DataTerminology.comNEW
A directory of geographic names with locations and attributes, used for place-name reference and geospatial linkage.
DESCRIPTION
Gazetteers list standardized place names (toponyms) with coordinates and associated metadata. They support geocoding, disambiguation, and linking across datasets and maps. Standards like ISO 19112 and OGC Best Practices guide structure and services. Examples include GeoNames and Getty TGN. Gazetteers integrate with GIS, enabling navigation, analytics, and location-based services.
ALTERNATIVE DEFINITIONS
OGC Glossary
A gazetteer is a list of geographic names and their locations and attributes, often used as an index to maps.
Stresses mapping index role and inclusion of attributes.
ISO 19112
A gazetteer is a structured list of geographic identifiers with associated location information.
Focuses on standardized identifiers and location association.
GeoNames
GeoNames is a geographical database covering all countries and contains over eleven million placenames that are available for download.
Highlights comprehensive, open database of place names as a practical gazetteer.
RELATED TERMS
Geocoding Toponym Geospatial Database Open Geospatial Consortium ISO 19112 Getty TGN GeoNames
COMPETING TERMS
Geocoding Service
KNOWLEDGE AREAS
Data Services IoT & Edge Data Semantic & Knowledge Modeling Data Integration & Interoperability
TARGET AUDIENCE
Data Scientist Data Engineer Data Architect Information Analyst
EXTERNAL SOURCES
- Wikipedia - Gazetteer
- OGC - Gazetteer glossary entry
- ISO - ISO 19112 overview
- GeoNames - Open gazetteer dataset
- Getty - Getty TGN gazetteer
TOP QUESTIONS
Why use a Gazetteer in data integration?
It provides authoritative place names and identifiers to link datasets, disambiguate locations, and support geospatial analytics.
Category: Relevancy
How does a Gazetteer differ from a Geocoding Service?
A gazetteer is the reference list of places; a geocoding service resolves text to coordinates using gazetteers and other data.
Category: Misunderstanding
What standards inform Gazetteers?
ISO 19112 and OGC practices define geographic identifiers and services for place-name reference.
Category: Standards
What are common mistakes using Gazetteers?
Ignoring alternate names, language variants, or historical changes can cause mismatches and bias.
Category: Mistakes
How to evaluate Gazetteer quality?
Assess coverage, update frequency, accuracy of coordinates, and handling of variants and hierarchies.
Category: Testing
Which gazetteers are widely used?
GeoNames, Getty TGN, and national gazetteers like USGS GNIS are common references.
Category: Resources
How do Gazetteers support multilingual data?
They store names and variants across languages, enabling consistent cross-language referencing.
Category: Integration
Where to start with Gazetteers?
Begin with GeoNames or national gazetteers, define identifier strategy, and integrate through APIs.
Category: Requirements
What is a hot topic around Gazetteers?
Linking gazetteers with knowledge graphs and temporal versions for historical analyses is growing.
Category: Topic