United States Board on Geographic Names
Encyclopedia
The United States Board on Geographic Names (BGN) is a United States
federal
body whose purpose is to establish and maintain uniform usage of geographic
names throughout the U.S. government.
The Board has developed principles, policies, and procedures governing the use of both domestic and foreign geographic names. It also deals with the names of geographical features underseas and in Antarctica.
Although its official purpose is to resolve name problems and new name proposals for the federal government, the Board also plays a similar role for the general public. Any person or organization, public or private, may make inquiries or request the Board to render formal decisions on proposed new names, proposed name changes, or names that are in conflict. Generally, the BGN defers federal name use to comply with local usage. There are a few exceptions. For example, in rare cases where a locally-used name is very offensive, the BGN may decide against adoption of the local name for federal use.
In federal mapping and names collection efforts, there is often a phase lag where a delay occurs in adoption of a locally-used name. Sometimes the delay is several decades. Volunteers in the Earth Science Corps are used to assist the U.S. Geological Survey in collecting names of geographic features.
The Geographic Names Information System
, developed by the BGN in cooperation with the U.S. Geological Survey, includes topographic map names and bibliographic references. The names of books and historic maps which confirm the feature or place name are cited. Variant names, alternatives to official federal names for a feature, are also recorded.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
federal
Federal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
body whose purpose is to establish and maintain uniform usage of geographic
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
names throughout the U.S. government.
Overview
The Board was created in 1890; its present form derives from a law of 1947. Under the U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, National Mapping Division, BGN was created by presidential order:President Benjamin HarrisonBenjamin HarrisonBenjamin Harrison was the 23rd President of the United States . Harrison, a grandson of President William Henry Harrison, was born in North Bend, Ohio, and moved to Indianapolis, Indiana at age 21, eventually becoming a prominent politician there...
signed an Executive Order on September 4, 1890, establishing the United States Board on Geographic Names. The Board was given authority to resolve all unsettled questions concerning geographic names. Decisions of the Board were accepted as binding by all departments and agencies of the Federal Government.
The Board has developed principles, policies, and procedures governing the use of both domestic and foreign geographic names. It also deals with the names of geographical features underseas and in Antarctica.
Although its official purpose is to resolve name problems and new name proposals for the federal government, the Board also plays a similar role for the general public. Any person or organization, public or private, may make inquiries or request the Board to render formal decisions on proposed new names, proposed name changes, or names that are in conflict. Generally, the BGN defers federal name use to comply with local usage. There are a few exceptions. For example, in rare cases where a locally-used name is very offensive, the BGN may decide against adoption of the local name for federal use.
In federal mapping and names collection efforts, there is often a phase lag where a delay occurs in adoption of a locally-used name. Sometimes the delay is several decades. Volunteers in the Earth Science Corps are used to assist the U.S. Geological Survey in collecting names of geographic features.
The Geographic Names Information System
Geographic Names Information System
The Geographic Names Information System is a database that contains name and locative information about more than two million physical and cultural features located throughout the United States of America and its territories. It is a type of gazetteer...
, developed by the BGN in cooperation with the U.S. Geological Survey, includes topographic map names and bibliographic references. The names of books and historic maps which confirm the feature or place name are cited. Variant names, alternatives to official federal names for a feature, are also recorded.
Publications
The BGN currently publishes names on its website. In the past, the BGN issued its decisions in various publications under different titles at different intervals with various information included. In 1933, the BGN published a significant consolidated report of all decisions from 1890-1932 in its Sixth Report of the United States Geographic Board 1890-1932. For many years, the BGN published a quarterly report under the title Decisions on Geographic Names.History
The BGN was established in 1890 as the "Board on Geographical Names" and has undergone several name changes. In 1934, it was transferred to the Department of the Interior. The 1969 BGN publication Decisions on Geographic Names in the United States stated the agency's chief purpose as:"[Names are] submitted for decisions to the Board on Geographical names by individuals, private organizations, or government agencies. It is the Board’s responsibility to render formal decisions on new names, proposed changes in names, and names which are in conflict. [The decisions] define the spellings and applications of the names for use on maps and other publications of Federal agencies"
Other authorities
- The United States Census BureauUnited States Census BureauThe United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
defines census-designated placeCensus-designated placeA census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
s, which are a subset of locations in the Geographic Names Information System. - The names of post offices have historically been used to back up claims about the name of a community. U.S. Postal Service Publication 28 gives standards for addressing mail. In this publication, the Postal ServiceUnited States Postal ServiceThe United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...
defines two-letter state abbreviations, street identifiers such as boulevard (BLVD) and street (ST), and secondary identifiers such as suite (STE).
See also
- Geographic Names Information SystemGeographic Names Information SystemThe Geographic Names Information System is a database that contains name and locative information about more than two million physical and cultural features located throughout the United States of America and its territories. It is a type of gazetteer...
- BGN/PCGN romanizationBGN/PCGN romanizationBGN/PCGN romanization refers to the systems for romanization and Roman-script spelling conventions adopted by the United States Board on Geographic Names and the Permanent Committee on Geographical Names for British Official Use .The systems have been approved by the BGN and the PCGN for...
, a system for rendering geographic names in other writing systems into the Latin alphabet - SCAR Composite Gazetteer of AntarcticaComposite Gazetteer of AntarcticaThe Composite Gazetteer of Antarctica of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research is the authoritative international gazetteer containing all the Antarctic toponyms published in national gazetteers, plus basic information about those names and the relevant geographical features...
- Henry GannettHenry GannettHenry Gannett, M.E.; LL.D. was an American geographer who is described as the "Father of the Quadrangle" which is the basis for topographical maps in the United States.-Life:...
- "Father of the Quadrangle Map" - Denali naming disputeDenali naming disputeThere is a dispute over the name of the mountain listed by the United States Board of Geographic Names as "Mount McKinley" and by the Alaska Board of Geographic Names as "Denali", located in Alaska as the centerpiece of Denali National Park and Preserve...
, over the mountain known as "Mount McKinleyMount McKinleyMount McKinley or Denali in Alaska, United States is the highest mountain peak in North America and the United States, with a summit elevation of above sea level. It is the centerpiece of Denali National Park and Preserve.- Geology and features :Mount McKinley is a granitic pluton...
" according to the U.S. Board
Sources
- U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, National Mapping Division, Digital Gazetteer: Users Manual, (Reston, Virginia: U.S. Geological Survey, 1994).
- Report: "Countries, Dependencies, Areas Of Special Sovereignty, And Their Principal Administrative Divisions," Federal Information Processing Standards, FIPS 10-4.
- Report: "Principles, Policies, and Procedures: Domestic Geographic Names," U.S. Board of Geographic Names, 1997.
- U.S. Postal Service Publication 28, November 2000.