The differences between the geographic environment and the geo-spatial concept of current geo-information technologies

and the characteristics and development processes of spatial cognition of maps and geographic information systems are analyzed.The concept of virtual geographic environment cognition is proposed.The objectives of virtual geographic environment cognition include the cognition of the real world phenomena of surface features

geographic processes

human behavior and their relationships.This paper studies virtual geographical environment cognition from two aspects:acknowledgement and understanding of the geographic space

geographic processes and human behaviors;and then the representation of the real geographic environment in the virtual geographic environment

as well as obtaining and sharing geographical knowledge based on virtual geographic environments to gain insight to the real geographic environment.Representation of virtual geographic environments involves three levels.Research on cognition of virtual geographic environments needs to develop geo-spatial cognition theories and methods of geographic entities and phenomena

as well as cognition and modeling of geographic dynamic processes and the perception of human behaviors.Geographic processes representation and human behavior simulation are focused upon and relevant preliminary study ideas and contents are presented.