 Interested in Metadata? | Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) | National Atlas |
Data for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) database came from the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) and the National Atlas of the United States®.
Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) Features
The GNIS contains geographic names for all known places, features, and areas in the United States that are identified by a proper name. Each feature is located by State, county, and geographic coordinates; and referenced to the appropriate 1:24,000-scale U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) topographic map in which it is shown. The feature class terms and abbreviations currently consist of nine or fewer letters and were chosen for computer search and retrieval purposes. They do not necessarily represent terminology for the identification of all kinds of cultural and natural features. Please refer to
APPENDIX C to view the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) feature class definitions.
Selected Federal Lands from the USGS National Atlas
Selected Federal Lands were taken from the USGS National Atlas of the United States. The National Atlas is intended to provide a comprehensive, map-like view into the enormous wealth of data collected by the Federal Government. Information on the Federal Lands included in LandView® IV as well as metadata can be found on the National Atlas site.
**Please note that for LandView IV we were not able to include the GNIS Water Features Layer. However, for those of you that are interested in this layer we have included a table with the information.
| Individual Feature Layers | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airports | Cemeteries | Churches | Hospitals | Populated Places |
| Schools |
| Land Features | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arch | Bench | Flat | Levee | Slope |
| Area | Bend | Gap | Pillar | Valley |
| Bar | Cape | Island | Plain | Woods |
| Basin | Cliff | Isthmus | Range | |
| Beach | Crater | Lava | Ridge |
| Man-Made Features | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dam | Locale | Mine | Oilfield | Tower |
| Well |
| Miscellaneous Features | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forest | Military (historical only) | Park | Post Office | Reserve |
| Transportation Features | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Bridge | Crossing | Trail | Tunnel |
| Water Features | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arroyo | Falls | Gut | Rapids | Spring |
| Bay | Geyser | Harbor | Reservoir | Stream |
| Canal | Glacier | Lake | Sea | Swamp |
| Channel |
For questions or comments regarding the Geographic Information Names System (GNIS) contact: gnis_manager@usgs.gov
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Last Revised: Tuesday, 05-Jun-2001 10:37:54 EDT
