The acronym GIS most commonly refers to Geographic Information Systems, the interconnected hardware, software, users, data, and procedures that together form a system for geospatial analysis. There are several different GIS software packages that can be used for geographic analysis, map making, database management, and geospatial statistics. You can use GIS to:
“GIS, or Geographic Information Systems, are powerful tools that help users to visualize, edit, analyze, produce, and manage geospatial data. By mapping these data, Geographic Information Systems help us to see and comprehend patterns and relationships in geographical space. Two of the most common examples of GIS are Esri's ArcGIS proprietary software and QGIS, an open source desktop software package for map making and analysis.”
- Study the distribution of populations
- Study physical features of the earth and natural phenomena
- Find the optimal location for an event, service, or business
- Identify geographic patterns and evaluate the distribution of features
- Measure distances and determine optimal routes or paths
- Tie together separate pieces of data to create new information
- Create maps
“GIS, or Geographic Information Systems, are powerful tools that help users to visualize, edit, analyze, produce, and manage geospatial data. By mapping these data, Geographic Information Systems help us to see and comprehend patterns and relationships in geographical space. Two of the most common examples of GIS are Esri's ArcGIS proprietary software and QGIS, an open source desktop software package for map making and analysis.”