1. A method of compressing a fingerprint template, the fingerprint template being derived from fingerprint image data captured from a sensor, the method comprising: surveying the fingerprint template to determine one or more starting points; selecting a starting point from the one or more starting points; encoding the starting point; encoding one or more contours extending from the starting point; and repeating the selecting, encoding the starting point and encoding the one or more contours extending from the starting point steps for each of the one or more starting points surveyed from the fingerprint template, wherein the surveying step comprises marking a bifurcation point as one of the one or more starting points, wherein the surveying step comprises marking a contour ending as one of the one or more starting points, and wherein the step of selecting the starting point comprises: initially selecting the bifurcation point as the starting point, and selecting the contour ending as the starting point subsequent to selecting the bifurcation point.