What is an attribute in the context of GIS databases?

An attribute in the context of GIS databases refers to a characteristic or property of a spatial feature stored within the database. In GIS, spatial features—such as points, lines, and polygons—represent real-world objects and phenomena, and attributes provide detailed information about these features.

For example, if a GIS database contains a layer representing cities, the attributes associated with each city might include the city name, population, area, and other relevant information. This attribute data is essential for analysis and decision-making, as it allows users to understand the qualities of the geographical features they are working with.

The other options refer to different concepts within a GIS context. A relation between two tables is a structural element of databases that describes how tables interact but does not define what an attribute is. A specific database query pertains to retrieving or manipulating data and does not reflect the nature of attributes themselves. The physical location of the database refers to where the database resides, which is unrelated to attributes that describe the data contained within the database.