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United States Board on Geographic Names

US geographic naming government agency
(Redirected from U.S. Board on Geographic Names)

The United States Board on Geographic Names (BGN)[1] is a United States federal body whose purpose is to establish and maintain uniform usage of geographic names throughout the government of the United States.[2][3]

BGN logo

The Board's purpose is to standardize -- not regulate -- US and foreign geographic names, including the names of geographical features underseas and in Antarctica.[2]

History

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The Board was created in 1890 by executive order of President Benjamin Harrison. The Board was given authority to resolve questions about geographic names.[2][4]

In 1947, the Board was recreated by Congress in Public Law 80-242.[2][3]

The Geographic Names Information System 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.[5]

Processes for standardizing non-US geographic names,[6] Antarctic names[7] and undersea features[8] were developed.

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References

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  1. ↑ BGN is an acronym. BGN stands for Board on Geographic Names".
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 US Board on Geographic Names (BGN), "BGN Home" retrieved 2012-6-18.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Dalrymple, Helen. "What's in a Name?". Library of Congress. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  4. ↑ "U.S. Board on Geographic Names". National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. Archived from the original on 2 October 2015. Retrieved 15 March 2016.
  5. ↑ BGN, "Domestic names"; retrieved 2012-6-18.
  6. ↑ BGN, "Foreign names"; retrieved 2012-6-18.
  7. ↑ BGN, "Antarctic names"; retrieved 2012-6-18.
  8. ↑ BGN, 'Undersea features"; retrieved 2012-6-18.

Other websites

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