In the context of GIS, what does 'geocoding' mean?

Geocoding refers to the process of converting addresses or place names into geographic coordinates, typically latitude and longitude. This is an essential function in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) because it allows users to translate human-readable location information into a format that computers can understand and utilize for mapping and spatial analysis.

By transforming addresses into geographical coordinates, geocoding enables more effective spatial queries and analyses, such as determining proximity, conducting network analyses, or visualizing data on maps. This is fundamental for applications like mapping services, location-based services, and various analyses that require a precise geographical context.

The other options do not accurately capture the essence of geocoding. Creating maps from satellite data involves image processing and cartographic skills rather than coordinate conversion. Conversely, converting geographic coordinates into addresses is known as reverse geocoding, which is a related but distinct process. Managing geographic information systems refers to the broader administrative functions associated with GIS, which do not specifically relate to the process of geocoding.