China in Time and Space (CITAS) is a project to create and maintain databases of spatially- and temporally-referenced data on China. CITAS aims to provide access to a wealth of contemporary and historical information on China at minimal cost to scholars and other non-commercial users. The project utilizes state-of-the-art geographic information system (GIS) technology to integrate tabular and vectorized map data. An unusual aspect of CITAS is its emphasis on the temporal dimension: one project goal is the capability of reconstructing Chinese administrative geography for specific historical dates, and the ability to compare spatial data at two points in time, whether over years or over centuries. Collaboration with Chinese scholars and organizations is integral to the project goals.
CITAS is a partnership of China scholars, sponsored by the Joint Committee on Chinese Studies (JCCS), and the Consortium for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN). CITAS database management and technical work takes place at several sites, including the University of Washington, the University of Michigan, the University of California at Davis, and at CIESIN in Saginaw, Michigan.
For further information, please refer to the CITAS Conspectus, CITAS Personnel, the Document Archive, and Other Sites of Interest
| Last modified on 12 May, 1997 | Return to CITAS Homepage |