Features that occupy the same geographical space are said to exhibit what relationship?

When features occupy the same geographical space, they are said to exhibit an overlap relationship. This concept refers to instances where two or more elements share the same physical area, which can be important in various analyses and applications in geographic information systems (GIS).

For example, in urban planning, a park might overlap with a designated conservation area on a map, indicating that these two features exist in the same location and may have specific regulatory, ecological, or management implications. Understanding overlap is crucial in GIS for tasks such as land use planning, environmental assessments, and conflict resolution in resource management.

While contiguity refers to features that are adjacent to each other but not necessarily occupying the same space, proximity indicates how close features are to one another without implying overlap. Connection generally describes a relationship based on network or accessibility, rather than spatial occupation. Therefore, the term overlap precisely captures the condition of features sharing the same geographical space.