MapBiomas maps are in raster format due to their extensive coverage over multiple years, resulting in large data volumes. Raster format, with separate layers for each year, enables efficient storage and analysis. Raster data are versatile, suitable for geospatial analysis, and maintain consistency across time and regions. Shapefiles are less practical for continuous and extensive spatial data like land cover, as they handle discrete vector features and are less efficient for large-scale, long-term analysis.