History
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Technology
Geographic Information Systems
TIGER®
The term TIGER® is an acronym for the "Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing" system, the name for the digital database developed at the U.S. Census Bureau to support its mapping needs for the Decennial Census and other programs.
The design of the TIGER database adapts the theories of topology, graph theory, and associated fields of mathematics to provide a disciplined, mathematical description for the geographic structure of the United States and its territories. The topological structure of the TIGER database defines the location and relationship of streets, rivers, railroads, and other features to each other and to the numerous geographic entities for which the Census Bureau tabulates data from its censuses and sample surveys. It is designed to assure no duplication of these features or areas.
The building of the TIGER database, the underpinnings of which were the U.S. Geological Survey's base maps, integrated a variety of encoding techniques such as automated map scanning, manual map "digitizing", standard data keying, and sophisticated computer file matching. The goal was to provide automated access to and retrieval of relevant geographic information about the United States and its territories.
For more information:
Tiger Overview
2010 TIGER/Line Shapefiles
LandView 6
LandView 6 is a DVD-ROM based "Federal Geographic Data Viewer" that provides database extracts from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Census Bureau, and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Landview combines data from these agencies to create user-defined maps containing jurisdictional entities (states, counties, cities & towns, congressional districts, and others), detailed network of roads, rivers, and railroads, census block group and tract polygons, schools, hospitals, churches, cemeteries, airports, zip codes and other landmark features.
The LandView system consists of two software programs: the LandView database system and the MARPLOT® mapping system. These two systems communicate with each other to allow users to make map inquiries based on a selection of database records, and to make database inquiries based on a selection of map objects.
For more information:
LandView Overview [PDF 681k]
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