What is a Shapefile (.SHP)? Meaning, Extension & Uses Explained

Author : Geo WGS84 | Published On : 22 Jul 2026

The Shapefile (.SHP) is one of the most popular geospatial data formats in the GIS market. Esri developed this format in the early 1990s, and Shapefile is now widely accepted as the method of storing and exchanging vector spatial data. Even though there are other formats available like GeoPackage, GeoJSON, and GeoParquet, Shapefiles are still popular because of their usability, compatibility, and availability in many software packages.

https://www.uavsphere.com/post/what-is-a-shapefile-shp-meaning-extension-uses-explained