What is a Geographic Information System (GIS)?

A geographic information system (GIS) is a computer system capable of assembling, storing, manipulating, and displaying geographically referenced information (i.e. spatial data). This system should include:

  • Hardware (computers, printers, plotters, scanners, digitizers, GPS units, etc.)
  • Software (programs like ArcMap ArcGISPro, QGIS, etc.)
  • Data (files that may be loaded into the software programs, such as roads, town boundaries, parcels, aerial photographs, etc.)
  • Staff (analysts, technicians, etc.)

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1. What is a Geographic Information System (GIS)?