GIS technology is increasingly being widely applied in the research of humanities. At present, research on the distribution of modern place names using GIS technology is gradually increasing, but there is still relatively little attention paid to ancient place names. This study takes the geographical names in Guangdong recorded in Essentials of Geography for Reading History as its research object, classifies them into two major categories—natural landscapes and cultural landscapes, and uses GIS technology to conduct an in-depth analysis of their distribution patterns to explore the causes of their distribution. The results show that natural landscape-related place names outnumber those of cultural landscapes. Natural landscape names are dominated by mountain and hydrological terms, mainly concentrated in the Pearl River Delta of Guangzhou Prefecture, the junction of mountainous and plain areas in central Zhaoqing Prefecture (western Guangdong), and the southeastern coast. This coincides with the natural conditions of Ming Dynasty Guangdong, characterized by crisscrossing mountains, dense water networks, and hot-humid climate. Among cultural landscape names, military-related place names constitute the majority, reflecting Guangdong's critical role in guarding against Japanese pirates and curbing ethnic rebellions (such as the Yao uprisings) during the Ming Dynasty. These names are also concentrated in areas like the Pearl River Delta of Guangzhou Prefecture and Zhaoqing Prefecture, roughly overlapping with the distribution of natural landscape names, revealing the influence of topography on military deployments. Additionally, dialectal place names in this region exhibit dense distribution in the Pearl River Delta of Guangzhou Prefecture and the coastal/riverine zones of Zhaoqing Prefecture, influenced by multiple factors such as natural geographical conditions, migration waves triggered by wars, and economic development. Overall, the distribution of Guangdong's place names demonstrates a twin-core shining pattern centered on Guangzhou and Zhaoqing, primarily attributed to Guangzhou's long-standing status as a major port with prosperous economy and Zhaoqing's geographical advantage of being located in the nearby plain area.

During 1368‒1566, the lower Yellow River exhibited distinct spatiotemporal variations in overflow frequency and distribution, influenced by climate fluctuations, natural geographical conditions, and human river management activities. This study integrates historical records with reconstructed climate data, employing kernel density estimation and standard deviation ellipse methods to examine the spatiotemporal patterns of Yellow River overflows and their relationship with climate and river management strategies. The findings reveal: overflow events were highly concentrated around Kaifeng Prefecture before shifting eastward to the Shandong-Jiangsu river sections in the 16th century; the correlation between overflow frequency and Little Ice Age temperatures was complex, alternating between positive and negative, reflecting nonlinear climatic responses; the Ming government's "southern diversion, northern embankment" management approach initially stabilized the Henan river sections but exacerbated downstream siltation over time, ultimately transferring overflow pressures downstream. Through visualization analysis, this study elucidates the complex mechanisms underlying the overflow events of the Yellow River, while also revealing a dynamic relationship in which human activity and the natural environment continuously shape one another.

Based on the interpretation of historical maps and the examination of relevant historical materials, this study employs GIS-based spatial analytical methods to investigate the spatial pattern of market towns in Fujian Province during the Republican era (1912‒1949) and the factors shaping their distribution. From the perspective of historical geography, the study aims to identify the spatial distribution characteristics and underlying formation mechanisms of Fujian's market towns, thereby contributing to a better understanding of the evolution of regional town systems. The results indicate that market towns exhibited a pronounced clustered distribution, with a distinct "coastal-riverine" pattern. Natural conditions, including altitude and slope, provided fundamental constraints for the formation of the town pattern, while socio-economic factors served as the primary driving forces behind the observed spatial configuration. The findings offer historical evidence for the conservation and sustainable development of market-town heritage in Fujian and support the rational utilization and long-term protection of such heritage resources.

Prehistoric cave dwellings are settlements in prehistoric times with cave dwellings as the main architectural form, and are precious historical and cultural heritage. This study applied ArcGIS 10.8 software and comprehensively utilized methods such as average nearest neighbor analysis, kernel density analysis, multi distance spatial clustering analysis, and overlay analysis to investigate the spatial distribution characteristics of prehistoric cave dwellings in the Loess Plateau region. The results of this study are manifested in three aspects. Firstly, prehistoric cave dwellings include cliff style cave dwellings and sunken cave dwellings. The layout of prehistoric cave dwellings is mostly in the shape of a "Tu" character, with a few in the shape of a "Lv" character. The main chambers of prehistoric cave dwellings have shapes such as elliptical, circular, and rounded rectangular. Secondly, prehistoric cave dwellings are mainly distributed in low to medium altitude areas and flat slopes. Thirdly, prehistoric cave dwellings exhibit an inherent clustering trend, with a spatial distribution type of agglomeration. The border area between Shanxi, Shaanxi, and Inner Mongolia, as well as the surrounding areas of Xi'an, are two high-density core regions for the distribution of prehistoric cave dwellings. This study validates the effective framework of using GIS spatial statistics and qualitative analysis to analyze prehistoric cave dwellings in the Loess Plateau region, and to some extent elevates the research perspective from individual prehistoric cave dwellings to the level of social spatial structure.

This study employs GIS spatial analysis methods, utilizing the GHGIS and CShapes-2.0 historical geographic datasets, to systematically compare the strategic postures of Prussia and Austria during the German unification process from a geospatial perspective. Through buffer zone analysis, neighborhood analysis, and topographic analysis, it was found that in terms of spatial reach efficiency, Prussia, leveraging its central location, required only a 100-kilometer buffer zone to cover all 34 German states, whereas peripherally located Austria needed a 500-kilometer buffer to achieve the same effect. In terms of geopolitical connections, Prussia directly bordered 26 states, establishing a dense network of relationships that laid the foundation for customs unions and economic integration; Austria, bordering only 3 states, remained relatively isolated. Military geography favored Prussia, whose territory consisted primarily of lowland plains. It possessed far fewer rugged terrains (elevation >1 000 meters, slope >15°) than Austria, facilitating rapid maneuverability for modern armies and the development of transportation networks. The findings indicate that under 19th-century productivity levels, superior geographic conditions: efficient spatial coverage, close geopolitical ties, and favorable topography: constituted the crucial material foundation enabling Prussia to dominate the German unification process. This study not only addresses the limitations of traditional historiography in precise quantification through spatial analysis but also reflects on the accuracy of historical GIS data, advocating for the systematic advancement of historical GIS applications and data system development within domestic world history research.