematical descriptions of points and paths that make up the image of the first graphic feature, and (2) at least one of: (i) remote resource data including a raster image of a second graphic feature, or (ii) a reference to the remote resource data; and storing the remote resource data or reference in a cache memory of the client computing device.