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What is GIS (Geographical Information System)?

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GIS stands for Geographical Information System. It is a system that allows users to add a map with geospatial referencing data such as latitude or longitude, along with other additional layers of information. It allows for creating, managing, analyzing, and map of all types of data. Furthermore, it allows connecting location data to the existing map with additional descriptive information. This information related to location is used for geospatial referencing. This spatial data along with other data allows representing the data in a visual form which allows us to study patterns in them.

Important Components of GIS

There are mainly five components that are needed for GIS to work. They are software, hardware, data, people, and methods.

Software

This is the main software that provides the function and the tools that are needed to analyze and display the geographic information from a map.

These software components can be tools to manipulate geographic information; a database to store the maps; tools to support geographical query, analysis, and visualization, and a Graphical User Interface(GUI) for easy access to tools.

There are many GIS software out there whose usage depends upon the requirements and types of data being analyzed. Some popular GIS-based software programs are given below.

Hardware

This is the machine on which the GIS software runs. This can be a stand-alone server or a centralized server with a virtual desktop.

Data

A GIS application can integrate spatial data with other data and is stored in a database management system like Oracle SQL or SQL Server. One can buy GIS data from a commercial provider or use government institutions to get free data.

People

These are the people or the experts who manage the GIS software. One needs technical skills and domain knowledge to work on a GIS-based project.

GIS technology is of limited value without the people who manage the system and develop plans for applying it to real-world problems. GIS users range from technical specialists who design and maintain the system to those who use it to help them perform their everyday work.

Methods

For a GIS-based project to operate successfully, one needs a well-designed plan in an organization.

A successful GIS operates according to a well-designed plan and business rules, which are the models and operating practices unique to each organization.

How GIS works and Where it is used?

GIS-based software is used to update the maps with geographic data layers. Once we do that, we can share the maps with the world. For example, Google along with other maps can be accessed anywhere in the world which has geo-referential data in it. GIS data can be accessed from anywhere as long as one has a smartphone, a laptop, or a device having a GUI.

In general, all the GIS software is used to visualize the data visually that has information like latitude, longitude, and address.

Types of GIS Data?

Below are the types of data that are being used in the GIS.

These are the statistical data that have a geographical component like latitude and longitude. They are displayed as a layer on the map. They can be census data related to various locations and demographics.

These are the image data that consist of grid cells or pixels. They are mostly in JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group), TIF or TIFF (Tagged Image Format /Tagged Image File Format), or GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) format. Satellite images from Landsat and other satellites can be a good example. These images are used in many big data projects as organizations want to use location-based data to their advantage.

These data consist of X and Y coordinates. They describe points or lines that contain geographical information. An example could be a map of Wall Street or a border of the country.

Where is GIS being used?

GIS or its related technology is used in various verticals. Some use it for predicting rainfall, whereas some organizations predict to find out what series or movies are popular in which location. Oil and gas companies make use of geospatial data to keep track of oil fields, whereas telecom companies use GIS-based data to find out what roaming fee needs to be charged to customers.

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