[R-sig-Geo] mapping introduction

[Tom Sgouros]

Hello all:

I was referred to this list when I asked a question on the r-help list
about mapping.  Unfortunately, I seem to be a little late to the party,
and a couple of weeks of monitoring the traffic have left me no more
enlightened than I was before, since it seems that the questions asked
are generally at a level I haven't approached yet.

I am an R user who wants to learn to make maps.  I have been using R to
analyze data associated with cities and towns in my area, and would
like to figure out how to get that data onto a map, but I'm having a
hard time seeing where to begin.

Assuming that I'm starting pretty much from zero, where can I start
reading in order to learn what is possible?  (And what to use to achieve
it.) 

I'm also a little confused about whether people use R as a GIS stand-in,
or whether they use some GIS package, and then use R as an adjunct.  If
the latter, can anyone recommend GNU or other freeware GIS packages to
learn about?  How about books to learn about them with?

Many thanks for your indulgence,

 -Tom

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