Abstract At the forefront of the digital information revolution in geography is the geographic information system (GIS). The advent of GIS technology has made it possible to efficiently integrate, manage, and analyze geographical information from maps, imagery, and text. The GIS that contains a high-resolution database is a powerful tool for solving spatial problems. The impact of GIS technology on the subfields of cartography and remote sensing has already been dramatic. The adoption of GIS technology by geographers will bring many benefits but also some problems. GIS technology is very technical in nature, but many geographers are not technically oriented. Conversely, many geography students are clamoring to learn GIS technology at the expense of their overall geographical education. A challenge facing geographers is to balance education so that technical subjects do not conflict with mainstream geography subjects. The United States is moving toward an information-based economy. Most future information ...