A Geographic Information System (GIS) uses digital hardware and software to collect, manage, analyze, and display information about specific locations. GIS is a way for us to understand our world in a visual geospatial format. It can be used to analyze social data such as crime patterns and population demographics. GIS can be helpful in analyzing physical features such as watershed and soil characteristics for biological studies, agricultural interests, and environmental issues. It can also be used for city and regional planning and for emergency response development.
GIS-History - A GIS timeline developed by the Centre for Advanced Spatial Analysis.
Recommended GIS Software:
Virtual Campus Training: Free Courses- ESRI offers free GIS courses (requires Java/JavaScript enabled).
- Basic enrollment steps
University of Nebraska-Lincoln students, faculty and staff are eligible to take selected ESRI Virtual Campus fee-based courses for free.
- To register, go to the ESRI Course Catalog and select the courses you are interested in. (Virtual campus courses are designated by a "w".)
Recommended for beginning users: - Once you have selected the course you are interested in, email Alain Boucher at license@unl.edu and list the title of the course you want to enroll in. You will receive a course access code in your email. Follow instructions under #3 from the How to register page.
GIS @ UNL
General GIS Websites
- GIS.com
- GIS Monitor
- GeoCommunity
- The Ultimate GIS Links Database
- Geography Network
- GIS Jobs Clearinghouse
- MapInfo
State & Regional GIS sites
National & World GIS Sites
- AmericaView
- National Geographic's Earth Pulse
- Africa Data Dissemination Service
- United Nations Environment Programme
Government GIS-Related Sites
- NationalAtlas.gov
- The National Map
- U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
- United States Census Bureau
- National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGIA)
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
- Envirofacts Data Warehouse
- U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
- Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
- Visible Earth
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
- Mapping and Analysis for Public Safety (MAPS)
Other Universities' GIS Sites
- University College London
- University of Arkansas
- University of Virginia
- University of Maryland
- University of Iowa
- University of Washington
GIS Vocabulary
- GIS Dictionary
- Dictionary of Abbreviations & Acronyms in Geographic Information Systems, Cartography, and Remote Sensing
