Final answer:
The statement given is false as the term 'variable' when used in statistics differs from its use in geographic information systems (GIS), where spatial data is referred to in terms of attributes, not variables.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that a variable is a vector or raster dataset that contains an attribute value for every locale throughout its extent is false. In statistics, a variable is indeed a characteristic of interest within a population, commonly notated as uppercase Latin letters, such as X, Y, Z. However, the term 'variable' has a different meaning in geographic information systems (GIS). In GIS, a raster or vector dataset has spatial attributes specific to locations defined within its extent, but this is not termed a variable in the same sense as in statistics. The geographic data would not be called variables but rather spatial data or attributes.
A random variable in statistics is a quantitative characteristic of a population that can take on different values. Its notation and representation are different from those used for variables in spatial analysis or geography. Therefore, the concept of a variable containing an attribute value for every locale in a vector or raster dataset does not accurately align with the statistical definition of a variable. This clarification highlights the distinction between statistical variables and spatial datasets with geographic attributes.