The Dissemination Area Boundary Files portray the dissemination area boundaries for which census data are disseminated. They are available for download in two types: cartographic and digital. Cartographic boundary files depict the geographic areas using only the shorelines of the major land mass of Canada and its coastal islands. Digital boundary files depict the full extent of the geographic areas, including the coastal water area. The files provide a framework for mapping and spatial analysis using commercially available geographic information systems (GIS) or other mapping software.