Spatial Data

🌍 What is Spatial Data?
Spatial data (or geospatial data) is information about locations and shapes of physical features on Earth, along with their attributes. There are two main types of spatial data:

🧭 Two Main Spatial Data Types
1. Vector Data
Definition: Uses points, lines, and polygons to represent real-world features.
Think of it as: Drawing with a pencil.
Used for: Roads, buildings, boundaries, rivers, trees.

Example:
A school (point)
The road to the school (line)
The school campus boundary (polygon)

Pros:
Precise shapes
Good for maps needing detailed features
Easy to link to data tables (attributes)

Cons:
Can’t show gradual changes (like temperature)

2. Raster Data
Definition: Represents data as a grid of pixels (like a photo), where each cell/pixel has a value.
Think of it as: A photo made of many colored squares.
Used for: Satellite images, elevation, temperature, land use, rainfall.


Example:
A satellite image of a forest
A map showing rainfall in mm for every km²

Pros:
Great for continuous data (e.g. elevation, temperature)
Easy for analysis (e.g. measuring distance, area, change)

Cons:
Lower precision for features like roads/buildings
Large file sizes

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