Provided by the Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI), the publishers of ARC/INFO GIS software, this site allows users to create a variety of maps online. ESRI has assembled both basemap data and thematic data sets, allowing users to create traditional geographic feature maps or thematic maps, such as income, crime, or population. Users may download selected GIS data sets as well as...

"GIS Day [November 16, 2005] is a grassroots event that formalizes the practice of geographic information systems (GIS) users and vendors of opening their doors to schools, businesses, and the general public to showcase real-world applications of this important technology." Visitors can find event information, a schedule of events, the latest news, and a registration form. Educators can find tips...

Those eager to find a job in GIS can still swing by the Clearinghouse. Job listings are divided by day posted. The site also provides additional online resources for finding a GIS job.

Map libraries are a common feature of many large public universities across the country, and the Map and Geographic Information Center at the University of Connecticut is part of this tradition. Bringing together a combination of current US Geological Survey maps and historical maps of importance, their site is a good place for geographers and other such persons seeking detailed spatial...

With the exponential growth in geographic information systems (GIS) across the United States, there are a number of organizations with an interest in coordinating a variety of activities around the sustained growth and management of these various systems. One such group is the National States Geographic Information Council (NSGIC). With members drawn from the federal government, academia, and the...

The New Jersey Spatial Data Clearinghouse stores metadata from organizations across the state and makes the data available to the public. The 603 datasets cover all aspects of land information including climatic data, digital ortho-photography, environmental, forestry and wildlife, geodetic control, geographic names, geologic and soils data, landuse/ landcover, and water resources among others. A...

Associated with the School of Computer Science at Florida International University, the High Performance Database Research Center (HPDRC) released TerraFly in November 2001, a Web-based application that allows users to view Geographic Information Systems (GIS) images. In agreement with TerraFly, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) provides the project with many of its satellite images in...

While many schools no longer have academic departments devoted specifically to the discipline of geography, the almost innate human interest in mapping and analyzing various types of spatial data continues unabated. The Cartographic Modeling Lab at the University of Pennsylvania is an outstanding example of this trend, and their website contains a great deal of information on their work and their...

The Center for Advanced Spatial Technologies at the University of Arkansas "brings together the considerable expertise of a network of researchers with a long-standing history of GIS development at the University." Visitors of the site will find links to geo-data delivery systems, interactive mapping programs, reports and publications, and a wide array of other geographical information related to...

The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a very popular and useful tool, whether you're navigating on a long hike or just driving through an unfamiliar town. A good tutorial that introduces the basics of the technology is found on the Web site of a leading GPS company, Trimble. It starts by describing the underlying concepts of GPS and how it compares to other positioning systems. Then, the...