Geodemography: Land cover, geographical information systems and population distribution

Abstract

This paper examines the recent application of the Geographical Information Systems (GIS) to the analysis of population distribution. We mention the efforts of the National Statistical Institutes in this direction boosted by the last census 2011.The stating point is a growing need to have available population figures for areas not related to administrative boundaries, either user defined zones or in grid format.This allows a convenient zonal system to combine demographic characteristics with environmental and pure geographic data, so the relation between the man and the environment can be analyzed in a unified way.Eventually, we offer a practical illustration of the interactions between GIS techniques and administrative population data in the study of spatial population distribution: We build a density grid for Spain by dasymetric methods from census tracts population data and Land Cover and Use Information System of Spain (SIOSE).The analysis is done within the spatial reference framework of the European Union.

Keywords

• population
• Geographical Information Systems
• Corine Land Cover
• SIOSE
• spatial disaggregation