About GIS in North Carolina.
GIS stands for Geographic Information Systems.
One definition of GIS comes from the Association for Geographic Information (AGI) in the United Kingdom:
A computer system for capturing, storing, checking, integrating, manipulating,
analysing and displaying data related to positions on the Earth's surface.
Typically, a Geographical Information System (or Spatial Information System)
is used for handling maps of one kind or another. These might be represented
as several different layers where each layer holds data about a particular
kind of feature. Each feature is linked to a position on the graphical image
of a map. Layers of data are organised to be studied and to perform statistical
analysis. Uses are primarily government related, town planning, local authority
and public utility management, environmental, resource management, engineering,
business, marketing, and distribution.