What characteristic distinguishes geographic information from other types of information?

The characteristic that distinguishes geographic information from other types of information is its reliance on spatial attributes. Geographic information is fundamentally defined by its connection to specific locations and the spatial relationships between various features in the environment. This includes data that can be mapped and analyzed in terms of position, distance, and area.

Spatial attributes allow for a deeper understanding of how different elements relate to each other within a geographical context, such as how urban development impacts traffic patterns or how natural resources are distributed across a terrain. This spatial dimension is essential for effective analysis in fields like urban planning, environmental science, disaster management, and transportation, where understanding the physical layout and relationships among elements is crucial.

In contrast, while the other options raise relevant points, they do not inherently define geographic information. Statistical analysis is common in many fields and not exclusive to geography, temporal data can be important but does not uniquely characterize geographical information, and the level of detail in data representation can vary across many types of information, not just geographic data. Thus, the reliance on spatial attributes is what uniquely identifies geographic information.