The history of origin and development of geoinformatics as a science

Abstract

The article examines the main reasons for the emergence of geoinformatics as a science, outlines the concept of this science, describes its research subject and object, methods, ontology system and tasks. The relevance of studying this area is justified. The article comprises several sections: "Inception of the science and origin of the geoinformatics as the term", "History of geoinformatics development" and "Geoinformatics in Russia. Brief history, challenges and development prospects". They consistently reveal historical events and features that have had the greatest impact on the current state of geoinformatics both as a basic science and as an field of applied research. The first part is largely dedicated to different ways to define the "geoinformatics" as a term, as well as the branches and directions into which this science has divided. The second part, i.e. "History of geoinformatics development", describes the stages that shaped geoinformatics. This part focuses on discoveries and achievements in geoinformatics, its connection with other sciences. The third part of the article highlights the issues of domestic research, as well as possible directions of its development. The conclusion summarizes the results and outcomes, collects and provides a concise overview of the key information addressed in the paper.