United States Board on Geographic Names US BGN

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United States Board on Geographic Names(US BGN)
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US Board on Geographic NamesFounded in 1890
Secretary of the Interior
US Board on Geographic Names
CONJOINT RESPONSIBILITY
Domestic Names Committee
Foreign Names Committee
Advisory Committee on Undersea Features
The present briefing covers principles, policies,
and procedures implemented by the BGN Foreign
Names Committee.
Advisory Committee on Antarctic Names
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Roles and ResponsibilitiesUS BGN Foreign Names
Activities

• US BGN Foreign Names Committee (FNC)
• Decides standardization policy
• Decides standard and conventional names of
• countries
• their principal administrative divisions
• their capital cities
• international features
• high seas features
• other features of significance

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History and BackgroundThe FPNF
Quality Control Review
Geopolitical Area Code
Official Standard name
Cross reference flag
Name as found on source
romanization
File sequence number
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Geographic Names Data BaseScope

• Geographic features outside of US territory
• Physical, cultural, undersea
• Large-scale map series equivalency
• Generally excludes
• urban features, street
• numbered routes
• map information

Interested in Domestic US Geographic Names?

• __GNIS
• Geographic Names Information System
• BGNs domestic names data base
• Maintained by US Geological Survey

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http//gnswww.nga.mil/geonames/GNS/index.jsp
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Geographic Names Data Base Content

• Contains records with
• Full name (as it would appear in a gazetteer
  listing)
• Short-form name (if required by FNC policy)
• Name type (native, conventional, variant,
  daggered)
• Generic term (if present)
• Language code
• Gazetteer code (suppresses entry in gazetteer
  output)
• Region code (identifies regional font)
• Unique Name Identifier (UNI)
• Sort name (all upper case diacritics and spaces
  removed)

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US BGN Foreign NamesDecision Process

• Toponymic event occurs.
• FNC staff conduct investigative research, gather
  supporting evidence, prepare recommendation.
• Recommendations regarding joint BGN/PCGN policy
  are coordinated.
• Draft recommendations are distributed to FNC
  members and associates for review and comment.
• FNC staff present recommendations at quarterly
  FNC meetings.
• Discussion and voting.

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Toponymic StandardizationPrinciples, Policies
and Procedures

• General principles
• Local official usage
• One name for one feature
• Use of Roman script, including diacritical marks
  and special characters
• Use of scientifically developed romanization
  systems in areas where a non-Roman writing system
  is official
• Conventional names

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General Principles

• Local official usage
• adoption as official standard names those names
  promulgated by the designated local official
  authority, e.g., a national names authority,
  national mapping authority, etc.
• Definition an official standard name is the name
  spelling adopted by the US BGN for official use.

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STANAG 3689

• NATO Standardization Agreement Place Name
  Spelling on Maps and Charts Edition 3
• Aim to standardize the method of spelling
  place names in the mapping and charting of areas
  of interest to NATO

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Area-Specific Policies and Procedures

• Staff country policies
• Linguistic policy
• Languages
• Orthographies
• Romanization
• Unique situations
• Politico-geographic policy
• Country names
• Principal administrative divisions
• Unique situations

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Conclusions and Discussion