What types of GIS Data are there?
GIS data can be separated into two categories: spatially referenced data which is represented by vector and raster forms (including imagery) and attribute tables which is represented in tabular format. Within the spatial referenced data group, the GIS data can be further classified into two different types: vector and raster. Most GIS software applications mainly focus on the usage and manipulation of vector geodatabases with added components to work with raster-based geodatabases.
Vector data
Vector data is split into three types: polygon, line (or arc) and point data. Polygons are used to represent areas such as the boundary of a city (on a large scale map), lake, or forest. Polygon features are two dimensional and therefore can be used to measure the area and perimeter of a geographic feature. Polygon features are most commonly distinguished using either a thematic mapping symbology (color schemes) or patterns.
Line (or arc) data is used to represent linear features. Common examples include rivers, trails, and roads. Line features only have one dimension and therefore can only be used to measure length. Line features have a starting and ending point. Common examples would be road centerlines and hydrology. Symbology most commonly used to distinguish arc features from one another are line types (solid lines versus dashed lines) and combinations using colors and line thicknesses.
Point data is most commonly used to represent nonadjacent features and to represent discrete data points. Points have zero dimensions, therefore you can measure neither length or area with this dataset. Examples include schools locations, points of interest, and bridge and culvert locations. Point features are also used to represent abstract points. For instance, point locations could represent city locations or place names.
Raster Data
Raster data (also known as grid data) represents the fourth type of feature: surfaces. Raster data is cell-based and this data category also includes aerial and satellite imagery. There are two types of raster data: continuous and discrete. An example of discrete raster data is population density. Continuous data examples are temperature and elevation measurements. There are also three types of raster datasets: thematic data, spectral data, and pictures (imagery).
Open Data Government License
The NWT Centre for Geomatics and the Government of the Northwest Territories freely offer our spatial data that is available for download, or accessed by our REST services, to use. Please note, that when downloading the data, or using our REST Services, you agree to the Terms of Use and found in our Open Government Data License.