Geographic Information System Geographic Information System (GIS) is defined as an information system able to encode, store, transform, analyze,

and display geospatial information. Geotechnology of which GIS is a branch is identified as one of the three most important emerging and evolving fields, along with Nanotechnology and Biotechnology. Many of our daily questions and data/information are place oriented. Such data are called spatial data. The traditional medium for carrying out place oriented information is map. However map is only two dimensional and has many limitations. With the advance of information technology, GIS has become the most powerful medium for spatial data storage, retrieval, analysis, enhancement and manipulation etc. Hong Kong Government started the GIS in the nineties in last century and set up the Land Information Center in 1989. Since then the technology of GIS has developed very rapidly and the Lands Department has just implemented the second generation GIS. GIS has also been used in many Government departments and bureaux, together in many utility companies. It is also taught in most local universities. China has promoted digital cities in recent years with the use of GIS, GPS (Global Positioning System), and RS (Remote Sensing). Students can find a lot of reference documents and information from the following links for the development of GIS in Hong Kong. State-of-the-art and Future of Geographic Information Systems in Hong Kong:
http://www.iseis.cuhk.edu.hk/downloads/full_paper/2003-1-13.pdf

GIS Serving our World: Innovative Applications in Hong Kong.

http://www.winnietang.hk/images/speeches/PMI.pdf

GIS in Lands Department:

http://www.legco.gov.hk/yr04-05/english/panels/plw/papers/plwcb1-1321-1e.pdf

Geographic Information Hub (GIH) in Lands Department (2007 paper):

http://www.fig.net/pub/fig2007/papers/ts_4h/ts04h_02_tsoi_1672.pdf

Geoinfo Map in Lands Department:

http://www.info.gov.hk/digital21/eng/press/press_releases_201005261649.htm

The following links are related to papers on spatial data infrastructure (SDI) in Hong Kong which is relevant to GIS: Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors (HKIS) CMS:
http://www.hkis.org.hk/hkis/cms_lsd/upload/Research/resh28_1.pdf

International Federation of Geometres (FIG) WW2009:

http://www.fig.net/pub/fig2007/papers/ts_1d/ts01d_02_so_ng_1339.pdf

Hong Kong Geographic Information System Association:

http://www.hkgisa.org.hk/TheAssociation.php