1-5 GIS as Multidisciplinary Science

GIS in an intergrated multidisciplinary science consisting of the following traditional disciplines.
Geography Statistics
Cartography Operations Research
Remote Sensing Computer Science
Photogrammetry Mathematics
Surveying Civil Engineering
Geodesy Urban Planning etc.

Table 1.4 summarizes how the above disciplines make up GIS with respect to the functions. GIS has many alternative names used over the years with respect to the range of applications and emphasis as listed below.

- Land Information System (LIS)
- AM/FM-Automated Mapping and Facilities Management
- Environmental Information System (EIS)
- Resources Information System
- Planning Information System
- Spatial Data Handling System

GIS is now becoming an indepedent discipline in the name of "Geomatic", "Geoinformatics"; or "Geospatial Information Science" that is used in many departments of government and university.