Cartographic Boundary File General Metadata in FGDC Format

Metadata Section Index

Identification
Data Quality
Spatial Data Organization
Spatial Reference
Entity and Attribute
Distribution
Metadata Reference

Identification Information

     Citation: 

          Citation Information: 

               Originator: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, Geography Division
               Publication Date: 19990119
               Title: Boundary File Web Site Metadata
               Publication Information: 

                    Publication Place: Washington, D.C.
                    Publisher: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, Geography Division

               Online Linkage: http://www.census.gov/geo/www/cob/index.html

     Description: 

          Abstract: These cartographic boundary files files were designed and created to support the Landview (TM) small-scale thematic
          mapping functions. They are provided "as is" for use by the general public and are designed for use in a Geographic Information System or similar
          mapping system.
          Purpose: Providing access to boundary file metadata on the Census Bureau's Internet site
          Supplemental Information: The cartographic boundary files are available in three file formats: 
          ARC/INFO Export (.e00) format 
          Arcview Shapefile format 
          ARC/INFO Generate (ASCII) format

     Time Period of Content: 

          Currentness Reference: publication date

     Status: 

          Progress: In Work
          Maintenance and Update Frequency: As needed

     Spatial Domain: 

          Bounding Coordinates: 

               West Bounding Coordinate: 172.46087
               East Bounding Coordinate: -65.2215271
               North Bounding Coordinate: 71.34294128
               South Bounding Coordinate: 17.88511467

          Data Set G-Polygon: 

               Data Set G-Polygon Outer G-Ring: 
               Data Set G-Polygon Exclusion G-Ring: 

     Keywords: 

          Theme: 

               Theme Keyword Thesaurus: Boundary Files
               Theme Keyword: Boundary Files
               Theme Keyword: Spatial Metadata
               Theme Keyword: US Bureau of the Census

     Access Constraints: None
     Use Constraints: None
     Point of Contact: 

          Contact Information: 

               Contact Person Primary: 

                    Contact Person: Department of Commerce, US Bureau of the Census, Geography Division

     Browse Graphic: 

          Browse Graphic File Name: Boundary_File_Metadata_Graphic
          Browse Graphic File Description: US_Map
          Browse Graphic File Type: JPEG

     Data Set Credit: Department of Commerce, US Bureau of the Census, Geography Division
     Security Information: 

          Security Classification System: None
          Security Classification: Unclassified
          Security Handling Description: Unclassified

     Native Data Set Environment: TIGER database converted to ARC/INFO coverages, Arcview Shapefiles, and ARC/INFO generate files (ASCII)
     Cross Reference: 

          Citation Information: 

               Originator: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, Geography Division
               Publication Date: 19990119
               Title: Boundary File Web Site Metadata
               Publication Information: 

                    Publication Place: Washington, D.C.
                    Publisher: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, Geography Division

               Online Linkage: http://www.census.gov/geo/www/cob/index.html

Data Quality Information

     Attribute Accuracy: 

          Attribute Accuracy Report: Accurate against Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS), FIPS Publication 6-4, and FIPS-55 at the 100%
          level for the codes and base names. The remaining attribute information has been examined but has not been fully tested for accuracy.

     Logical Consistency Report: The feature network of lines (as represented by Record Types 1 and 2) is complete for census purposes. Spatial objects in
     TIGER/Line belong to the "Geometry and Topology" (GT) class objects in the "Spatial DataTransfer Standard" (SDTS) FIPS Publication 173 and are
     topologically valid. Node/geometry and topology (GT)-polygon/chain relationships are collected or generated to satisfy topological edit requirements. These
     requirements include: 
     * Complete chains must begin and end at nodes. 
     * Complete chains must connect to each other at nodes. 
     * Complete chains do not extend through nodes. 
     * Left and right GT-polygons are defined for each complete chain element and are 
     consistent throughout the extract process. 
     * The chains representing the limits of the files are free of gaps. 
     The Census Bureau performed automated tests to ensure logical consistency and limits of files. All polygons are tested for closure. The Census Bureau uses its
     internally developed Geographic Update System to enhance and modify spatial and attribute data in the Census TIGER data base. Standard geographic
     codes, such as FIPS codes for states, counties, performed spatial data tests for logical consistency of the codes during the compilation of the original Census
     TIGER data files. Most of the Codes themselves were provided to the Census Bureau by the USGS, the agency responsible for maintaining FIPS 55. Feature
     attribute information has been examined but has not been fully tested for consistency.
     Completeness Report: Data completeness reflects the contents of the Census TIGER data base as of January 1, 1990. After the boundary files were
     extracted, they underwent generalization in the Arc/Info environment. The generalization factor is not known for the boundaries.
     Positional Accuracy: 

          Horizontal Positional Accuracy: 

               Horizontal Positional Accuracy Report: The information present in these files provided for the purposes of statistical analysis and census
               operations only. Coordinates in the TIGER/Line files have six implied decimal places, but the positional accuracy of these coordinates is not as
               great as the six decimal places suggest. The positional accuracy varies with the source material used, but generally the information is no better
               than the established national map Accuracy standards for 1:100,000-scale maps from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS); thus it is NOT
               suitable for high-precision measurement applications such as engineering problems, property transfers, or other uses that might require highly
               accurate measurements of the earth's surface. The USGS 1;100,000-scale maps met national map accuracy standards and use coordinates
               defined by the North American Datum, 1983. For the contiguous 48 States, the cartographic fidelity of most of the 1997 Tiger/Line files, in
               areas outside the 1980 census Geographic Base File/Dual Independent map Encoding (GBF/DIME) file coverage and selected other large
               metropolitan areas, compare favorable with the USGS 1:100,000-scale maps. The Census Bureau cannot specify the accuracy of features inside
               of what was the 1980 GBF/DIME-File coverage or selected metropolitan areas. The Census Bureau added updates to the TIGER/Line files that
               enumerators annotated on map sheets prepared from the Census TIGER data base as they attempted to traverse every street feature shown on
               the 1990 census map sheets; the Bureau also made other corrections from updated map sheets supplied by local participants for Census Bureau
               programs. The locational accuracy of these updates is of unknown quality. In addition to the Federal, State, and local resources, portions of the
               files may contain information obtained in part from maps and other materials prepared by private companies. Despite the fact the TIGER/Line
               data is not as high as the coordinate values imply, the six-decimal place precision is useful when producing maps. The precision allows features
               that are next to each other on the ground to be placed in the correct position, on the map, relative to each other, without overlap.

     Lineage: 

          Source Information: 

               Source Citation: 

                    Citation Information: 

                         Originator: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, Geography Division
                         Publication Date: 19990119
                         Title: Boundary File Web Site Metadata
                         Publication Information: 

                              Publication Place: Washington, D.C.
                              Publisher: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, Geography Division

                         Online Linkage: http://www.census.gov/geo/www/cob/index.html

               Source Scale Denominator: 5000000
               Type of Source Media: paper
               Source Time Period of Content: 

                    Time Period Information: 

                         Single Date/Time: 

                              Calendar Date: January 1, 1990

               Source Citation Abbreviation: TIGER
               Source Contribution: Selected geographic and cartographic information (line segments) from the Census TIGER data base.

          Process Step: 

               Process Description: The TIGER/Line files are extracted from the Census TIGER data base by county or statistical equivalent area using
               software (TIGER DB routines) written by the Geography Division for efficient access.
               Source Used Citation Abbreviation: TIGER
               Process Date: 1990-1999
               Source Produced Citation Abbreviation: TIGER
               Process Contact: 

                    Contact Information: 

                         Contact Person Primary: 

                              Contact Person: Department of Commerce, US Bureau of the Census, Geography Division

Spatial Data Organization Information

Spatial Reference Information

     Horizontal Coordinate System Definition: 

Distribution Information

     Distributor: 

          Contact Information: 

               Contact Person Primary: 

                    Contact Person: Department of Commerce, US Bureau of the Census, Geography Division

Metadata Reference Information

     Metadata Date: 01-19-99
     Metadata Contact: 

          Contact Information: 

               Contact Person Primary: 

                    Contact Person: Department of Commerce, US Bureau of the Census, Geography Division

     Metadata Standard Name: FGDC Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata
     Metadata Access Constraints: None
     Metadata Use Constraints: None
     Metadata Security Information: 

          Metadata Security Classification System: Unclassified
          Metadata Security Classification: Unclassified
          Metadata Security Handling Description: None