What term is used to describe the relationship where one feature is completely contained within another?

The term that describes the relationship where one feature is completely contained within another is "contains." In the context of geographic information systems (GIS), containment signifies that all points of the inner feature exist within the outer feature, with no part of the inner feature extending beyond the boundaries of the outer feature. For example, if a park (inner feature) is located entirely within a city boundary (outer feature), we say the city contains the park.

In GIS, understanding spatial relationships is crucial for effective analysis and data management. Containment is often used in various spatial queries and analyses to assess land use, zoning, and resource management, allowing GIS professionals to ascertain how smaller regions relate to larger areas.

The other terms describe different spatial relationships. For instance, “covers” implies that one feature overlays another, but not necessarily in a manner where one is fully contained; “touches” refers to features that are adjacent to one another without overlapping; and “intersects” denotes that two features share some common area but do not require one to be fully contained within the other. Each of these relationships has distinct definitions and implications in spatial analysis, which is fundamental in GIS applications.