Welcome to the wonderful world of Geographical Information Systems (GIS)! Quantum GIS (QGIS) is an Open Source Geographic Information System. The project was born in May of 2002 and was established as a project on SourceForge in June of the same year. We’ve worked hard to make GIS software (which is traditionaly expensive commerical software) a viable prospect for anyone with basic access to a Personal Computer. QGIS currently runs on most Unix platforms, Windows, and OS X. QGIS is developed using the Qt toolkit (http://www.trolltech.com) and C++. This means that QGIS feels snappy to use and has a pleasing, easy to use graphical user interface

Major Features
QGIS has many common GIS features and functions. The major features are listed below.
1. Support for spatially enabled PostgreSQL tables using PostGIS
2. Support for ESRI shapefiles and other vector formats support by the OGR library, including MapInfo files
3. GRASS integration, including view, edit, and analysis
4. On the fly projection of vector layers
5. Map composer
6. Identify features
7. Display attribute table
8. Select features
9. Label features
10. Persistent selections
11. Save and restore projects
12. Support for raster formats supported by the GDAL library
13. Change vector symbology (single, graduated, unique value, and continuous)
14. SVG markers symbology (single, unique value, and graduated) QGIS User Guide Version 0.7
15. Display raster data such as digital elevation models, aerial photography or landsat imagery
16. Change raster symbology (grayscale, pseudocolor and multiband RGB)
17. Export to Mapserver map file
18. Digitizing support
19. Map overview
20. Plugins