Graphics Information System

WHAT IS GIS?

A GIS is a kind of a supermap, computer software that links geographic information (where things are) with descriptive information (what things are like). Unlike a flat paper map, where "what you see is what you get", a GIS can have many layers of information underneath its surface.

A GIS stores information about the Town as a collection of layers that can be linked together by geography. These layers can be laid on top of one another, creating a stack of information about the same geographic area. This simple but extremely powerful and versatile concept has proven invaluable for solving many real- world problems from tracking delivery vehicles, to recording details of planning applications, to modeling global atmospheric circulation.