geopandas

GeoPandas reads geospatial vector data formats like Shapefiles, GeoJSON, and GeoPackage directly into GeoDataFrame objects, preserving geometry and attributes. Use `gpd.read_file()` to load data, then apply pandas operations and spatial methods for analysis.

Spatial joins in GeoPandas combine two GeoDataFrames based on geometric relationships using `sjoin()`. This operation matches geometries by intersection, containment, or proximity, returning merged tables with attributes from both inputs.

GeoPandas manages CRS (coordinate reference systems) through the `to_crs()` method, enabling coordinate transformations and reprojections. Specify target CRS by EPSG code or WKT string to align datasets from different geographic sources.

GeoPandas wraps Shapely geometry operations—buffer, simplify, centroid, convex hull, intersection—as methods on GeoSeries and GeoDataFrame columns. These return new geometry objects for spatial analysis and map creation.

GeoPandas integrates with matplotlib for static maps via the `.plot()` method and supports folium for interactive web-based visualization. Color-code by attribute, customize symbols, and overlay multiple layers.

GeoPandas handles Shapefiles, GeoJSON, GeoPackage, PostGIS databases, and other OGR-supported formats. Read with `gpd.read_file()` and write with `.to_file()`, maintaining geometry and CRS fidelity across conversions.