Geographic Explorations

Much of the delight of geography is the infinite variety of topics, and the chance to mix and match information, analyzing this way and that, at an infinitely variable scale. Everyone can find things of interest in a map.

One challenge of static maps is their unchanging nature. People love variation. We also need to receive information in different ways. This is the magic of a geographic information system (GIS). Users can twist and turn the data infinitely.

When subjects are best understood using more than one map, but using a full GIS is not possible, a GIS-like experience can be created on the computer with a sequence of static maps, programmed to change by themselves.

This CD-ROM contains several such examples. Each example contains an animated map plus the individual maps that make up the series. This is power of GIS -- the generation of countless maps with slight variations between each.

Each of the following example sets was constructed using ArcView GIS software. In each case, any number of images might have been created, so what you see is just an example of the range of maps and analyses possible.

 

Want more?

Even more such explorations can occur if you have an Internet connection. To see how you can explore online, go to the Online Mapping page.

 

Poster

The ten maps on the "Making Connections Between Maps" poster in the Geography Awareness Week 1998 packet are also included on the CD-ROM in a printable form. View these maps and print them either in color or black and white.

Return to the Road Map page

Get more information about GIS from ESRI