A GIS is both a database system with specific capabilities for spatially referenced data, as well as a set of operations for manipulation of the data. An individual map contains a lot of information which is used in different ways by different individuals and organizations. It represents the means of locating ourselves in relation to the world around us. Maps are used to identify discrete features and display thematic information, just as a GIS can be used to locate and display information. Maps are static documents and therefore difficult and expensive to keep up to date.
Maps are dependent on the scale, area, and map projection selected by the cartographer.
This often makes analysis of information impossible when different scales, areas, and projections are combined. Map information is dependent on generalization. In addition, maps are often very complex and may require an expert to determine the particular data which are of interest. In contrast, GIS provides the facility to extract different sets of information at different scales, projections, and locations. The information is broken down into manageable layers of thematic information such as soils, land use, vegetation, roads, settlements, and other thematic and cultural features.