Pro Spatial with SQL Server 2012

C H A P T E R  2

Spatial Features

In the last chapter, I stated that the purpose of geospatial data was to describe the shape and location of objects on the Earth. Although this objective may be simply stated, in practice it is not always so easy to achieve.

In many cases, although we have a rough understanding of the position and geographic extent of features on the Earth, they may be hard to define in exact terms. For example, at what point does the body of water known as the Gulf of Mexico become the Atlantic Ocean? Where exactly do we draw the line that defines the boundary of a city or forest? In some parts of the world, there is even ambiguity or contention as to where the border between two countries lies, and there are still significant ...