WHAT IS GIS?

GIS is an integrated collection of computer software and data used to view and manage information about geographic places, analyze spatial relationships, and model spatial processes. A GIS provides a framework for gathering and organizing spatial data and related information so that it can be displayed and analyzed.

what questions can be answered with GIS?

Where is the best place for a new store?

What has changed in a place over time?

What patterns are there?

How would construction affect traffic?

How many locations are there with certain conditions satisfied?

Where do these attributes overlap?

What if...?

What kind of data can GIS use?

GIS can integrate spatial data from many sources and compile them in one place for analysis.
GIS data includes:

Imagery (Drone & Satellite)

Urban Systems

Demographics & Lifestyle

Boundaries & Places
(County lines, parcel maps)

Historical Maps

Transportation
(Traffic, Public Transit Lines, etc)

This data might be authored by individual users, Esri, or partners. It is available via community maps or the Marketplace on ArcGIS Online.

Maps are a universal language

They are the primary way GIS users share and communicate spatial patterns. Maps allow you to explore your data visually- using tools, layers and filters. By combining data from various sources, Esri has been able to create a "Living Atlas of the World". This "Atlas" is the foremost and largest collection of global geographic information.