Distinguishing characteristics
These characteristics distinguish Geographic Information
Systems from other information systems:
- data can be integrated from
different sources - eg maps, census data, satellite imagery and brought
together in a common format
- digital map overlay
can be performed
- GIS can store both digital
cartographic
information and associated database
attribute
information for map features
- GIS have the ability to manipulate
the digital map
and database simultaneously
- GIS allows the database to be queried to produce
a map and the digital map to be queried to extract information from
the database.
