Geographical Information Systems (GIS) in Latin America, 1987-2010: A Preliminary Overview

GIS technology has had an important academic impact and a sustained growth in university research in Latin America from its appearance in 1987. This article outlines its evolution up to the present, considering as a key element the Iberoamerican Conference of Geographical Information Systems (CONFIB...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of Latin American geography Vol. 9; no. 3; pp. 9 - 31
Main Authors Buzai, Gustavo D., Robinson, David J.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Austin Conference of Latin Americanist Geographers 01.10.2010
University of Texas Press
University of Texas at Austin (University of Texas Press)
Subjects
Computer software
Countries
Ecological sustainability
Environmental education
Forecasts and trends
Geographic information systems
Geography
Information storage and retrieval systems
Population planning
Sustainable agriculture
Technology transfer
Latin America
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Summary:GIS technology has had an important academic impact and a sustained growth in university research in Latin America from its appearance in 1987. This article outlines its evolution up to the present, considering as a key element the Iberoamerican Conference of Geographical Information Systems (CONFIBSIG), a series of scientific meetings that witnessed the progress of the application of methodologies and the associated training courses. The first technology transfer to the region is analyzed, as well as the formation of three generations of users and the trends in applications that have shaped the current perspectives in education and applied research in Latin America. La tecnología de los Sistemas de Información Geográfica (SIG) ha tenido un gran impacto académico y un sostenido crecimiento en investigaciones universitarias en América Latina desde su aparición en el año 1987. El presente trabajo abordará el análisis de esta evolución hasta la actualidad, considerando como elemento articulador la Conferencia Iberoamericana de Sistemas de Información Geográfica (CONFIBSIG), evento científico que ha sido testigo de este recorrido. Se analiza la primera transferencia tecnológica hacia la región, la formación de tres generaciones de usuarios y las tendencias de aplicación que permiten conformar actuales perspectivas en educación e investigación aplicada en América Latina.
ISSN:1545-2476
1548-5811
DOI:10.1353/lag.2010.0027