This is the first workshop in a series of workshops we are offering this semester on the fundamentals of GIS. Each workshop covers one or two key elements of GIS and is self-contained. The focus is on conceptual details that can provide sufficient understanding for applications, but we will also touch upon the technical aspects. Most workshops will have at least one hands-on exercise. Typically, each workshop is divided into one hour of lecture-style presentation and half an hour of hands-on exercises. Unless mentioned otherwise, we will use R for the hands-on portion.

There are 100s of coordinate systems and datums available in modern software that provide GIS functionalities. A basic understanding of different coordinate systems, their strength and limitations, and conversion between different systems are essential for choosing the right system and manipulating geographically referenced data. In this workshop we will cover the basics of coordinate systems for 2-D GIS from an applied perspective.