Learn in the textbookSystems for Finance and Social Infrastructure
DefinitionGIS (Geographic Information System, 地理情報システム) is a system that overlays many kinds of location-linked data on a map so they can be displayed and analyzed.
ExplanationGIS keeps data such as roads, buildings, population and elevation in separate layers (レイヤー) and stacks the ones needed for comparison. Laying a shelter layer over a flood-risk layer, for instance, reveals on the map which areas lack shelters. Besides disaster planning, GIS supports choosing store locations and managing facilities like water mains.
AnalogyPicture several maps drawn on clear sheets, stacked to suit the task and held up to the light.
Memory hookShort for Geographic Information System: a system for geographic information, exactly as the words say.