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Listed below are frequently asked questions about the U.S. Board on
Geographic Names and geographic names data. Please see GNIS FAQs for additional
information concerning Geographic Names Information System (GNIS).
Communications concerning these or other questions should be addressed to gnis_manager@usgs.gov or to GNIS
Manager, U.S. Geological Survey, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, MS 523,
Reston, VA 20192-0523.
The official form of the name might not
correspond exactly to the words entered. However, the software is very
flexible. Here are some guidelines.
Enter key word or words or leading letters of
words in the name of the desired feature or features. (Note: The query does
not search imbedded letters or ends of words.) The query returns records
for all features with names containing the words or leading letters
entered. If multiple words are entered, a Boolean “and” search is assumed.
Words need not be contiguous in the name or in the right order.
Official Name and Variants:
The query returns records for all features with the official name or
variants (non-official names) matching the query, but only the official
name displays in the results list. If a feature appears in the results list
with a name different than the name entered, click on the name to view the
feature details. The name entered will be listed among the variants.
Case: You may enter the
name all lower case. Upper case letters are ignored. All appropriate names
are returned regardless of case.
Diacritical Marks:
Enter the name without diacritical marks. All
appropriate names with and without diacritical marks are returned.
Exact Match: Check this
box to search for only the exact version and spelling
of the words entered. Names containing additional words are not returned.
Example: “san francisco” – The search will not return “san francisco bay”
or any other variation. If this box is not checked, all variations will be
returned.
Exclude Variants: Check
this box to return only features with the official name
matching the query. Features with variants matching the query are not
returned.
Please submit information indicating precisely
what you believe is in error to GNIS
Manager. The Names data experts will investigate and validate the data,
enter appropriate corrections where needed, and advise you of the results.
The field entitled “Topo Map Name” indicates
the name of a USGS standard topographic map. If the map name is known and entered
in this field (data may be entered in other fields also), the query will
return the features that are wholly or partially located on the map (and
that meet the other query parameters). Note that map names frequently are
used in different states. Therefore, after entering the map name, click the
“Check Map State” box. A list of States using that map name will be
returned. Select the desired State from the list.
A USGS topographic map usually is named for the
most prominent feature within the bounds of the map, which frequently is a
community. Please note that although the features returned by the query are
located on the map that may be named after a prominent community, this does
not indicate that the features are “in” that community. The standard topographic
maps are in most cases a 7.5 minutes by 7.5 minutes box, covering
approximately 60 square miles.
The GNIS is the repository for official
geographic names and locative attributes (County, map name, latitude,
longitude) about named entities of all types of features, including
cemeteries. This database does not maintain information on individuals or
their history or interments, although it often assists genealogists by
locating obscure or historical churches, cemeteries, or communities. For
this information, we suggest contacting the local or county office of vital
statistics or the administering organization of the cemetery. You also may
wish to review one of the genealogical sites such as http://www.rootsweb.com,
http://www.usgenweb.com,
or http://www.findagrave.com/.
Proposals to name an unnamed natural feature
may be submitted to the U.S. Board on Geographic Names as described below.
The Board is responsible by law for standardizing geographic names
throughout the Federal Government, and promulgates policies governing
issues such as commemorative naming, derogatory names, and names in
wilderness areas. Generally the most important policy is local use and
acceptance.
Please note that no natural feature (and
certain manmade features) may be named for a living person. A potential
honoree must have been deceased for at least five years, and must have had
either a direct and long-term association with the feature, or must have
made notable civic contributions.
Upon receipt of a proposal, all interested
parties will be asked to comment. The Board makes decisions only after
receiving recommendations from the local government, county government, the
State Names Authority (in 50 States, the District of Columbia, and 2
Territories), and appropriate land management agencies. Only name proposals
for natural features will be accepted (see FAQ #7 for
information on administrative feature names—churches, cemeteries, schools,
parks, shopping centers, etc).
A new name proposal may be submitted using the
Domestic Geographic Names form (PDF version)
mailed to U.S. Board on Geographic Names, U.S. Geological Survey, 12201
Sunrise Valley Drive, MS 523, Reston, VA 20192-0523. Alternatively, the online version of the form may be used. Please
read the Principles, Policies, and Procedures in the Main Menu to the left
before submitting a proposal. An information packet and forms can be mailed
upon request. The entire process is free of charge, but will take
approximately six months. For more information contact the GNIS Manager.
Proposals to change the name of a natural
feature may be submitted to the U.S. Board on Geographic Names as described
below. However, there must be a compelling reason. The Board is responsible
by law for standardizing geographic names throughout the Federal
Government, and discourages name changes unless necessary. Further, the
Board states that, "changing a name merely to correct or re-establish
historical usage is not in and of itself a reason to change a name."
Names evolve, and even through cartographic
recording errors, become established in the local vernacular. Geographic
names usually are well established on maps, other documents, and on signs.
Although any approved name change will be reflected immediately in the
GNIS, maps, other documents, and signs will only be changed during the
normal revision cycle.
The Board on Geographic Names promulgates
policies governing issues such as commemorative naming, derogatory names,
and names in wilderness areas. Generally the most important policy is local
use and acceptance. Please note that no natural feature (and certain manmade
features) may be named for a living person. A potential honoree must have
been deceased for at least five years, and must have had either a direct
and long-term association with the feature or must have made notable civic
contributions.
Upon receipt of a proposal, all interested
parties will be asked to comment. The Board makes decisions only with
recommendations from the local government, county government, the State
Names Authority (in 50 States, the District of Columbia, and 2
Territories), and appropriate land management agencies. Only name proposals
for natural features will be accepted (see FAQ #7 for
information on administrative feature names—churches, cemeteries, schools,
parks, shopping centers, etc).
A names change proposal may be submitted using
the Domestic Geographic Names form (PDF version)
mailed to U.S. Board on Geographic Names, U.S. Geological Survey, 12201
Sunrise Valley Drive, MS 523, Reston, VA 20192-0523. Alternatively, the online version of the form may be used. Please
read the Principles, Policies, and Procedures in the Main Menu to the left
before submitting a proposal, or an information packet and forms will be
mailed to you upon request. The entire process is free of charge, but will
take approximately six months. For more information contact the GNIS Manager.
Suggested corrections and additions to the data
are accepted from any source for review, and upon validation, will be
committed to the database.
For manmade and administrative features, submit
the official name of the feature, its precise location in geographic
coordinates, State, county, and a bibliographic reference to GNIS Manager. The bibliographic
reference is the written source such as a map, pamphlet, other document,
Web site, sign, etc. in which the name is published. If a precise location
is not available or submitted, the geographical coordinates will be entered
as “unknown.”
Note that this procedure does not apply to natural
features. See FAQs 5 and 6.
The USGS Geographic Names Project maintains an
active and extensive program to add features not in the database, primarily
through partnerships with Federal, State, and local agencies, and with
other organizations having relevant data.
The GNIS Web-based data maintenance application
allows authorized users to enter and edit feature data directly. Batch
files of data also are accepted in most standard formats. Government
agencies at all levels are encouraged to join the program. Other
organizations and individuals will be considered on a case basis.
See the Geospatial One-Stop, Geographic Names Community for
additional information concerning GNIS Web services and the data maintenance
program or contact GNIS Manager.
The USGS Geographic Names Project maintains an
active and extensive program to add features not in the database, primarily
through partnerships with Federal, State, and local agencies, and with
other organizations having relevant data.
The GNIS Web-based data maintenance application
allows authorized users to enter and edit feature data directly. Batch
files of data also are accepted in most standard formats. Government
agencies at all levels are encouraged to join the program. Other
organizations and individuals will be considered on a case basis. Suggested
corrections and additions to the data are accepted from any source for
review, and upon validation, will be committed to the database.
The 30-year GNIS data compilation program began
in 1976 and is continuing. The first phase (1976-1982) collected names (except
roads and highways) from the USGS topographic maps, but many manmade and
administrative features either are not shown or not named on these maps.
Between 1982 and 1984, names from other Federal sources were collected, but
only about 30 percent of the known names appeared on Federal sources (for
manmade features it was a far smaller percentage).
A second extensive compilation phase was begun
in 1982 and continues to collect, State by State, data from official State
and local sources as well as from other pertinent current and historical
materials. This process is about 90 percent complete (See GNIS status map). However, even for
completed States and counties, the volume and quality of data varies.
While we anticipate discovering most additional
entries (even historical locations) through the partnership program, there
will always be those that escape detection. To submit an administrative
name see FAQ #7, or if you think you have found an error
see FAQ #2.
See the Geospatial One-Stop, Geographic Names Community for
additional information concerning GNIS Web services and the data
maintenance program or contact GNIS
Manager.
Data extracts from the Geographic Names
Information System are available for download as pipe-delimited text files
within a compressed (.zip) format. See the Download GNIS selection under
Domestic Names in the Main Menu to the left. For each download category, a
link to File Format explains the data in the file.
These files contain primary feature attributes,
but do not contain all attributes. They include the official feature name
(but not other names called variant names), the primary coordinates, and
the primary State, county, and topographic map containing the primary
coordinates. If a feature exists in more than one State, county, or on more
than one map, this secondary information is displayed at the GNIS public Web site
(http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic/), but is not contained in these
files. Customized files are available on request to GNIS Manager.
The GNIS records the official name and locative
attributes (State, County, map, latitude, and longitude) of each feature.
Other information is provided, but the mission and purpose of the GNIS
preclude it from providing driving directions, which requires a great deal
of data and resources not available to the system.
There are no official definitions of city,
town, village, hamlet, neighborhood, etc. All named entities with human
habitation are classified as Populated Place, including incorporated places
(20 percent of the Nation's communities), unincorporated places (the
majority), housing developments not yet incorporated, and neighborhoods
within incorporated places.
The most frequently occurring community name
continues to vary. In the past year, it was Midway at 212 occurrences and
Fairview at 202. More recently, Fairview counted 288 and Midway 256. The
name Springfield often is thought to be the only community name appearing
in each of the 50 States, but at last count it was in only 34. The most
recent count shows Riverside with 186 instances in 46 States, only Alaska,
Hawaii, Louisiana, and Oklahoma not having a community so named.
Entries for these categories are in the
database, but are not available at the public Web site. In response to the
1988 National Cave Management Resources Act, an Interior Department
Regulation (43 CFR Subtitle A, Part 37) forbids employees from releasing
information regarding the location of a cave classified as significant on
Federal lands. The regulation has been extended to all caves on Federal
lands that have not been so classified as, “being under consideration for
such classification.”
The GNIS database does not have presently the
capability or the resources to determine which caves exist on Federal lands
and are administered by Federal agencies as contrasted with those on other
lands. Therefore, until further notice, features classified as “cave” are
not retrievable at the Web site.
Information regarding the location of caves in
the GNIS must be requested in writing from the office of the Secretary of
the Interior. Each request will be analyzed on a case-by-case basis. The
address is U.S. Department of the Interior, Secretary of the Interior, 1849
C Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20240.
GNIS
public Web site: Directly queries the database for official
geographic feature names, their locative attributes, variant names, and
other data, and allows users to display, print, and download results for
datasets up to 2000 records. Ability to link directly to a specific feature
or query results page (see the "How do I link to an individual feature
record?" and/or "How do I save a link to a pre-defined list of
features?" questions of the FAQ accessible from the public query
site).
The National Map
Viewer: Displays the names layers from the GNIS Map Service.
Check the desired layers under the Names base data layer, define an area of
interest, and refresh the map for display.
GNIS XML Service:
Provides direct query access to GNIS database by appending query parameters
to the URL and returns results in XML format for processing by any user or
application. The XML service is utilized by the Find Place/Names Feature
Lookup utility in The National Map.
Click for more information
about the XML service.
The XML web service returns feature id, official feature
name, state name, county name, feature class, latitude/longitude (in both
decimal degrees and degrees/minutes/seconds), cell name, and elevation (in
meters).
Below are some sample URLs and brief
documentation of the syntax:
op = if no value is
specified or this parameter is excluded, then no wildcard is appended
to feature name and query results are based on an exact match with
the feature name specified; if set to 1 (see example #2 above), then
a wildcard is automatically appended to end of feature name specified
opv = if no value
is specified or this parameter is excluded, then only the official
feature name will be returned in the query results; if set to 1, then
the official and variant feature names will be returned in the query
results
Notes:
Parameter values
are not case sensitive.
Latitudes/longitudes
should be entered in decimal degrees and represent a bounding box
area of interest.
URL encoded
wildcards are supported by some parameters. However, if not used
properly, they will cause a drain on system resources. If you will be
developing any application that adds wildcards, please contact us
first. Basically, if you will be prepending a wildcard to the feature
name, then please ensure that at least one other parameter is also
populated.
GNIS Download Files: Data
extract files for States and territories are available for download. See the
Download GNIS selection under Domestic Names in the Main Menu to the left.
Four topical extracts of the data base also are available: the U.S.
Populated Places File lists information about all communities throughout
the United States described in the database; the U.S. Concise File lists
information about major physical and cultural features throughout the
United States; the Historical Features File lists information about
features that are no longer in existence; and the Antarctica File contains
entries throughout the continent of Antarctica as approved for use on
United States Government products. Visit the download page and read the
information available on that page and by clicking the "File
Format" links for more information.
GNIS Customized Files: Will
be provided if feasible upon request to GNIS Manager.
There are 3,143 counties and county equivalents
in the 50 States and the District of Columbia. They are categorized as
follows:
3,007 entities named "County"
12 Boroughs, 4 City and Boroughs, 2 Municipalities, and 11 Census Areas
(for areas not organized into Boroughs by the State) in Alaska
64 Parishes in Louisiana
42 Independent Cities (1 in Maryland, 1 in Missouri, 1 in Nevada, and the
remainder in Virginia)
1 District - the Federal District or District of Columbia.
This does not include Commonwealths and
territories with what are generally county equivalents, which are as
follows:
Puerto Rico - 78 Municipios
U.S. Virgin Islands - 3 Islands
Guam - 1 Territory
Northern Mariana Islands - 4 Municipalities
American Samoa - 3 Districts and 2 Islands
The elevation data in GNIS are
not official.
Only the geographic name and locative attributes are official.
The elevation data are from the National Elevation Dataset of the U.S.
Geological Survey for the primary location of the feature (Coordinates
Sequence = 1 in the Feature Detail Report).
The Primary coordinate values for communities
are taken at the center of the "original" community meaning the
city hall, main post office, main intersection, etc. For other areal
features, coordinates are taken at the approximate center, and for
reservoirs at the dam. The primary coordinates for features classified as
summit (all uplifted features), are recorded at the highest point and for
linear features (stream, valley, and arroyo) at the mouth.
The elevation figures in the GNIS are not
official and do not represent precisely measured or surveyed values. The
data are extracted from digital elevation models of the National Elevation
Dataset for the given coordinates and might differ from elevations cited in
other sources, including those published on USGS topographic maps.
Published map data represent precisely surveyed points that often are
marked by a benchmark or triangle on the map and a benchmark seal
physically anchored into the ground at the site.
The variances between the GNIS elevation data
and other sources generally arise from acceptable tolerances and will be
most evident for features such as summits, where precision is of more
concern, and where the local relief (rate of change of elevation) is more
prominent. When the elevation figure is of particular note, for example the
highest point in the State, then the actual elevation is recorded in the
description field of the feature.
If the elevation figure for a particular
feature seems significantly inaccurate, the feature coordinates might need
adjusting and/or the elevation model data for those coordinates are not
correct. For most purposes of general information, the elevation figures
are sufficiently accurate. Efforts are continuously being made to improve
the accuracy of both GNIS and NED data, the results of which will be
reflected at this site.
There are no official definitions for generic
terms as applied to geographic features. Such definitions as exist derive
from the particular needs and applications of organizations using them. The
GNIS database utilizes 63 broad categories of feature types originally
defined solely to facilitate retrieval of entries with similar
characteristics from the database.
These categories generally accord with
dictionary definitions, but not always or in all respects. The differences
are thematic and highly perceptive. For example, a lake is classified in
the GNIS as a “natural body of inland water,” a definition that may not
apply in other contexts. We have found 54 other generic terms with
characteristics similar to a lake, and all are classified as lake,
including features called ponds. It might be generally agreed that a pond
is smaller than a lake, but even this is not always true.
All “linear flowing bodies of water” are
classified as streams in the GNIS. At least 121 other generic terms fit
this broad category, including creeks and rivers. Observers might contend
that a creek must flow into a river, but such hierarchies do not exist in
the Nation's namescape. Near the USGS offices in Northern Virginia, Little
River flows into Goose Creek. Many controversies exist, such as mountain
and hill, which we call “summit” along with 194 generic terms with similar
characteristics. Cities, towns and other entities with human habitation are
classified as populated places.
The British Ordnance Survey once defined a
mountain as having 1,000 feet of elevation and less was a hill, but the
distinction was abandoned sometime in the 1920's. There was even a movie with
this as its theme in the late 1990's - The Englishman That Went Up a Hill
and Down a Mountain. The U.S. Board on Geographic Names once stated that
the difference between a hill and a mountain in the U.S. was 1,000 feet of
local relief, but even this was abandoned in the early 1970's. Broad
agreement on such questions is essentially impossible, which is why there
are no official feature classification standards.
Since its inception in 1890, the U.S. Board on
Geographic Names has discouraged the use of the possessive form—the
genitive apostrophe and the “s”. The possessive form using an “s” is
allowed, but the apostrophe is almost always removed. The Board's archives
contain no indication of the reason for this policy.
However, there are many names in the GNIS
database that do carry the genitive apostrophe, because the Board chooses
not to apply its policies to some types of features. Although the legal
authority of the Board includes all named entities except Federal
Buildings, certain categories—broadly determined to be “administrative”—are
best left to the organization that administers them. Examples include
schools, churches, cemeteries, hospitals, airports, shopping centers, etc.
The Board promulgates the names, but leaves issues such as the use of the
genitive or possessive apostrophe to the data owners.
Myths attempting to explain the policy include
the idea that the apostrophe looks too much like a rock in water when
printed on a map, and is therefore a hazard, or that in the days of
“stick–up type” for maps, the apostrophe would become lost and create
confusion. The probable explanation is that the Board does not want to show
possession for natural features because, “ownership of a feature is not in
and of itself a reason to name a feature or change its name.”
Since 1890, only five Board decisions have
allowed the genitive apostrophe for natural features. These are: Martha's
Vineyard (1933) after an extensive local campaign; Ike's Point in New
Jersey (1944) because “it would be unrecognizable otherwise”; John E's Pond
in Rhode Island (1963) because otherwise it would be confused as John S
Pond (note the lack of the use of a period, which is also discouraged); and
Carlos Elmer's Joshua View (1995 at the specific request of the Arizona
State Board on Geographic and Historic Names because, “otherwise three
apparently given names in succession would dilute the meaning,” that is,
Joshua refers to a stand of trees. Clark’s Mountain in Oregon (2002) was
approved at the request of the Oregon Board to correspond with the personal
references of Lewis and Clark.
Yes, GNIS actively seeks names of features that
no longer exist. There are more than 100,000 such entries in the database
now. To search for them, type the word “(historical)” (along with other
name words if desired) in the name field. It is advisable to narrow the
search further by selecting State, County, and/or Feature Class. For
performance reasons, the query returns only results sets less than 2000
records.
The database also contains many historical
names for features that still exist, which are termed variant names. Each
geographic feature may have only one official name, but may list numerous
variants. The feature query returns all features with the official name or
variants matching the query, but only the official name displays in the
results list. If a feature appears in the results list with a name
different than the name entered, click on the name to view the feature
details. The name entered will be listed among the variants. If you do not
wish to query by variant names, click the Exclude Variant box under the
Name field in the query page. Click the title of the Feature Name field for
additional information.
The term “historical” as used in the GNIS means
specifically and only that the feature no longer exists on the landscape.
It has no reference to age, size, condition, extent of habitation, type of
use, or any other factor. For example, a ghost town is not historical, only
abandoned as might be noted in the historical notes field. Most historical
features are (or were) man-made, but also can be natural features such as
shoals that are washed away by a storm or a hill leveled by mining
activity.
A variant is any other name by which a feature
is or was known. Such names can be historical or no longer used, or can be
in use, but less widespread. Only one official feature name is allowed for
Federal usage. There are no exceptions to this rule.
Topographic maps published by the U.S.
Geological Survey generally are named for the most centrally located and/or
well-known or largest community named on the map. Note that the largest,
most well known community may not be centrally located. The name may be
scale dependent, that is, the smaller the scale, the larger the area shown,
and therefore, the more named features available to be selected for the map
name.
To the extent possible, names are selected for
communities that are wholly located within the map. If the community for
which the map should be named falls on two or more maps, a directional term
might be used such as East and West. An example is Washington East and
Washington West, D.C.
If the map contains no communities or they are
very rural, small, and scattered, it can be named for the most, prominent
and centrally located well-known physical or natural feature such as a
mountain. As with communities, the feature should be wholly located on the
map.
Naming maps for linear features such as streams
is generally avoided because such features usually pass through maps or
meander on and off the maps. Occasionally, a map area is so devoid of named
topography that a directional might be used, as in adding NW or SE to the
name of an adjacent map, or even using the map name from a smaller scale
series and applying the directional term.
No official designations exist for regions at
any level of government. The U.S. Board on Geographic Names, which is
responsible by law for standardizing geographic name usage throughout the
Federal government, is often asked for official names and boundaries of
regions, but does not and cannot provide them.
Regions are application driven and highly
susceptible to perception. Individuals might agree on the core of a region,
but agreement deteriorates rapidly outward from that core. The criteria or
application would have to be defined, such as physiographic
(this would include parts of States, but there is more than one system); political (definite disagreement based upon
perception); cultural (unlimited variables);
and other applications.
Geographers apply four generic requirements for
a region to be formed: area, boundary (or transition zone), at least one
factor of homogeneity or sameness, and a process to drive the region or to
keep it functioning as a region. The American National Standards Institute
(ANSI) has taken the same approach. Regional definitions applied by any
organization reflect their particular needs or application, not a
government standard.
Geographically, and as a general reference, the
United States (short form of the official name, United States of America)
includes all areas considered under the sovereignty of the United States,
but does not include leased areas.
On May 14, 1959, the U.S. Board on Geographic
Names issued the following definitions based partially on the reference in
the Alaska Omnibus Bill, which defined the Continental United States as
“the 49 States on the North American Continent and the District of
Columbia...” The Board reaffirmed these definitions on May 13, 1999.
United States: The 50
States and the District of Columbia.
Continental United States:
The 49 States (including Alaska, excluding Hawaii) located on the continent
of North America, and the District of Columbia.
Conterminous United States:
The 48 States and the District of Columbia, that is, the United States
prior to January 3, 1959 (Alaska Statehood) wholly filling an unbroken
block of territory and excluding Alaska and Hawaii. Although the official
reference applies the term “conterminous,” many use the word “contiguous,”
which is almost synonymous and better known.
Several categories with different meanings and
requirements fall under the jurisdiction of the United States and are
contained in the GNIS data.
States and DC
50 States plus the Federal District known as District of Columbia
Commonwealths
Puerto Rico (Caribbean)
Northern Marianas Islands (Pacific)
(former
Trust Territory of the United Nations elected by plebiscite to join the
U.S.)
Territories (various
types)
Guam (Pacific)
(physically part of the Marianas Islands but politically separate)
American Samoa (Pacific)
U.S. Virgin Islands (Caribbean)
(uses
“U.S.” in name to distinguish from neighboring British Virgin Islands)
Miscellaneous Insular or
Outlying Areas - No permanent population. Periodically inhabited by
military personnel or scientists, otherwise uninhabited.
Baker Island (Pacific)
Howland Island (Pacific)
Jarvis Island (Pacific)
Palmyra Atoll (an atoll is a coral reef) (Pacific)
Johnston Island (Pacific)
Kingman Reef (Pacific)
Midway Islands (Pacific)
Wake Island (Pacific)
Navassa Island (Caribbean)
Freely Associated States – The word “State” here is
used in the international sense as an independent country with the exception
that the United States is responsible for their defense.
Federated States of Micronesia (Pacific)
(Former
United Nations Trust Territory elected by plebiscite to become
"independent.")
Republic of the Marshall Islands (Pacific)
(Former
United Nations Trust Territory elected by plebiscite to become
"independent.")
Republic of Palau (Pacific)
(Former
portion of a United Nations Trust Territory elected by plebiscite to become
"independent.")
Note: Corn Islands and Swan Islands were
formerly U.S. but were recently ceded to Nicaragua and Honduras
respectively. Also, Serrana Bank and Roncador Bank were ceded by the U.S.
to Colombia. All of these are in the Caribbean.
For more information, contact the Office of
Insular Affairs at the Interior Department's Web page at: http://www.doi.gov.
The GNIS contains named communities, both
incorporated and unincorporated, but these communities do not necessarily
correspond to ZIP Code areas. ZIP Codes are unofficial entities developed
and maintained by the U.S. Postal Service solely for the purpose of
delivering mail. It is not within the mission, purpose, or resources of the
GNIS to maintain ZIP Code information.
ZIP Code areas are named (unless there is
duplication) for the most prominent community in it or which it serves.
Numerous ZIP Code areas contain multiple named communities within them,
particularly in rural areas, and in urban regions, single large communities
encompass multiple ZIP Codes. ZIP Code and community boundaries frequently
do not correspond or correspond only roughly. Also, many communities for
which the ZIP Code area is named are not incorporated, which means they do
not have legal boundaries.
Therefore, the ZIP Code boundary in no way
indicates a legal “footprint” of a named community, is not official for
purposes other than delivering mail, and changes periodically. For
additional information concerning ZIP codes, please contact the Postal
Service.
One might confuse the difference between
degrees/minutes/seconds and Decimal Degrees. To convert from decimal
degrees to degrees/minutes/seconds with 45.63248 as an example:
Subtract 45,
leaving only the decimal .63248. Keep 45 for later reference.
Multiply by 60, to
obtain 37.94880 – 37 is the number of minutes; 37 then will follow
45 degrees.
Subtract 37 to
leave only .94880.
Multiply by 60
once again to obtain 56.92800, and round to 57, which represents the
seconds.
This yields 45 degrees, 37 minutes, 57 seconds.
To convert from degrees-minutes-seconds to
decimal degrees using 45 degrees, 37 minutes, 57 seconds as an example:
Begin with 57
seconds and divide by 60 to obtain .95000.
Add the 37 minutes
to yield 37.95000.
Divide by 60 once
again to obtain .63250.
Add the 45 degrees
to obtain 45.63250.
Notice that rounding less than one-tenth of a
second changes the conversion by .00002 degrees.
Federal, State, local, and non-governmental
data partners submit new features and edit existing features continuously
in the GNIS database. Changes, possibly consisting of hundreds to thousands
of records per month, are validated by the staff and made available at the
Web site and in the Web services.
The downloadable files are revised every six to
12 months or as needed. The date of the last update is displayed on the
download page. States that are currently under contract for extensive data
compilation could have very large updates performed monthly or quarterly
(see green States on the status map).
The Geographic Names Information System
Web-based data maintenance application allows authorized users to enter and
edit feature data directly. Batch files of data also are accepted in most
standard formats. Government agencies at all levels are encouraged to join
the GNIS data maintenance program. Other organizations and individuals will
be considered on a case basis.
Suggested corrections and additions to the data
are accepted from any source for review, and upon validation, will be
committed to the database. See the Geospatial One-Stop, Geographic Names Community for
additional information concerning GNIS Web services and the data
maintenance program or contact GNIS
Manager.
The GNIS data is maintained in the character
set AL32/UTF8, specifically to accommodate native special characters. We
support names expressed in any language in the Roman alphabet. Some
software settings might not display these characters correctly. Please
consider the following steps. See the Unicode Display Problems, Unicode
Consortium website for additional information concerning Unicode character
display problems.
If you need further help, you can follow the
following steps In Windows XP (apply similar steps in other operating
systems):
1) Right Click on your Desktop's My computer Icon -> Select 'Properties'
-> Under the 'Advanced tab', click on 'Environment Variables' ->
Under the 'System Variables', click on 'New' and set: Variable Name:
NLS_LANG Variable Value: AMERICAN_AMERICA.AL32UTF8
2) (This part only pertains to those using an Oracle database) - Under
'Start', select 'Run...' and open 'regedit, click 'OK'. Go under My
Computer -> HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE -> Software -> Click on 'ORACLE'
directory to select it. Then find and double click on 'NLS_LANG'. Enter
'AMERICAN_AMERICA.AL32UTF8' as the value in the dialog box.
The Aleut name from Alaska contains a special
writing mark, a circumflex, over the character "x" that is not
displayed correctly in Internet Explorer, using IE default font settings,
because certain American Indian - Alaskan Native characters have not been
added to all IE-specific Unicode character sets. It is expected that these
characters will be added in the future and when they are, the name will
display correctly. As a work around, you can change Internet Explorer's
font settings as follows: 1) in Internet Explorer, click the
"Tools" drop-down menu near top of the web browser window, 2)
click "Internet Options", 3) on the "General" tab,
click the "Fonts" button in the "Appearance" section,
4) change the "Webpage font" in the list on the left to
"Arial Unicode MS" (make sure "Language script" is set
to "Latin based"), then click the "OK" button, 5) on
the same tab, click the "Accessibility" button in the "Appearance"
section, 6) check the box next to "Ignore font styles specified on
webpages", then click the "OK" button, and 7) click the
"OK" button again. The name should now display correctly. Other
Browsers do not have this problem. See http://unicode.org/faq/char_combmark.html
for more information about combining diacritical marks.
If you are still having problems with Alaska
native names in Windows XP, an additional language file can be loaded with
the needed characters:
1) Control Panel->Regional and Language Options->Languages
tab->Supplemental language support" area.
2) Switch on the 1st check box, You will get this dialog: "You chose
to install the Arabic, Georgian, Hebrew, Indic, Thai, and Vietnamese
language files. This will require 10 MB or more of available disk
space..." Click OK to dismiss the dialog screen.
3) Switch on the 2nd check box, you will get this dialog: "You chose
to install the Chinese, Japanese, and Korean Language files. This will
require 230 MB or more of available disk space..." Click OK to dismiss
the dialog screen.
4) Click on 'Apply' on the original window: Language Options->Language
tab
You will get this message: "Please insert the Compact Disc labeled
'Windows XP Professional CD-ROM' into your CD-ROM drive (D:) and then click
OK. You can also click OK if you want files to be copied from an alternate
location, such as a floppy disk or a network server." You will need
Windows Install CD or copy it from your internal network if available.
If you still have questions about the above
steps, please contact GNIS Manager .
An entry with Feature Class = Populated Place
represents a named community with a permanent human population, usually not
incorporated and with no legal boundaries, ranging from rural clustered
buildings to large cities and every size in between; includes metropolitan
areas, housing subdivisions, developments, modular home communities, and
named neighborhoods (village, town, settlement, hamlet, trailer park,
etc.). The boundaries of most communities classified as Populated Place are
subjective and cannot be determined.
A community with Feature Class = Civil
represents a political division formed for administrative purposes with
legally defined boundaries (borough, county, incorporated place, municipio,
parish, town, township).
(The Civil feature class does not include named
residential neighborhoods, developments, etc. that are based on ownership
of plots of land and therefore will have defined boundaries. These features
are not considered political entities; they are classified as Populated
Places.)
A small percentage of communities classified as
Populated Place will have a corresponding political entity classified as
Civil. In these cases, the entry classified as Populated Place represents
the perceived metropolitan area usually extending beyond the legal
boundaries of the incorporated community classified as Civil.
The feature classified as Populated Place and a
corresponding entry classified as Civil are separate and distinct entities,
as well as separate records (entries) in the dataset, each with a unique
feature identifier. The two records have no direct relationship in the
dataset except that they might have the same Census Code.
The two records usually, but not always, will
have the same or similar names. The name of the political entity classified
as Civil will include generic terms such as City of ,
Town of , etc. The name of the entry classified as
Populated Place will not include such generic terms and is referred to as
the short form. Example: Civil Class record = City of Denver, Populated
Place = Denver.
Frequently these distinctions are not visible
and are not common knowledge locally, and can be confusing, but they are
necessary to identify properly and classify such communities for
governmental purposes. The question whether one lives in a
particular community depends on these definitions.
If the reference is to a community classified
as Civil, which by definition has legal boundaries, that question can be
answered with accuracy. If the reference is to a community classified as
Populated Place, which in most cases will not have legal boundaries, the
answer is subjective.
(It also is common for some to answer this
question based on postal address and zip code, which have no direct
relationship to either an entry classified as Civil or an entry classified
as Populated Place (except perhaps a common or similar name), and therefore
can be deceiving. See FAQ question #27 above concerning ZIP Codes.)
Most communities are not legally incorporated
and therefore will have only one entry, which will be classified as
Populated Place. Application of various community terms (city, town,
village, settlement, hamlet, etc.) is determined by local usage. There are
no standard lists of, definitions of, or rules for applying them, and there
are no implied hierarchies among the terms: X Town might have a larger
population and greater area than Y City.
The dataset contains numerous entries for
communities within communities of all sizes, but does not establish
hierarchical relationships among them; such relationships are beyond the
scope and mission of the dataset.
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