The document provides an overview of geographical information systems (GIS). It defines GIS as a system for capturing, storing, manipulating, analyzing and presenting spatial or geographic data. It describes the core components of GIS as hardware, software, data, people and methods. It outlines several applications of GIS in fields such as agriculture, natural resource management, transportation, military, business and more. It also discusses concepts such as data types, map scale and resolution, and key GIS terminologies.