Language as the basic communication tool is one of the most significant functions of human beings. Geospatial information is the most important component of the human recognition of reality. From verbal and text language to map and GIS which is considered as the third generation of geographic languages

the evolution of geographic languages conveys the striking impact of information technology. The intrinsic obscure metaphor based information encoding and decoding tendency in lower dimensions of space misleads the communication between information and human. The innovation of information technology drives us to research and develop a further more powerful geographic language to maximize the information bandwidth from the environment to the brain

virtual geographic environments （ VGE ） as new generation of geographic languages is thus proposed. This paper discusses the linguistic characteristics of VGE vs. GIS or map in such several aspects as（1） the multi-dimensional （including dynamic） abstract representations of the real world. （2） the multi-modal visualizations with multi-viewpoint and multi-details

and analytical understanding. （3 ） the multiple natural interactions and geocollaboration across time

space and scale. （4） the multi-sensory spatial perceptual capability. VGE provides an integrated ideographic system and the capabilities of spatial information communication to facilitate user’s perception of the geospace similar to the human’s perception in the natural world

the information bandwidth from the real world to the human brain is then maximized. The authors therefore propose that VGE is the upmost geospatial information communication tools and human-computer interface

i. e. provides the augmentation of sensory reality

or succeeds GIS as the fourth generation of geographic languages from text to map and GIS

which is opening up new ways for us to comprehend the real world.