Data is very important in Geography. It can be used to provide basic information, such as the population of an area, or can be mapped to show the distribution of people in that area. Geographers use several types of data, including statistical data, such as current or historical population, commodity production, or even information on the soil in a particular location, and geospatial data, which shows the location and characteristics of natural or constructed features and boundaries on the Earth. Two separate pages provide links to sources of statistical and geospatial data: