A Geographic Information System can be SIMPLE, or COMPLEX, but essentially it

layers information from different sources to help answer a question, such as:

• Where is the best soil type for my crops?

• What is the quickest route to the hospital?

• Where does my water come from?

• How will climate change effect my neighborhood?

 

There are multiple ways to use a GIS - probably some which you already know:

Google Maps or Google Earth

GPS Units

or more sophisticated Desktop software - like ESRI's ArcGIS programs