This publication discusses the important methodological and application issues which have a considerable bearing on geographical information handling. Organized into twelve specially commissioned contributions from leading experts, the book first examines the implications of recent developments in GIS technology from a methodological perspective, centring on five key themes : spatial analytical techniques; data integration; area transformation; error propagation and the design of user interfaces. Potential applications of GIS are then reviewed including environmental monitoring; natural and technological hazard management; settlement and infrastructure planning; and geodemographics and marketing analysis and the organizational implications involved in managing geographical information are examined.