To quote ESRI, “A geographic information system (GIS) is a system that creates, manages, analyzes, and maps all types of data. GIS connects data to a map, integrating location data (where things are) with all types of descriptive information (what things are like there). This provides a foundation for mapping and analysis that is used in science and almost every industry. GIS helps users understand patterns, relationships, and geographic context. The benefits include improved communication and efficiency as well as better management and decision making.”

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Through creating, collecting, and managing data, we can better understand how objects interact with each other and can make informed decisions. Using various data sources, we can gather more information about a single object than simply where it is located on earth. For example, an endangered species is observed in 4 different locations. Using additional pertinent data, a GIS analysis might show that all the locations this species was observed, exist at a location above 9,000ft, on south facing slopes, that experience 10 inches or more of rain per year. GIS is all around us, we all use it every day whether you know it or not. GIS is about the spatial proximity and relationships of objects. Whether you are walking in your home from one room to another or driving your car to work, we are constantly making location-based decisions. Nearly every industry on the planet uses GIS in some fashion.