Information Technologies in Geography

GIS is one of many information technologies that have transformed the ways geographers conduct research and contribute to society. In the past two decades, these information technologies have had tremendous effects on research techniques specific to geography, as well as on the general ways in which scientists and scholars communicate and collaborate. Discipline-Specific Tools
Cartography and Computer-Assisted Drafting: Computers offer the same advantages to cartographers that word-processing software offers writers. Automated techniques are now the rule rather than the exception in cartographic production.
Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing: Aerial photogrammetry, a well-established technique for cartographic production and geographic analysis, is now complemented by the use of "remotely sensed" information gathered by satellites in outer space. Information technologies have made both sorts of information far more readily available and far easier to use.
Spatial Statistics: Statistical analysis and modeling of spatial patterns and processes have long relied on computer technology. Advances in information technology have made these techniques more widely accessible and have allowed models to expand in complexity and scale to provide more accurate depictions of real-world processes.
Geographic Information Systems (GIS): These systems allow geographers to collate and analyze information far more readily than is possible with traditional research techniques. As will be noted below, GIS can be viewed as an integrating technology insofar as it draws upon and extends techniques that geographers have long used to analyze natural and social systems. General Communication, Research, and Publication Technologies
Communication and Collaboration: Electronic mail, discussion lists, and computer bulletin boards make it far easier for colleagues to communicate ideas and share ideas, locally, nationally, and internationally. Distance-learning techniques make it possible to hold interactive classes and workshops simultaneously at distant locations.
Access to Library and Research Materials and Sources: Network access to both primary and secondary research resources is expanding rapidly. From their offices, scholars can now get information held by libraries, government agencies, and research institutions all over the world.
Publication and Dissemination: Information technologies are reducing substantially the cost of publishing and distributing information as well as reducing the time required to circulate the latest news and research results.

What is GIS ?

GIS is a collection of computer hardware, software, and geographic data for capturing, managing, analyzing, and displaying all forms of geographically referenced information.

Why Geography?
Geography is a serious discipline with multibillion dollar implications for businesses and governments. Choosing sites, targeting market segments, planning distribution networks, responding to emergencies, or redrawing country boundaries—all of these problems involve questions of geography.
Here's an example of how Bank of America used GIS to show the geographic distribution of the bank's network in relation to deposit potential in the New York City market area. From this analysis, Bank of America can determine where their coverage is strong and where it is weak. Red dots symbolize strong coverage; no dots means coverage is nonexistent.
Learn more about why Geography Matters [white paper, PDF-319 KB].
How Does GIS Use Geography?
With a geographic information system (GIS), you can link information (attributes) to location data, such as people to addresses, buildings to parcels, or streets within a network. You can then layer that information to give you a better understanding of how it all works together. You choose what layers to combine based on what questions you need to answer.
In this example, emergency medical service (EMS) call information, including call type, elapsed travel time, and which rescue unit was dispatched to the call's location, has been linked to addresses. With this GIS-linked database, questions such as "What percent of dispatched calls did each EMS unit respond to within its assigned zone?" can be answered.

بيانات نظام المعلومات الجغرافية

ما هو نوع البيانات الخرائطية الذي أحتاجه ؟ إذا لم تكن ذو معرفة بالبيانات الخرائطية ، فكر أولاً كيف تريد أن تستخدم البيانات الخرائطية . يمكن مقابلة حاجة العديد من المشاريع بالأنواع الشائعة من البيانات الخرائطية التالية
خرائط القاعدة : و تشمل الشوارع و الطرق السريعة و الحدود و الأماكن البريدية و السياسة و الأنهار و البحيرات و الحدائق و العلامات البارزة و أسماء الأماكن
خرائط الأعمال و البيانات: و تشمل البيانات المتعلقة بالتعداد السكاني و الديموغرافي و تشمل منتجات المستهلكين و الخدمات المالية و العناية الصحية و العقارات و الإتصالات التلفونية و الإستعدادات للطوارئ و الجرائم و الإعلان و إنشاء الأعمال و النقل
خرائط البيئة و البيانات : و تشمل البيانات المتعلقة بالبيئة و الطقس و المخاطر البيئية و صور الأقمار الصناعية و الطبوغرافية و المصادر الطبيعية
خرائط المراجع العامة : و تشمل خرائط العالم و الدول و البيانات الممكن أن تكون مؤسسة لقواعد معلوماتك