diff --git a/zips/Makefile b/zips/Makefile
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..86f7950e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/zips/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+python zip_dir_of_shps.py -i "/Volumes/Data/NaturalEarth/updates/natural_earth_update_1d5/10m_cultural" -o "/Volumes/Data/NaturalEarth/updates/natural_earth_update_1d5_zips"
+
+python zip_dir_of_shps.py -i "/Volumes/Data/NaturalEarth/updates/natural_earth_update_1d5/10m_physical" -o "/Volumes/Data/NaturalEarth/updates/natural_earth_update_1d5_zips"
+
+python zip_dir_of_shps.py -i "/Volumes/Data/NaturalEarth/updates/natural_earth_update_1d5/50m_cultural" -o "/Volumes/Data/NaturalEarth/updates/natural_earth_update_1d5_zips"
+
+python zip_dir_of_shps.py -i "/Volumes/Data/NaturalEarth/updates/natural_earth_update_1d5/50m_physical" -o "/Volumes/Data/NaturalEarth/updates/natural_earth_update_1d5_zips"
+
+python zip_dir_of_shps.py -i "/Volumes/Data/NaturalEarth/updates/natural_earth_update_1d5/110m_cultural" -o "/Volumes/Data/NaturalEarth/updates/natural_earth_update_1d5_zips"
+
+python zip_dir_of_shps.py -i "/Volumes/Data/NaturalEarth/updates/natural_earth_update_1d5/110m_physical" -o "/Volumes/Data/NaturalEarth/updates/natural_earth_update_1d5_zips"
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diff --git a/zips/README.md b/zips/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6d483ab4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/zips/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Scripts to build Natural Earth ZIP archives and copy them to the servers.
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diff --git a/zips/zip_dir_of_shps.py b/zips/zip_dir_of_shps.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c7dbf494
--- /dev/null
+++ b/zips/zip_dir_of_shps.py
@@ -0,0 +1,89 @@
+import zipfile, sys, os, glob
+from optparse import OptionParser
+
+optparser = OptionParser(usage="""%prog [options]
+
+Zips up shapefile file groups (.shp, .dbf, .shx, .prj, etc) into single files.
+
+For use preparing new releases of Natural Earth.""")
+
+optparser.add_option('-i', '--in_dir', dest='in_dir',
+                      help='Input directory of shapefiles.')
+
+optparser.add_option('-o', '--out_dir', dest='out_dir', 
+                      help='Output directory for resulting ZIP files.')
+
+
+def zipShapefilesInDir(inDir, outDir):
+    # Check that input directory exists
+    if not os.path.exists(inDir):
+        print "Input directory %s does not exist!" % inDir
+        return False
+
+    # Check that output directory exists
+    if not os.path.exists(outDir):
+        # Create it if it does not
+        print "Creating output directory %s" %outDir
+        os.mkdir(outDir)
+
+    print "Zipping shapefile(s) in folder %s to output folder %s" % (inDir, outDir)
+
+    # Loop through shapefiles in input directory
+    for inShp in glob.glob(os.path.join(inDir, "*.shp")):
+        # Build the filename of the output zip file
+        outZip = os.path.join(outDir, os.path.splitext(os.path.basename(inShp))[0] + ".zip")
+
+        # Zip the shapefile
+        zipShapefile(inShp, outZip)
+    return True
+
+def zipShapefile(inShapefile, newZipFN):
+    print 'Starting to Zip '+(inShapefile)+' to '+(newZipFN)
+
+    # Check that input shapefile exists
+    if not (os.path.exists(inShapefile)):
+        print inShapefile + ' Does Not Exist'
+        return False
+
+    # Delete output zipfile if it already exists
+    if (os.path.exists(newZipFN)):
+        print 'Deleting '+newZipFN
+        os.remove(newZipFN)
+
+    # Output zipfile still exists, exit
+    if (os.path.exists(newZipFN)):
+        print 'Unable to Delete'+newZipFN
+        return False
+
+    # Open zip file object
+    zipobj = zipfile.ZipFile(newZipFN,'w')
+
+    # Loop through shapefile components
+    for infile in glob.glob( inShapefile.lower().replace(".shp",".*")):
+        # Skip .zip file extension
+        if os.path.splitext(infile)[1].lower() != ".zip":
+            print "Zipping %s" % (infile)
+            # Zip the shapefile component
+            zipobj.write(infile,os.path.basename(infile),zipfile.ZIP_DEFLATED)
+
+    # Close the zip file object
+    zipobj.close()
+    return True
+
+# Main method, used when this script is the calling module, otherwise
+# you can import this module and call your functions from other modules
+if __name__=="__main__":
+
+    (options, args) = optparser.parse_args()
+    
+    ##    testShapeFile = r"C:\temp\geomTest.shp"
+    ##    testZipFile = r"C:\temp\geomTest.zip"
+    ##    zipShapefile(testShapeFile,testZipFile)
+    #inDir = r"/Volumes/Data/NaturalEarth/updates/natural_earth_update_1d4/10m_cultural"
+    #outDir = r"/Volumes/Data/NaturalEarth/updates/natural_earth_update_1d4_zips"
+    
+    inDir = options.in_dir
+    outDir = options.out_dir
+    
+    zipShapefilesInDir(inDir, outDir)
+    print "done!"
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