ABSTRACT
In this chapter, we shall consider the ways in which GIS technology has developed, tracing the relevant influences in other information systems that are also concerned with the representation of geographic data. It is important to realize that the evolution of GIS has taken place over a long period of time which has itself been a period of rapid evolution and growth in all aspects of computing. It is beyond the scope of this book to give a history of these developments, or even to provide an adequate introduction to this enormous field, but the next two sections do at least seek to show how GIS fit into the overall picture of information technology and will provide some basic knowledge for the complete beginner.
