GIS –
Geographic Information Systems
A geographic information system (GIS), captures, stores, analyzes, manages, and presents data that is linked to location. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GIS)
There was a time, only 5 or 6 years ago, when if a group of people were asked if anyone had never heard of, or did not know what GIS meant, half the room would raise their hands. Today, almost everyone takes for granted the fact that maps can be assembled using a computer, as easily as any other text document or graphic image. Still, few realize how powerful the technology really is. The simple act of combining a graphic image with a table of attributes, and tying it to a location on the earths surface, has had a profound impact on how we view the world and how we make decisions.