Geovisualization is a diminutive of geographic visualization and refers to a set of tools and techniques for analyzing geospatial data through the use of interactive visualization.

As in the related fields of scientific visualization[1]​ and information visualization,[2]​ geovisualization emphasizes the construction of knowledge over the storage of information or the transmission of information.[1]​ To do this, geovisualization communicates geospatial information in ways that, when combined with human understanding, enable data exploration and decision-making processes.[1]​[3]​[4]​.

Traditional static maps have limited exploration capacity. The graphical representations are intricately linked to the geographic information that exists beneath.

Geographic Information Systems and geovisualization allow the creation of more interactive maps, including the ability to explore different layers of the map, zoom in and out, and change the visual appearance of the map, usually from a computer screen.[5]​ Geovisualization represents a set of cartographic technologies and practices that take advantage of the ability of modern microprocessors to process changes to the map in real time, allowing users to adjust mapped data on the fly.[1]​.

The first time the term visualization is mentioned in cartography literature is in 1953, in an article by University of Chicago geographer Allen K. Philbrick. New developments in the field of computer science prompted the National Science Foundation to redefine the term in a 1987 report that placed visualization at the convergence of computer graphics, image processing, computer vision, computer-aided design, signal processing, and user interface studies[6] and highlighted the knowledge creation and hypothesis-generating aspects of scientific visualization.[1]

Geovisualization developed as a field of research in the 1980s, based primarily on the work of French graphic theorist Jacques Bertin.[4] Bertin's work in cartographic design and information visualization shares the focus of the National Science Foundation report.

Geovisualization has continued to grow as a topic of research and development. The International Cartographic Association (ICA) established the Commission on Visualization and Virtual Environments in 1995.