For users without direct GIS experience, but seeking answers to geographic questions, the Geography Network offers higher-level spatial solutions in the form of a suite of online application services. For example, a user shopping for a home would like to know if it lies within a 100-year floodplain and, therefore, requires flood insurance. Using one of the Geography Network application services, the users can enter a street address, confirm the location of the home on a map, and then view an online report that indicates whether or not the home is in a special flood hazard area. Other online Geography Network contributors will provide similar services relating to business, governmental, environmental, and educational concerns. This site provides information about the Geography Network, available content services, and service accessibility.
Online tools are available to define areas of interest and search for specific geographic content.
Further menus guide users to mapping services and geographic data for a selected study area. The Geography Network not only eliminates the need for protracted Web searches in order to find project data but will also make the content available immediately in standard browser and desktop GIS applications. The Geography Network is built on the technology of the Internet and the World Wide Web. Any user with a conventional Internet Web browser can access the Geography Network. Desktop GIS software such as ArcInfo, ArcView GIS, and ArcExplorer can also access data and services in the same way that they work with local data.