The GEOnet Names Server (GNS) provides access to the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency's (NGA) and the U.S. Board on Geographic Names' (BGN) database of foreign geographic feature names.
The database is the official repository of foreign place-name decisions approved by the BGN. Geographic Area of Coverage: Worldwide excluding the United States and Antarctica. For names in the U.S. and Antarctica, please visit the United States Geological Survey (USGS) Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) web site.
The data served by GNS is in a geographic coordinate system based on the WGS84 datum and ellipsoid. Geographic coordinates are approximate and are intended for finding purposes. The online database is updated weekly.
There are no licensing requirements or restrictions in place for the use of the GNS data. However, we recommend using the following citation to identify the GNS as a source:
Toponymic information is based on the Geographic Names Data Base, containing official standard names approved by the United States Board on Geographic Names and maintained by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. More information is available at the Products and Services link at www.nga.mil. The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency name, initials, and seal are protected by 10 United States Code Section 425.