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A Geographic Information System (GIS) is an integrated suite of information technology tools and components designed to exploit the inherent geographic or spatial references contained in data. A GIS includes capabilities to capture, store, manipulate, analyze, manage, and present geographically referenced data. Professionals who specialise in designing, developing, and working with these systems also refer to their field as “GIS” – in this regard, it is both a system and a practice area.
Some estimate that as much as 85% of all data may be referenced spatially. As people have come to appreciate how fundamental questions of location are to their planning, operations, research, and decision-making, the field of GIS has steadily grown and has been adopted and/or has insinuated itself into a vast array of application areas. GIS is increasingly considered a fundamental and integral feature of enterprise information technology systems.
Some key features and capabilities provided by a contemporary GIS include:
- Data presentation and visualization capablities which allow end users to view, explore, and develop information in a map-based context.
- Statistical analysis, querying, and processing based around spatial and geographic relationships among data.
- Storage and retrieval of different types of data in a manner that is optimized to take advantage of its geospatial attributes.
Following are several links that may be of interest if you’d like to learn a bit more about how GIS is defined and being used in different application and practice areas.