Introduction

The Geographic Information Framework Data Standard establishes common requirements for data exchange for seven themes of geospatial data that are of critical importance to the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI), as they are fundamental to many different Geographic Information Systems (GIS) applications. These themes are known as NSDI Framework data themes. The seven NSDI Framework data themes are:

1. Cadastral data
2. Digital orthoimagery
3. Elevation
4. Geodetic control
5. Government Units
6. Hydrography
7. Transportation

The Geographic Information Framework Data Standard specifies a minimal level of data content that data producers, consumers, and vendors are expected to use for the interchange of framework data, including through Web services. The standard includes a base document and parts that correspond to the NSDI Framework data themes. The transportation part consists of a base subpart and subparts that correspond to different modes of transportation: airport facilities; rail; roads; transit; and waterways.

Each part includes an integrated application schema expressed in Unified Modeling Language (UML) developed through the Object Management Group (OMG). The application schema specifies, as appropriate, the feature types, attribute types, attribute domain, feature relationships, spatial representation, data organization, and metadata that define the information content of a data set. For the exchange of UML models between various modeling software packages, XML Metadata Interchange (XMI) format files are made available (XMI is another specification developed by OMG).

While the framework data standards do not specify a single structure for the interchange of data, an implementation using the Geography Markup Language (GML) Version 3.1 developed through the Open Geospatial Consortium, Inc. (OGC) has been created. Both simple and full expressions of GML are available.

The draft framework data standards were initially developed through the Geospatial One-Stop e-Government initiative; however, the FGDC assumed leadership for continued standards activities.

As the Geographic Information Framework Data Content Standard was developed using public funds, the U.S. Government will be free to publish and distribute its contents to the public, as provided through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), Part 5 United States Code, Section 552, as amended by Public Law No. 104-231, “Electronic Freedom of Information Act Amendments of 1996”.

Parts of the FGDC-endorsed standard

Part 0, Base document, FGDC-STD-014.0-2008

Part 1, Cadastral, FGDC-STD-014.1-2008

Part 2, Digital Orthoimagery, FGDC-STD-014.2-2008

Part 3, Elevation, FGDC-STD-014.3-2008

Part 4, Geodetic Control, FGDC-STD-014.4-2008

Part 5, Governmental Unit and Other Geographic Area boundaries, FGDC-STD-014.5-2008

Part 6, Hydrography, FGDC-STD-014.6-2008

Part 7, Transportation Base, FGDC-STD-014.7-2008

Part 7a, Transportation - Air NOT endorsed

Part 7b, Transportation - Rail, FGDC-STD-014.7b-2008

Part 7c, Transportation - Road, FGDC-STD-014.7c-2008

Part 7d, Transportation - Transit, FGDC-STD-014.7d-2008

Part 7e, Transportation - Inland Waterways, FGDC-STD-014.7e-2008