Data & Preparation¶
GeoServer connects to and publishes data from a wide variety of sources, making it a highly versatile platform for developing geospatial applications
At its core, GeoServer works with two main types of spatial data:
| Data | Description |
|---|---|
| Vector | Used to represent discrete geographic features such as roads, boundaries, and building footprints. Common formats include Shapefile, GeoPackage, and directories of spatial files. Vector data is made up of points, lines, and polygons — each with precise locations and attributes. |
| Raster | Represents continuous surfaces like satellite imagery, elevation models, and scanned maps. Supported formats include GeoTIFF, WorldImage, ImageMosaic, and more — ideal for layers such as terrain, land cover, or aerial photography. |
In addition to these, GeoServer supports advanced and specialized data sources such as spatial databases, cascaded services, and application schemas, providing flexibility for even the most complex data workflows.
Data Preparation¶
For this manual, we’ll work with a mix of small-scale vector datasets (1:110m) and a medium-scale shaded relief raster (1:50m) sourced from Natural Earth. You can download these ready-to-use datasets here:
After downloading and extracting the ZIP file, you’ll find the following datasets:
- 📁 boundary_lines –
ne_110m_admin_0_boundary_lines_land(shapefile) - 📁 populated_places –
ne_110m_populated_places_simple(shapefile) - 📁 coastline –
ne_110m_coastline(shapefile) - 📁 countries –
ne_110m_admin_0_countries(shapefile) - 📁 shaded_relief –
SR_50M(shaded relief raster)
Next up: We’ll guide you step-by-step through uploading your data using the File Browser.