GIS Home

GIS stands for Geographic Information Systems. GIS is comprised of digital hardware and software used to collect, manage, analyze, and display all types of data which helps us to better understand the world in terms of not only location, but in quantities, densities, physical properties, social characteristics, trends, causes, and effects as they are related to a specific geographic location. In short, GIS is a way for us to understand our world in a visual geospatial format.

GIS can be used by a wide range of individuals for an infinite number of activities. 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. GIS 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.