Which of the following is a key component of a geographic information system (GIS)?

A geographic information system (GIS) fundamentally relies on data as a key component. GIS is designed to capture, store, manipulate, analyze, manage, and present spatial or geographic data. The effectiveness of a GIS depends on the quality and variety of data it can integrate. This data can come in various forms, including vector data (points, lines, polygons) and raster data (images, satellite data), allowing for complex analyses and visualizations of the geographic phenomena being studied.

While weather patterns, political boundaries, and cultural practices can indeed be represented within a GIS, they themselves are specific types of data that can be analyzed and interpreted with a GIS. Therefore, the overall concept of data is broader and encompasses all these elements, making it the fundamental building block upon which GIS operates.