The Changing Borders project displays many of the world's most drastic changes in political borders. In order to demonstrate these changes, we required a data medium that could present this information. Geographic Information System (GIS) technology is the standard for creating, analyzing, editing, and sharing this data.

GIS is used in a variety of fields, including agriculture, public information, telecommunications, and of course, education. Now, GIS is making its way onto the internet, allowing geographic data to be shared in an instant. While this does not alter the purpose of GIS, it does open new doors for businesses and consumers. A consumer can obtain up-to-date directions via an online map, or civilians can find the new area code of a neighboring city, simply by connecting to a website with the appropriate data. In the case of Changing Borders, students and history buffs can watch as the world molds into its current condition.

We would like to thank ESRI for donating a copy of ArcView GIS, a software tool that allows desktop GIS analysis. ESRI (Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc.) is the world's leading provider of GIS software, according to computer industry analysts at Daratech, Inc. Their support is greatly appreciated.