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Geographic Names Information System

 

 
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Geographic Names Information System
 
 
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The (GNIS) is a database that contains name and locative information about more than two million physical and cultural features located throughout the United States of America
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 and its territories. It is a type of gazetteer
Gazetteer

A gazetteer is a geographical dictionary or Directory , an important reference for information about places and place names , used in conjunction with a map or a full atlas....
. GNIS was developed by the United States Geological Survey
United States Geological Survey

The United States Geological Survey is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, and the natural hazards that threaten it....
 in cooperation with the United States Board on Geographic Names
United States Board on Geographic Names

The United States Board on Geographic Names is a United States Federal government of the United States body whose purpose is to establish and maintain uniform usage of geography names throughout the government of the United States....
 (BGN) to promote the standardization of feature names.

The database is part of a system that includes topographic map names and bibliographic references.






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The (GNIS) is a database that contains name and locative information about more than two million physical and cultural features located throughout the United States of America
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 and its territories. It is a type of gazetteer
Gazetteer

A gazetteer is a geographical dictionary or Directory , an important reference for information about places and place names , used in conjunction with a map or a full atlas....
. GNIS was developed by the United States Geological Survey
United States Geological Survey

The United States Geological Survey is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, and the natural hazards that threaten it....
 in cooperation with the United States Board on Geographic Names
United States Board on Geographic Names

The United States Board on Geographic Names is a United States Federal government of the United States body whose purpose is to establish and maintain uniform usage of geography names throughout the government of the United States....
 (BGN) to promote the standardization of feature names.

The database is part of a system that includes topographic map names and bibliographic references. The names of books and historic maps that confirm the feature or place name are cited. Variant names, alternatives to official federal names for a feature, are also recorded. The database never removes an entry, "except in cases of obvious duplication".

Changing names

The GNIS accepts proposals for new or changed names for U.S. geographical features. Members of the public can make proposals at . Justification and a list of supporters are required. include discussions of specific proposals and changes.

Other authorities

  • The Bureau of the Census defines Census Designated Places which are a subset of locations in the National Geographic Names Database.
  • gives standards for addressing mail. In this publication, the postal service defines two-letter state abbreviations, street identifiers such as boulevard (BLVD) and street (ST), and secondary identifiers such as suite (STE).
  • The names of post offices have historically been used to back up claims about the name of a community.


Sources


Additional References

  • U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, National Mapping Division, Digital Gazeteer: Users Manual, (Reston, Virginia: U.S. Geological Survey, 1994).
  • Least Heat Moon, William, Blue Highways: A Journey Into America, (Boston: Little Brown and Company, 1982). ISBN 0316353299
  • Jouris, David, All Over The Map, (Berkeley, California: Ten Speed Press, 1994.) ISBN 0898156491
  • Report: "Countries, Dependencies, Areas Of Special Sovereignty, And Their Principal Administrative Divisions," , FIPS 10-4. Standard was withdrawn in September 2008, See Notice: Vol. 73, No. 170, page 51276 (September 2, 2008)
  • Report: "," , 1997.
  • , November 2000.


See also

  • GEOnet Names Server
    GEOnet Names Server

    The GEOnet Names Server provides access to the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency's and the U.S. Board on Geographic Names' database of geographic feature names and locations for locations outside the United States....
    , a similar database for locations outside the United States
  • Canadian Geographical Names Data Base
    Geographical Names Board of Canada

    Geographical Names Board of Canada is a national committee of the Government of Canada Natural Resources Canada which authorizes the names used on official federal government maps of Canada since 1897....
    , a similar, but non-public-domain, database for locations within Canada only
  • Template:Cite gnis/doc


External links



Software

  • - Open source LGPL licensed Java library that can parse geographical data files.