GIS

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Simply put, a GIS combines layers of information about a place to give you a better understanding of that place. What layers of information you combine depends on your purpose—finding the best location for a new store, analyzing environmental damage, viewing similar crimes in a city to detect a pattern, and so on.
What is GIS?, PDF slide show, (1.89 MB)
Geography Matters, PDF white paper from ESRI (319 KB)
What do you need to use GIS?
A full GIS, or geographic information system, requires:
• Hardware (computers and peripherals)
• Software
• Data
• People
• Training and sound analysis methods for interpreting the results generated by the GIS.
>> Read on for more detailed information.

How To Use GIS
Mapping Where Things Are
Mapping where things are lets you find places that have the features you are looking for and to see where to take action.
1. Find a feature—People use maps to see where or what an individual feature is.
2. Finding patterns—By looking at the distribution of features on the map instead of just an individual feature, you can see patterns emerge.

This map shows the location of man-made objects such as buildings, antennas, and towers, as well as landscape features that can pose dangers to aircraft leaving or approaching airfields.
Map courtesy of General Command of Mapping Cartography Department, Ankara, Turkey.

[1] Mapping Where Things Are
[2] Mapping Quantities
[3] Mapping Densities
[4] Finding What's Inside
[5] Finding What's Nearby
[6] Mapping Change
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How To Use GIS
Mapping Quantities
People map quantities, such as where the most and least are, to find places that meet their criteria and take action, or to see the relationships between places. This gives an additional level of information beyond simply mapping the locations of features.
For example, a catalog company selling children's clothes would want to find ZIP Codes not only around their store, but also those ZIP Codes with many young families with relatively high income. Or, public health officials might want not only to map physicians but also to map the numbers of physicians per...

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...the form of a map. The difference is not simply aesthetic, it is conceptual—it turns out that the way you see your data has a profound effect on the connections you make and the conclusions you draw from it. GIS gives you the layout and drawing tools that help present facts with clear, compelling documents. top GIS for Educators

Most problems facing the world today—environmental, economic, political, or social—exist in a geographic context. GIS provides the geographic research and analysis tools to bring this context to students.

This map shows the coal resources and availability for mining for the Villa Grove Quadrangle, Douglas County, Illinois. It is one of a set from an atlas of detailed geologic information and derivative maps.
Interpreted geologic maps and derivative maps such as this are important tools for implementing "smart growth." Community officials and urban planners can make better land use decisions regarding natural resources when they use these informative maps. Coal mining companies also use maps like this to guide their investment and mine planning decisions.

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Bibliography

www.gis.com

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