Geographic Information Systems as an Integrating Technology: Overview, Concepts, and Definitions

Abstract

Geographic Information Systems often defined as a systematic integration of hardware and software for capturing, displaying, updating, manipulating and anlysing spatial data. When GIS introduced, it was a simple software tool on a single computer. With time, GIS evolved and is being considered as a Geographic Information Science rather than a tool a system. This paper discusses components, data characteristics, constraints, conceptual data models of a GIS. It also describes standards, applications of GIS, also identifies some of the future challenges in GIS. This paper is an insight to the potential of GIS.