FGDC-STD-014.5-2008

Geographic Information Framework Data 

Standard 

Part 5: Governmental unit and other geographic 

area boundaries 

May 2008 
Federal Geographic Data Committee 

Established by Office of Management and Budget Circular A-16, the Federal 

Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) promotes the coordinated development, 

use, sharing, and dissemination of geographic data. 

The FGDC is composed of representatives from the Departments of Agriculture, 

Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, 

Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, the Interior, Justice, 

Labor, State, and Transportation, the Treasury, and Veteran Affairs; the 

Environmental Protection Agency; the Federal Communications Commission; the 

General Services Administration; the Library of Congress; the National 

Aeronautics and Space Administration; the National Archives and Records 

Administration; the National Science Foundation; the Nuclear Regulatory 

Commission; the Office of Personnel Management; the Small Business 

Administration; the Smithsonian Institution; the Social Security Administration; 

the Tennessee Valley Authority; and the U.S. Agency for International 

Development. 

Additional Federal agencies participate on FGDC subcommittees and working 

groups. The Department of the Interior chairs the committee. 

FGDC subcommittees work on issues related to data categories coordinated 

under the circular. Subcommittees establish and implement standards for data 

content, quality, and transfer; encourage the exchange of information and the 

transfer of data; and organize the collection of geographic data to reduce 

duplication of effort. Working groups are established for issues that transcend 

data categories. 

For more information about the committee, or to be added to the committee's 

newsletter mailing list, please contact: 

Federal Geographic Data Committee Secretariat 

c/o U.S. Geological Survey 

590 National Center 

Reston, Virginia 22092 
Facsimile: (703) 648-5755 

Internet (electronic mail): fgdc@usgs.gov 

 World Wide Web: http://www.fgdc.gov
Federal Geographic Data Committee FGDC-STD-014.5-2008 

Geographic Information Framework Data Content Standard 

Part 5: Governmental unit and other geographic area boundaries 

ii

Contents 

Page 

Introduction...............................................................................................................................v

1 Scope......................................................................................................................................1

2 Normative references.............................................................................................................1

3 Standards development.........................................................................................................1

4 Maintenance authority............................................................................................................2

4.1 Level of responsibility..................................................................................................2

4.2 Contact information......................................................................................................2

5 Terms and definitions ............................................................................................................2

6 Content model ........................................................................................................................5

6.1 Geographic area feature...............................................................................................5

6.2 Geographic area boundaries........................................................................................5

6.3 Geographic area relationships.....................................................................................5

6.3.1 Maintenance relationships ...........................................................................................5

6.3.2 Spatial relationships.....................................................................................................7

7 UML model............................................................................................................................10

8 Data dictionary .....................................................................................................................11

8.1 GovtUnits ....................................................................................................................11

8.2 GeographicArea..........................................................................................................11

8.3 GovernmentalUnit.......................................................................................................13

8.4 AdministrativeUnit......................................................................................................14

8.5 StatisticalUnit..............................................................................................................15

8.6 OtherUnit.....................................................................................................................16

8.7 Boundary.....................................................................................................................16

8.8 MaintenanceRelationship...........................................................................................18

8.9 SpatialRelationship.....................................................................................................18

8.10 BoundaryClassifier.....................................................................................................19

8.11 Code lists and enumerations .....................................................................................20

8.11.1 Code lists................................................................................................................21

8.11.2 SpatialRelationshipList enumeration ....................................................................30

Annex A (informative) Sample map extraction and associated attribute table ....................32

Figures 

Figure 1 ñ UML model .............................................................................................................10

Figure 2 ñ Code lists and enumerations ................................................................................20 

Figure A.1 ñ Sample map........................................................................................................32

Tables 

Table 1 ñ Data dictionary for GovtUnits .................................................................................11

Table 2 ñ Data dictionary for GeographicArea.......................................................................11

Table 3 ñ Data dictionary for GovernmentalUnit....................................................................13

Table 4 ñ Data dictionary for AdministrativeUnit...................................................................14

Table 5 ñ Data dictionary for StatisticalUnit...........................................................................15

Table 6 ñ Data dictionary for OtherUnit..................................................................................16

Table 7 ñ Data dictionary for Boundary..................................................................................17
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Part 5: Governmental unit and other geographic area boundaries 

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Table 8 ñ Data dictionary for MaintenanceRelationship........................................................18

Table 9 ñ Data dictionary for SpatialRelationship..................................................................19

Table 10 ñ Data dictionary for BoundaryClassifier................................................................19

Table 11 ñ CodeList for AdministrativeUnitType ...................................................................21

Table 12 ñ CodeList for DeterminationType...........................................................................23

Table 13 ñ CodeList for GovernmentalUnitType....................................................................23

Table 14 ñ CodeList for SpatialChangeType..........................................................................25

Table 15 ñ CodeList for StatisticalUnitType...........................................................................26

Table 16 ñ SpatialRelationshipList enumeration ...................................................................31 

Table A.1 ñ Sample associated attribute table.......................................................................33

Table A.2 ñ Sample spatial relationships...............................................................................34

Table A.3 ñ Sample maintenance and change types .............................................................35
Federal Geographic Data Committee FGDC-STD-014.5-2008 

Geographic Information Framework Data Content Standard 

Part 5: Governmental unit and other geographic area boundaries 

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Foreword 

Geographic information, also known as geospatial information, both underlies and is the subject 

of much of the political, economic, environmental, and security activities of the United States. In 

recognition of this, the United States Office of Management and Budget issued Circular A-16 

(revised 2002), which established the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) as a 

coordinating organization. 

Work on this standard started under the Geospatial One-Stop e-Government initiative. The 

standard was developed with the support of the member agencies and organizations of the 

FGDC and aids in fulfilling a primary objective of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI), 

that is, creation of common geographic base data for seven critical data themes. The seven core 

data themes are considered framework data of critical importance to the spatial data 

infrastructure. 

As the Geographic Information Framework Data Content Standard was developed using public 

funds, the U.S. Government will be free to publish and distribute its contents to the public, as 

provided through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), Part 5 United States Code, Section 552, 

as amended by Public Law No. 104-231, ìElectronic Freedom of Information Act Amendments of 

1996î. 
Federal Geographic Data Committee FGDC-STD-014.5-2008 

Geographic Information Framework Data Content Standard 

Part 5: Governmental unit and other geographic area boundaries 

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Introduction 

The primary purpose of this part of the Geographic Information Framework Data Content 

Standard is to support the exchange of governmental unit and other geographic area boundary 

data. This part seeks to establish a common baseline for the semantic content of governmental 

unit and other geographic area boundary databases for public agencies and private enterprises. 

It also seeks to decrease the costs and simplify the exchange of governmental unit and other 

geographic area boundary data among local, Tribal, State, and Federal users and producers. 

That, in turn, discourages duplicative data collection. Benefits of adopting this part of the 

standard also include the long-term improvement of the geospatial governmental unit and other 

geographic area boundary data within the community. 
Federal Geographic Data Committee FGDC-STD-014.5-2008

Geographic Information Framework Data Content Standard 

Part 5: Governmental unit and other geographic area boundaries 

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Framework Data Content Standard ñ Governmental unit and 

other geographic area boundaries 

1 Scope 

The purpose of the Geographic Information Framework Data Content Standard, Part 5: 

Governmental Unit and Other Geographic Area Boundaries is to establish the content 

requirements for the collection and interchange of governmental units and other geographic area 

boundary data and to facilitate the maintenance and use of that information. 

This part identifies and defines the terminology, encoding schema, and data components required 

to describe a geographic area and its boundary. 

This part applies to the following types of geographic areas: 

• Governmental units 

• Administrative units 

• Statistical units 

• Other units 

For the purposes of this part, these types of geographic areas are defined as follows: 

• A governmental unit is a geographic area with legally defined boundaries established 

under Federal, Tribal, State, or local law, and with the authority to elect or appoint 

officials and raise revenues through taxes. 

• An administrative unit is a geographic area established by rule or regulation of a 

legislative, executive, or judicial governmental authority, a non-profit organization, or 

private industry for the execution of some function. 

• A statistical unit is a geographic area defined for the collection, tabulation, and/or 

publication of demographic, and/or other statistical data. 

• Other units are those geographic areas that are not governmental units, administrative 

units, or statistical units as defined herein, and are not areas that are defined or 

described in other framework parts. 

This part specifies the content and organization necessary for the successful interchange of 

geographic area boundary data. This part does not specify a particular structure for interchange 

of boundary data. Further, data producers and users may structure geographic area boundary 

data in any format for their internal use. 

2 Normative references 

Annex A of the Base Document (Part 0) lists normative references applicable to two or more parts 

of the standard. Annex D of the Base Document lists informative references applicable to two or 

more of the parts. ANSI and ISO standards may be purchased through the ANSI eStandards 

Store at http://webstore.ansi.org/ansidocstore/default.asp, accessed October 2006. 

3 Standards development 

The FGDC Subcommittee on Cultural and Demographic Data, sponsor of the Geographic 

Information Framework Data Content Standard, Part 5: Governmental Unit and Other Geographic 

Area Boundaries part, initiated the development of this document pursuant to the Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-16 that specifies governmental unit boundaries as 

one of the seven data themes that constitute the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI). 

Development commenced with the submittal of the "Proposal for a National Spatial Data 

Infrastructures Project" to the FGDC Standards Working Group in November 1997. The proposal 
Federal Geographic Data Committee FGDC-STD-014.5-2008

Geographic Information Framework Data Content Standard 

Part 5: Governmental unit and other geographic area boundaries 

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was accepted by the FGDC, and completed Public Review in April 1998 with favorable 

comments. The first version of the working draft was completed in February 1999. 

4 Maintenance authority 

4.1 Level of responsibility 

The FGDC is the responsible organization for coordinating work on all parts of the Geographic 

Information Framework Data Content Standard. The U.S. Census Bureau on behalf of the U.S. 

Department of Commerce, working with the FGDC, is directly responsible for development and 

maintenance of the Geographic Information Framework Data Content Standard, Part 5: 

Governmental Unit and Other Geographic Area Boundaries. 

4.2 Contact information 

Address questions concerning this part of the standard to: 

Federal Geographic Data Committee Secretariat 

c/o U.S. Geological Survey 

590 National Center 

Reston, Virginia 20192 USA 

Telephone: (703) 648-5514 

Facsimile: (703) 648-5755 

Internet (electronic mail): gdc@fgdc.gov

WWW Home Page: http://fgdc.gov

Or 

Randy Fusaro 

Chief, National Geographic Partnerships Team 

U.S. Census Bureau 

GEO 7400, 4700 Silver Hill Road, Washington, DC 20233-7400 

randy.j.fusaro@census.gov

5 Terms and definitions 

Definitions applicable to the Governmental Unit and Other Geographic Area Boundaries part are 

listed below. More general terms and definitions can be found in the Base Document (Part 0). 

Users are advised to consult that part for a complete set of definitions. 

5.1 

administrative unit 

area established by rule, treaty, or regulation of a legislative, executive, or judicial governmental 

authority, a non-profit organization, or private industry for the execution of some function 

EXAMPLES American Indian Trust Land, Congressional District, Enterprise Zone/Empowerment 

Community, State Legislative District 

5.2 

areal 

two-dimensional 

5.3 

boundary 

set that represents the limit of an entity [ISO 19107] 

NOTE A boundary may or may not follow a visible feature and may or may not be visibly marked. 

EXAMPLE The line that marks the limit of a geographic entity. 
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Part 5: Governmental unit and other geographic area boundaries 

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5.4 

co-determined 

changes to a boundary segment by either geographic area that shares the boundary segment 

impose the same changes to the boundary of another geographic area that shares the same 

boundary segment 

5.5 

contains 

interior of one geographic area completely includes and encompasses the interior and boundary

of the other geographic area, so that their boundaries do not intersect 

NOTE This is the opposite and reciprocal condition to "inside". 

5.6 

covered by 

interior of one geographic area is completely included in the interior of the boundary of the other 

geographic area and their boundaries intersect 

NOTE This is the opposite and reciprocal condition to "covers". 

5.7 

covers 

interior and boundary of one geographic area completely includes the interior of the other 

geographic area and their boundaries intersect 

NOTE This is the opposite and reciprocal condition to "covered by". 

5.8 

determined by 

changes to a boundary segment by another geographic area require the same changes to the 

boundary of a particular geographic area that shares the same boundary segment. 

NOTE This is the opposite of and potential reciprocal condition to "determines". 

5.9 

determines 

changes to a boundary segment by one geographic area require the same changes to the 

boundary of another geographic area that shares the boundary segment 

NOTE This is the opposite of and potential reciprocal condition to "determined by". 

5.10 

disjoint 

boundaries and interiors of two geographic areas do not intersect 

5.11 

equal 

two geographic areas have the same boundary and interior 

5.12 

governmental unit 

geographic area with legally defined boundaries established under Federal, Tribal, State, or local 

law, and with the authority to elect or appoint officials and raise revenues through taxes 

EXAMPLES American Indian Reservation, City, School District, Village 
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Part 5: Governmental unit and other geographic area boundaries 

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5.13 

independent of 

changes to a boundary segment by one geographic area creates a new, unshared boundary

segment in the boundary of that geographic area, and impose no changes to the boundary of 

another geographic area that shared the boundary segment by coincidence 

5.14 

inside 

interior and boundary of one geographic area is completely included in the interior of the other 

geographic area, so that their boundaries do not intersect 

NOTE This is the opposite and reciprocal condition to ìcontains". 

5.15 

instance 

one real world occurrence of a particular type

5.16 

maintenance relationship 

relative dependency between two or more geographic areas for maintaining common boundary

or area information 

5.17 

other unit 

geographic area that is not a governmental unit, administrative unit, or statistical unit, as 

defined herein, and that is not an area defined or described in other framework parts 

5.18 

overlap 

boundaries and interiors of two geographic areas intersect 

5.19 

spatial relationship 

relative spatial location of a geographic area in terms of one or more geographic areas 

5.20 

statistical unit 

geographic area defined for the collection, tabulation, and/or publication of demographic, and/or 

other statistical data 

EXAMPLES Census Block, Metropolitan Area, Rural-Urban Commuting Area, Unorganized Territory, 

ZIP Code Tabulation Area 

5.21 

touch 

boundaries of two geographic areas intersect but the interiors do not intersect 

5.22 

type 

class of real world occurrences with common characteristics 
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Part 5: Governmental unit and other geographic area boundaries 

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6 Content model 

The content model for geographic area boundary data documented in the following subsections 

and codified in the UML diagram and data dictionary sections below includes geographic area 

features, geographic area boundary features, and geographic area relationships. 

6.1 Geographic area feature 

Data representing a geographic area feature instance shall provide complete identification of a 

geographic area, and its type. Governmental units, administrative units, and statistical units each 

relate to an associated code list consisting of known units of that type and the definition of the 

known units. For geographic areas not enumerated in the code lists or for those geographic 

areas of type other units, a unit type and type definition shall be documented. Each geographic 

area shall have an instance name, or the name of the specific geographic area being 

documented, and an instance code identifying the instance. 

6.2 Geographic area boundaries 

Data representing the boundary of a geographic area feature shall be provided as complete 

polygon geometry attributes of the geographic area feature, or as a set of boundary features with 

curve geometries, or both. If both are provided, then either the curve geometries of the boundary 

features shall be identical to segments of the polygon geometries, or the differences shall be 

documented in boundaryClassifier attributes of the boundary features. 

6.3 Geographic area relationships 

Optional data may be provided to represent maintenance relationships and spatial relationships 

between two or more geographic areas and their boundaries. 

6.3.1 Maintenance relationships 

A maintenance relationship exists when there is a relative dependency between two or more 

geographic areas for maintaining common boundary or area information. 

Each maintenance relationship may have a ìcontrolsChangesToî role with respect to associated 

boundary features where changes are in a ìchangeControlledByî role with respect to the 

maintenance relationship. The absence of specified associated boundary features for a 

maintenance relationship shall be interpreted to mean that all boundary components and/or area 

shared by the geographic areas in the maintenance relationship are controlled by the 

maintenance relationship. 

Each maintenance relationship is an association between one geographic area feature in a 

ìfromUnitî role and one or more geographic area features in a ìtoUnitî role. These roles in a 

maintenance relationship map the causality of a determination type for a specific spatial type of 

boundary change. 

Multiple maintenance relationships with different determination types and spatial change types 

may be required to represent all of the dependencies between two geographic area features. For 

example, one geographic area may determine changes to the boundary of another when it 

expands, but not when it contracts. 

6.3.1.1 Determination types 

Determination types specify how changes to a shared boundary by one geographic area feature 

member of a maintenance relationship affect that boundary from the perspective of the other 

geographic area feature member of the relationship. 

6.3.1.1.1 Determines 

Changes to a boundary segment by one geographic area require the same changes to the 

boundary of another geographic area that shares the boundary segment. 
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Part 5: Governmental unit and other geographic area boundaries 

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When A expands along the shared boundary with B, A determines B. 

6.3.1.1.2 Determined by 

Changes to a boundary segment by another geographic area require the same changes to the 

boundary of a particular geographic area that shares the same boundary segment. This is the 

opposite of and potential reciprocal condition to "Determines". 

When A expands along the shared boundary with B, B is determined by A. 

6.3.1.1.3 Co-determined 

Changes to a boundary segment by either geographic area that shares the boundary segment 

imposes the same changes to the boundary of another geographic area that shares the same 

boundary segment. 

When C expands along the shared boundary with A and the shared boundary with B, it codetermines the boundaries of A and B. 

6.3.1.1.4 Independent of 

Changes to a boundary segment by one geographic area creates a new, unshared boundary 

segment in the boundary of that geographic area, and impose no changes to the boundary of 

another geographic area that shared the boundary segment by coincidence. 

When B contracts along a shared boundary with A and A is independent of B, then a new 

geographic area and boundary segments must be created to replace them (C). 

6.3.1.2 Spatial change type 

A spatial change type specifies the type of change to a shared boundary by one geographic area 

feature member of a maintenance relationship that affects that boundary from the perspective of 

the other geographic area feature member of the relationship. 

6.3.1.2.1 Expansion 

Increase in the area of a geographic area caused by a legal or administrative change in the 

definition of its boundary, for example, by annexation of adjacent territory. 

A B A B C

A B A B

C C

A B A B

A B A B
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A expands. 

6.3.1.2.2 Contraction 

Decrease in the area of a geographic area caused by a legal or administrative change in the 

definition of its boundary, for example, by de-annexation of adjacent territory. 

A contracts. 

6.3.1.2.3 Reshape 

Change in the digital representation of the boundary of a geographic area to correspond to a 

more accurate or current survey information, where there has been no change to the official 

definition of the boundary. 

A reshapes. 

6.3.1.2.4 All 

All changes to boundaries, whether due to expansion, contraction, or reshape. 

6.3.2 Spatial relationships 

Spatial relationships describe the relative spatial location of two geographic area features and 

their boundaries. 

Each spatial relationship is an association between one geographic area feature in a ìfromUnitî 

role and one or more geographic area features in a ìtoUnitî role. These roles are asymmetric and 

reciprocal for the contains / inside and covers / covered by spatial relationship types. They are 

symmetric and identical for the overlap, touch, equal, and disjoint spatial relationship types. 

6.3.2.1 Spatial relationship types 

For the purposes of this part, spatial relationship types are enumerated and defined as follows. 

6.3.2.1.1 Contains 

The interior of one geographic area completely includes and encompasses the interior and 

boundary of the other geographic area, so that their boundaries do not intersect. 

A contains B. 

A B

A

A B A B

A B A B
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6.3.2.1.2 Inside 

The interior and boundary of one geographic area are completely included in the interior of the 

other geographic area, so that their boundaries do not intersect. This is the opposite of and 

reciprocal condition to contains. 

B is inside A. 

6.3.2.1.3 Covers 

The interior and boundary of one geographic area completely include the interior of the other 

geographic area and their boundaries intersect. 

A covers B. 

6.3.2.1.4 Covered by 

The interior of one geographic area is completely included in the interior or the boundary of the 

other geographic area and their boundaries intersect. This is the opposite of and reciprocal 

condition to covers. 

B is covered by A. 

6.3.2.1.5 Overlap 

The boundaries and interiors of the two geographic areas intersect. 

A overlaps B and B overlaps A. 

6.3.2.1.6 Touch 

The boundaries of two geographic areas intersect but the interiors do not intersect. 

A touches B and B touches A. 

6.3.2.1.7 Equal 

The two geographic areas have the same boundary and interior. 

B A

B A

A

B

A

B

A B
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Part 5: Governmental unit and other geographic area boundaries 

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A equals B and B equals A. 

6.3.2.1.8 Disjoint 

The boundaries and interiors of two geographic areas do not intersect. 

A is disjoint with B and B is disjoint with A. 

B A

B A
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7 UML model 

Figure 1 ñ UML model 
Federal Geographic Data Committee FGDC-STD-014.5-2008 

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8 Data dictionary The data dictionary provides all entity and attribute definitions, domains, obligations/conditions, maximum occurrences and data types for elements depicted in the UML model. 8.1 GovtUnits 

Table 1 ñ Data dictionary for GovtUnits 

Line Name/Role Name Definition Obligation/ Condition Maximum Occurrence DataType Domain 

1 GovtUnits <<Feature>> Line 2 2 metadata 

Structured or unstructured metadata as defined by the community of practice 

M 1 CharacterString May be text or structured metadata fragment or URI 

8.2 GeographicArea GeographicArea is an abstract class that captures the information about the type of the geographic area being described and the name, attribute information, and geometry about the specific instance being described. GeographicArea can optionally be bounded by boundary features that may or may not fully enclose the area. GovernmentalUnit, AdministrativeUnit, StatisticalUnit, and OtherUnit are specialized, non-abstract subclasses derived from GeographicArea to capture type-specific information. Each of these unit classes is a GeographicArea. Two or more GeographicAreas may have one or more SpatialRelationships and/or MaintenanceRelationships. 

Table 2 ñ Data dictionary for GeographicArea 

Line Name/Role Name Definition Obligation/ Condition Maximum Occurrence DataType Domain 

3 GeographicArea 

Class that captures information about the type of geographic area being described 

<<Feature>> Lines 4-18 

4 unitId 

Identifier assigned to the governmental unit, administrative unit, statistical unit, or other unit 

M 1 <<DataType>> Framework::Identifier Unrestricted 

5 typeAbbreviation Type code or abbreviation for the O 1 CharacterString Unrestricted 
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Line Name/Role Name Definition Obligation/ Condition Maximum Occurrence DataType Domain 

feature unit type 

6 instanceName 

"Official" feature name. If available, the instanceName is the name of the geographic area feature from the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) 

M 1 CharacterString Unrestricted 

7 instanceAlternativeName "Unofficial", or variant, feature name O * CharacterString Unrestricted 8 officialDescription 

Phrases, coordinates, meets and bounds, name of the organization responsible for administering the unit, or other authoritative information describing the geographic area 

O 1 CharacterString Unrestricted 

9 instanceCode Specific code that identifies the geographic area M 1 CharacterString Unrestricted 10 codingSystemReference 

Citation, reference, or documentation identifying the instance code type, for example USPS ZIP+4 code 

C/if code exists * CharacterString Unrestricted 

11 effectiveDate Date on which a geographic area change took effect O 2 Date Any valid geometry type from ISO 19107 12 geometry Geometric representation of the feature O * <<Type>> GM_Surface Defined in ISO 19107 13 extended 

Group of properties that permit the identification and transport of unofficial feature attributes 

O * 

<<DataType>> Framework::ExtendedAttribute 

Unrestricted 

14 Role name: bounded by 

Links the GeographicArea to the Boundary curves and Boundary attributes 

O * <<Feature>> Boundary 

15 Role name: toMaintUnit Links destination GeographicAreas to the MaintenanceRelationship that 

describes the relationship between 

M * <<Feature>> GeographicArea 
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Line Name/Role Name Definition Obligation/ Condition Maximum Occurrence DataType Domain 

two or more specified GeographicAreas 

16 Role name: toSpUnit 

Links destination GeographicAreas to the SpatialRelationship that describes the relationship between two or more specified GeographicAreas 

M * <<Feature>> GeographicArea 

17 Role name: fromMaintUnit 

Links source GeographicAreas to the MaintenanceRelationship that describes the relationship between two or more specified GeographicAreas 

O 1 <<Feature>> GeographicArea 

18 Role name: fromSpUnit 

Links source GeographicAreas to the SpatialRelationship that describes the relationship between two or more specified GeographicAreas 

O 1 <<Feature>> GeographicArea 

8.3 GovernmentalUnit GovernmentalUnit is a type of geographic area with legally defined boundaries established under Federal, Tribal, State, or local law, and with the authority to elect or appoint officials and raise revenues through taxes. A non-exhaustive list of known GovernmentalUnits are specified in the code list GovernmentalUnitType and defined in the optional typeDefinition. 

Table 3 ñ Data dictionary for GovernmentalUnit 

Line Name/Role Name Definition Obligation/ Condition Maximum Occurrence Data Type Domain 

19 GovernmentalUnit 

Type of geographic area with legally defined boundaries established under Federal, Tribal, State, or local law, and with the authority to elect or appoint officials and raise revenues 

<<Feature>> Lines 20-21 
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Line Name/Role Name Definition Obligation/ Condition Maximum Occurrence Data Type Domain 

through taxes 

20 governmentalUnitType 

Name of the type of geographic area with geographic entity with legally defined boundaries established under Federal, State, Tribal, or local law, and with the authority to elect or appoint officials and raise revenues through taxes 

M 1 <<CodeList>> GovernmentalUnitType Unrestricted 

21 typeDefinition Definition of the unit type 

C/if 

Governmental 

UnitTypeCode is 

not enumerated 

1 CharacterString Unrestricted 

8.4 AdministrativeUnit AdministrativeUnit is a type of geographic area established by rule or regulation of a legislative, executive, or judicial governmental authority, a non-profit organization, or private industry for the execution of some function. A non-exhaustive list of known AdministrativeUnits are specified in the code list AdministrativeUnitTypeCode and defined in the optional typeDefinition. 

Table 4 ñ Data dictionary for AdministrativeUnit 

Line Name/Role Name Definition Obligation/ Condition Maximum Occurrence Data Type Domain 

22 AdministrativeUnit 

Type of geographic area established by rule or regulation of a legislative, executive, or judicial governmental authority, a non-profit organization, or private industry for the execution of some function 

<<Feature>> Lines 23-24 

23 administrativeUnitType 

Name of the type of administrative unit established by rule or regulation of a legislative, executive, or judicial governmental authority, a non-profit organization, a corporation, or a 

M 1 <<CodeList>> AdministrativeUnitType Unrestricted 
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Line Name/Role Name Definition Obligation/ Condition Maximum Occurrence Data Type Domain 

private party for the execution of some function 

24 typeDefinition Definition of the unit type 

C/if 

Administrative 

UnitTypeCode is 

not enumerated 

1 CharacterString Unrestricted 

8.5 StatisticalUnit StatisticalUnit is a type of geographic area defined for the collection, tabulation, and/or publication of demographic, and/or other statistical data. A non-exhaustive list of known StatisticalUnits are specified in the code list StatisticalUnitType and defined in the optional typeDefinition. 

Table 5 ñ Data dictionary for StatisticalUnit 

Line Name/Role Name Definition Obligation/ Condition Maximum Occurence Data Type Domain 

25 StatisticalUnit 

StatisticalUnit is a type of geographic area defined for the collection, tabulation, and/or publication of demographic, and/or other statistical data 

<<Feature>> Lines 26-27 

26 statisticalUnitType 

Name of the type of statistical unit defined for the collection, tabulation, analysis, and/or publication of demographic, economic, or other statistical data 

M 1 <<CodeList>> StatisticalUnitType Unrestricted 

27 typeDefinition Definition of the unit type 

C/if StatisticalUnit

TypeCode is not 

enumerated 

1 CharacterString Unrestricted 
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8.6 OtherUnit OtherUnit are types of geographic areas that are not governmental units, administrative units, or statistical units as defined herein, and are areas not defined or described in other framework parts. 

Table 6 ñ Data dictionary for OtherUnit 

Line Name/Role Name Definition Obligation/ Condition Maximum Occurrence Data Type Domain 

28 OtherUnit 

Type of geographic area that is not a governmental unit, administrative unit, or statistical unit as defined herein, and is not an area defined or described in other framework parts 

<<Feature>> Lines 29-30 

29 otherUnitType 

Name of the type of other geographic area that is not a governmental unit, administrative unit, or statistical unit, and is not an area defined or described in other framework parts 

M 1 CharacterString Unrestricted 

30 typeDefinition Definition of the unit type M 1 CharacterString Unrestricted 

8.7 Boundary Boundary is a feature type that captures the information about the individual boundary segments being described, including the descriptive attribute information, and geometry about the one or more specific instances being described. Boundary can optionally bound one or more GeographicAreas or may be used to exchange boundary segments. Boundaries may have ìchangeControlledByî roles in associations with one or more MaintenanceRelationships. 
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Table 7 ñ Data dictionary for Boundary 

Line Name/Role Name Definition Obligation/ Condition Maximum Occurrence Data Type Domain 

31 Boundary Set that represents the limit of an entity O * <<Feature>> Lines 32-39 32 boundaryId Identifier assigned to the boundary M 1 <<DataType>> Framework::Identifier Unrestricted 33 officialDescription 

Phrases, coordinates, meets and bounds, name of the organization responsible for administering the unit, or other authoritative information describing the geographic area 

O 1 CharacterString Unrestricted 

34 boundaryClassifier 

Term or phrase describing the boundary or boundary attributes and, optionally, the citation, reference, or documentation defining or further describing the term or phrase 

O * <<DataType>> BoundaryClassifier Unrestricted 

35 effectiveDate Date on which a geographic area change took effect O 2 DateTime Defined in ISO 19103 36 curve 

1-dimensional geometric primitive, representing the continuous image of a line 

M * <<Type>> GM_Curve Defined in ISO 19107 

37 extended 

Group of properties that permit the identification and transport of unofficial feature attributes 

O 1 

<<DataType>> Framework::ExtendedAttribute 

Unrestricted 

38 Role name: changeControlledBy 

Links Boundaries to the MaintenanceRelationship that describes the relationship between two or more specified Boundaries 

O * 

<<Feature>> MaintenanceRelation ship 

39 Role name: bounds 

Links Boundaries to the GeographicArea contained within the limiting Boundaries 

0 * <<Feature>> Geographic Area 
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8.8 MaintenanceRelationship A maintenance relationship exists when there is a relative dependency between two or more geographic areas for maintaining common boundary or area information. A fromUnitId, or source, one to many toUnitIds, or targets, a changeDeterminationType, and a changeType shall be provided for each maintenance relationship. 

Table 8 ñ Data dictionary for MaintenanceRelationship 

Line Name/Role Name Definition Obligation/ Condition Maximum Occurrence Data Type Domain 

40 MaintenanceRelationship 

Relative dependency between two or more geographic areas for maintaining common boundary or area information 

<<Feature>> Lines 41-44 

41 maintRelId 

Name or code identifying the specific maintenance relationship instance 

M 1 <<DataType>> Framework::Identifier Unrestricted 

42 changeDeterminationType Specifies the interdependencies for the identified Boundary segments M 1 <<CodeList>> DeterminationType Unrestricted 43 changeType Type of boundary change in the maintenance relationship M 1 <<CodeList>> SpatialChangeType Unrestricted 44 sharedBoundaryId 

Boundary instanceCode identifying the boundary curve(s) involved in the maintenance relationship interdependencies 

O * <<DataType>> Framework::Identifier Unrestricted 

8.9 SpatialRelationship SpatialRelationships describe the relative spatial location of two geographic area features and their boundaries. A fromUnitId, or source, one to many toUnitAreaIds, or targets, and a fromToSpatialRelationship shall be provided for each spatialRelationship. 
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Table 9 ñ Data dictionary for SpatialRelationship 

Line Name/Role Name Definition Obligation/ Condition Maximum Occurrence Data Type Domain 

45 SpatialRelationship 

Relative spatial location of two geographic area features and their boundaries 

<<Feature>> Line 46 

46 fromToSpatialRelationship 

Specifies the type of spatial relationship between the identified geographic areas 

M 1 

<<CodeList>> SpatialRelationship List 

Unrestricted 

8.10 BoundaryClassifier BoundaryClassifier is a class that links a free text boundaryClassifier and optionally a reference for the boundaryClassifier with one or many specific boundaries. 

Table 10 ñ Data dictionary for BoundaryClassifier 

Line Name/Role Name Definition Obligation/ Condition Maximum Occurrence Data Type Domain 

47 BoundaryClassifier 

Relative spatial location of two geographic area features and their boundaries 

<<DataType>> Line 48-49 

48 boundaryClassifier M 1 CharacterString Unrestricted 49 boundaryClassifierReference O 1 CharacterString Unrestricted 
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8.11 Code lists and enumerations 

Figure 2 ñ Code lists and enumerations
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8.11.1 Code lists 

8.11.1.1 AdministrativeUnitType code list 

AdministrativeUnitType is a CodeList of values for the attribute administrativeUnitType. 

Table 11 ñ CodeList for AdministrativeUnitType 

Name Definition 

americanIndianOffReservationTrustLand 

The United States holds title for specific area in trust for the benefit of an 

American Indian tribe (Tribal trust land) or for an individual American Indian 

(individual trust land) 

americanIndianTribalSubdivision 

A legal subdivision of a federally recognized American Indian reservation, 

off-reservation trust land, or Oklahoma Tribal statistical area. These 

entities are internal units of self-government or administration that serve 

social, cultural, and/or economic purposes for American Indians living on a 

reservation, off-reservation trust land, or Oklahoma Tribal statistical area. 

Tribal subdivisions are known as areas, chapters, communities, districts, 

and segments 

americanIndianTrustLand 

An area for which the United States holds title in trust for the benefit of an 

American Indian tribe (Tribal trust land) or for an individual American Indian 

(individual trust land) 

barrioBarrioPueblo The primary legal divisions of municipios in Puerto Rico 

congressionalDistrict (CD) One of the 435 areas from which people are elected to the U.S. House of 

Representatives 

emergencyServiceZone 

A geographic entity, generally subdividing a county or municipality, defined 

for the purposes of planning and directing responses for emergency service 

responders, such as police, fire, and emergency medical services 

enterpriseZoneEmpowermentCommunity 

A geographic entity identified for purposes of administering economic 

development and community redevelopment programs, generally 

administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 

or the U.S. Department of Agriculture 

forest Bounded area of woods, forest, or grassland under the administration of a 

political agency (national forest, national grasslands, or State forest) 

frontierArea 

A geographic entity defined by the Department of Health and Human 

Services Office of Rural Health Policy for purposes of identifying counties 

with extremely low densities (generally less than seven people per square 

mile) in order to administer health programs 

groundwaterManagementZone 

A three-dimensional geographic entity containing groundwater being 

managed to mitigate impairment caused by the release of contaminants 

from a site 

hawaiianHomeland (HHL) 

An area held in trust for the benefit of native Hawaiians by the State of 

Hawaii, pursuant to the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act of 1920, as 

amended 

jointUseArea 

Territory that is administered, claimed, and/or used by two or more 

American Indian tribes. It may consist of an overlap of territory of adjoining 

American Indian reservations or Oklahoma Tribal statistical areas, or offreservation trust land for one tribe that is located within the reservation of 

another tribe 

minorCivilDivision (MCD) A type of governmental unit that is the primary governmental or 

administrative division of a county or statistically equivalent entity in many 

States and statistically equivalent entities. MCDs are identified by a variety 
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Name Definition 

of terms, such as township, town (in eight States), or district. The U.S. 

Census Bureau recognizes MCDs in 28 States, the District of Columbia, 

Puerto Rico, and the Island Areas. In 20 States and American Samoa, all 

or many MCDs are active general-purpose governmental units. Many 

MCDs are not general-purpose governmental units, and therefore do not 

have elected officials to carry out legal functions; instead, they serve as 

nonfunctioning administrative entities 

ozoneAttainmentNonattainmentArea 

A geographic entity designated by the U.S. Environmental Protection 

Agency (EPA) for purposes of measuring, monitoring, and administering 

programs to improve air quality. An area is designated ìnonattainmentî if it 

has violated, or has contributed to violations of the national 8-hour ozone 

standard over a three-year period. EPA also may designate an area as 

attainment/unclassifiable, if it has: 1) monitored air quality data show that 

area is has not violated the ozone standard over a three-year period; or if 

2) there is not enough information to determine the air quality in the area 

park 

Place or area set aside for recreation or preservation of a cultural or natural 

resource and under some form of government administration, not including 

National or State Forests or Reserves (national historical landmark, 

national park, State park, or Wilderness area) 

precinct 

A geographic entity subdividing a county, established by counties or 

municipalities for administrative or electoral purposes; one of several types 

of small geographic entities created by State and local governments for the 

purpose of administering elections 

priorityFundingArea 

An area defined for purposes of monitoring, planning, and administering 

efficient residential and commercial development as part of Smart Growth 

regulations in Maryland 

publicLandSurveySystem 

A survey of public lands; specifically the U.S. Public Land Survey system 

by which much of the United States was surveyed and divided into a 

rectangular grid system using townships, sections, and fractions of sections

radonZone 

A geographic entity defined by the Environmental Protection Agency in 

response to a directive contained within Sections 307 and 309 of the Indoor 

Radon Abatement Act of 1988 (IRAA) to identify areas of the U.S. with the 

potential for elevated indoor radon levels. EPAís Map of Radon Zones 

assigns each of the 3,141 counties in the U.S. to one of three zones based 

on radon potential 

schoolAttendanceArea 

A special-purpose geographic entity delineated by State, county, or local 

officials designating the school(s) that school-age children in that particular 

area must attend 

stateLegislativeDistrict The area represented by a member of the upper or lower chamber of a 

State legislature (or, for Nebraska, the unicameral legislature) 

subbarrio A legal subdivision of a barrio or barrio-pueblo (minor civil division) in 23 

municipios in Puerto Rico 

surveyTownship 

The unit of survey of the U.S. Public Land Survey system representing a 

piece of land that is bounded on the east and west by meridians 

approximately six miles apart (exactly six miles at its south border) and on 

the north and south by parallels six miles apart, that is normally subdivided 

into 35 sections 

township 

A administrative unit that is a minor civil division in Arkansas, New 

Hampshire, Missouri, and North Carolina (Some townships in Missouri are 

functioning governmental units) 

urbanGrowthAreaUrbanGrowthBoundary An area defined for purposes of monitoring and controlling urban and 

suburban residential and commercial development. For instance, in 
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Name Definition 

Oregon, an ìurban growth boundaryî is delineated around each 

incorporated place or a group of incorporated places by State and local 

officials, and subsequently confirmed in State law, to control urban 

development 

votingDistrict (VTD) 

The generic name for a geographic entityósuch as an election district, 

precinct, or wardóestablished by Tribal, State, and local governments for 

the purpose of conducting elections 

ward A type of local electoral subdivision of an incorporated place or minor civil 

division 

8.11.1.2 DeterminationType code list 

DeterminiationType is a CodeList of values for the attribute changeDeterminationType. 

Table 12 ñ CodeList for DeterminationType 

Name Definition 

coDetermined 

Changes to a boundary segment by either geographic area that shares 

the boundary segment imposes the same changes to the boundary of 

another geographic area that shares the same boundary segment 

determinedBy 

Changes to a boundary segment by another geographic area require the 

same changes to the boundary of a particular geographic area that shares 

the same boundary segment. This is the opposite of and potential 

reciprocal condition to "determines" 

determines 

Changes to a boundary segment by one geographic area require the 

same changes to the boundary of another geographic area that shares the 

boundary segment 

independentOf 

Changes to a boundary segment by one geographic area creates a new, 

unshared boundary segment in the boundary of that geographic area, and 

impose no changes to the boundary of another geographic area that 

shared the boundary segment by coincidence 

8.11.1.3 GovernmentalUnitType code list 

GovernmentalUnitType is a CodeList of values for the attribute governmentalUnitType. 

Table 13 ñ CodeList for GovernmentalUnitType 

Name Definition 

alaskaNativeRegionalCorporation (ANRC) 

A corporate entity established to conduct both business and nonprofit 

affairs of Alaska Natives, pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement 

Act of 1972 (Public Law 92-203, as amended by Public Law 94-204). 

Twelve ANRCs are legally bounded geographic entities that cover Alaska, 

except for the Annette Islands Reserve (an American Indian reservation). 

A thirteenth ANRC represents Alaska Natives who do not live in Alaska and 

do not identify with any of the 12 corporations 

alaskaNativeVillage (ANV) A local governmental unit in Alaska that constitutes an association, band, 

clan, community, group, tribe, or village, recognized pursuant to the Alaska 

Native Claims Settlement Act of 1972 (Public Law 92-203, as amended 
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Name Definition 

Public Law 94-204). ANVs do not have clearly defined boundaries that are 

easily locatable, and they often include many square miles of land used by 

Alaska Natives for hunting and fishing, so the U.S. Census Bureau works 

with officials of the Alaska Native villages and Alaska Native Regional 

Corporations to delineate Alaska Native village statistical areas for data 

presentation purposes 

americanIndianReservation 

A Federal American Indian reservation is an area that has been set aside 

by the United States for the use of one or more federally recognized 

American Indian tribes. Together with off-reservation trust land, a 

reservation covers territory over which one or more tribes have primary 

governmental authority. The boundary of a Federal reservation is defined 

by Tribal treaty, agreement, executive or secretarial order, Federal statute, 

or judicial determination. A State American Indian reservation is an area 

that a State government has allocated to a tribe recognized by that State, 

but not by the Federal government. American Indian reservations are 

known as colonies, communities, Indian communities, Indian villages, 

pueblos, rancherias, ranches, reservations, reserves, and villages 

americanIndianTribalSubdivision 

A legal subdivision of a federally recognized American Indian reservation, 

off-reservation trust land, or Oklahoma Tribal statistical area. These 

entities are internal units of self-government or administration that serve 

social, cultural, and/or economic purposes for American Indians. Tribal 

subdivisions are known as areas, chapters, communities, districts, and 

segments 

borough 

A legally established geographic entity in Alaska, which the Census Bureau 

treats as statistically equivalent to a county in other States; a minor civil 

division in each of the five counties that comprise New York city; a type of 

incorporated place in Connecticut, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania 

city 

A type of incorporated place in all States and the District of Columbia. In 

agreement with Hawaii, the U.S. Census Bureau does not recognize the 

city of Honolulu for presentation of census data. In Virginia, all cities are 

not part of any county, and so the Census Bureau treats them as 

equivalent to a county for data presentation purposes, as well as treating 

them as incorporated places; there also is one such independent city in 

each of three States: Maryland, Missouri, and Nevada. In 23 States and 

the District of Columbia, some or all cities are not part of any minor civil 

division, in which case the U.S. Census Bureau treats them as county 

divisions as well as incorporated places for data presentation purposes 

cityAndBorough 

A legally established geographic entity in Alaska, which the U.S. Census 

Bureau treats as the statistical equivalent of a county in other States; also, 

a type of incorporated place in Alaska 

consolidatedCity 

The U.S. Census Bureau refers to a governmental unit for which the 

functions of an incorporated place and its county or minor civil division have 

merged as a consolidated government. If one or more other incorporated 

places continue to function as separate governmental units even though 

they are part of a consolidated government, the U.S. Census Bureau refers 

to the primary incorporated place as a consolidated city 

country An independent, self-governing, political entity 

county The primary legal division of every State except Alaska and Louisiana 

elementarySchoolDistrict A school district inclusive of kindergarten through either the eighth or ninth 

grade or the first through either the eighth or ninth grade 

minorCivilDivision (MCD) 

A type of governmental unit that is the primary governmental or 

administrative division of a county or statistically equivalent entity in many 

States. MCDs are identified by a variety of terms, such as township, town 

(in eight States), or district. The U.S. Census Bureau recognizes MCDs in 
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Name Definition 

28 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Island Areas. In 

20 States and American Samoa, all or many MCDs are active generalpurpose governmental units. Many MCDs are not general-purpose 

governmental units, and therefore do not have elected officials to carry out 

legal functions; instead, they serve as nonfunctioning administrative entities

mosquitoControlDistrictMosquitoAbatement

District 

A geographic area defined for purposes of administering mosquito 

abatement or mosquito surveillance programs 

municipio A governmental unit that is the primary legal division of Puerto Rico 

municipality A governmental unit that is a primary legal division in Alaska and the 

Northern Mariana Islands 

parish A governmental unit that is the primary legal division of Louisiana 

schoolDistrict 

A geographic entity within which State, county, or local officials or the U.S. 

Department of Defense provides public educational services for an areaís 

residents 

secondarySchoolDistrict A school district inclusive of only high school (either the ninth through the 

twelfth grades or the tenth through the twelfth grades) 

specialTaxationDistrict 

An area defined for purposes of raising revenue to fund specific projects or 

programs, or to meet specific ongoing needs, such as security, trash 

collection, or infrastructure maintenance. Also known as business 

improvement districts (BID), downtown improvement districts (DID), special 

improvement districts (SID), or assessment districts 

state A primary governmental division of the United States 

town 

A governmental unit that is a functioning minor civil division found in the 

New England States, New York, and Wisconsin; and a type of incorporated 

place in 30 States and the U.S. Virgin Islands 

township 

A governmental unit that is a functioning minor civil division in 12 States 

(townships are administrative units in Arkansas, New Hampshire, and 

North Carolina). Townships in Missouri can be either functioning 

governmental units or nonfunctioning administrative units 

unifiedSchoolDistrict A school district inclusive of kindergarten through twelfth grade 

village A type of incorporated place in 20 States and American Samoa 

8.11.1.4 SpatialChangeType code list 

SpatialChangeType is a CodeList of values for the attribute changeType. 

Table 14 ñ CodeList for SpatialChangeType 

Name Definition 

all All changes to geographic area boundaries, whether due to expansion, 

contraction, or reshape 

contraction 

Decrease in the area of a geographic area caused by a legal or 

administrative change in the definition of its boundary, for example, by deannexation of adjacent territory 

expansion Increase in the area of a geographic area caused by a legal or 
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Name Definition 

administrative change in the definition of its boundary, for example, by 

annexation of adjacent territory 

reshape 

Change in the digital representation of the boundary of a geographic area 

to correspond to a more accurate or current survey information, where 

there has been no change to the legal definition of the boundary 

8.11.1.5 StatisticalUnitType 

StatisticalUnitType is a CodeList of values for the attribute statitsiticalUnitType. 

Table 15 ñ CodeList for StatisticalUnitType 

Name Definition 

alaskaNativeVillageStatisticalArea 

(ANVSA) 

A statistical entity that represents the settled portion of an Alaska 

Native village for data presentation purposes 

beaEconomicArea 

A geographic entity defined by the Bureau of Economic Analysis 

(BEA) for purposes of tabulating, disseminating, and analyzing 

economic data. Each economic area consists of one or more 

economic nodesómetropolitan areas or similar areas that serve as 

centers of economic activityóand the surrounding counties that are 

economically related to the nodes 

blockGroup (BG) 

A statistical subdivision of a census tract. A BG consists of all 

tabulation blocks whose numbers begin with the same digit in a 

census tract 

censusArea 

A statistical entity that serves as the equivalent of a county in 

Alaska. Census areas are delineated cooperatively by the State of 

Alaska and the U.S. Census Bureau for the purpose of presenting 

census data for the portion of Alaska not within an organized 

borough, city and borough, or municipality 

censusBlock 

A geographic area bounded by visible and/or invisible features 

shown on a map prepared by the U.S. Census Bureau. A block is 

the smallest geographic entity for which the Census Bureau 

tabulates decennial census data 

censusCountyDivision (CCD) 

A statistical subdivision of a county, established and delineated 

cooperatively by the U.S. Census Bureau and State, local, and 

Tribal officials for data presentation purposes. CCDs have been 

established in 21 States that do not have minor civil divisions 

suitable for data presentation; that is, minor civil divisions have not 

been legally established, do not have governmental or 

administrative purposes, have boundaries that are ambiguous or 

change frequently, and/or generally are not well known to the public

censusDesignatedPlace (CDP) 

A geographic entity that serves as the statistical counterpart of an 

incorporated place for the purpose of presenting census data for an 

area with a concentration of population, housing, and commercial 

structures that is identifiable by name, but is not within an 

incorporated place. CDPs usually are delineated cooperatively with 

State, Puerto Rico, Island Area, local, and Tribal officials based on 

U.S. Census Bureau guidelines. CDPs in Puerto Rico are referred 

to as either comunidades or zona urbanas 

censusDivision A grouping of States and the District of Columbia, established by 

the U.S. Census Bureau for the presentation of census data. The 
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Name Definition 

divisions are subdivisions of the four census regions 

censusRegion 

A grouping of States and the District of Columbia, established by 

the U.S. Census Bureau for the presentation of census data. Each 

region is divided into two or three census divisions 

censusSubarea 

A statistical subdivision of a borough, census area, or other entity 

that is the statistical equivalent of a county in Alaska. A census 

subarea is similar to a census county division in other States. 

Census subareas are delineated cooperatively by the State of 

Alaska and the U.S. Census Bureau 

censusTract 

A small, relatively permanent statistical subdivision of a county or 

statistically equivalent entity, delineated for data presentation 

purposes by a local group of census data users or the geographic 

staff of a regional census center in accordance with U.S. Census 

Bureau guidelines. Designed to be relatively homogeneous units 

with respect to population characteristics, economic status, and 

living conditions at the time they are established, census tracts 

generally contain between 1,000 and 8,000 people, with an 

optimum size of 4,000 people. Census tract boundaries are 

delineated with the intention of being stable over many decades, so 

they generally follow relatively permanent visible features. 

However, they may follow governmental unit boundaries and other 

invisible features in some instances; the boundary of a State or 

county (or statistically equivalent entity) is always a census tract 

boundary 

combinedNewEnglandCityAndTown 

Area 

A geographic entity defined by the Federal Office of Management 

and Budget to provide a city- and town-based area that is 

conceptually similar to the county-based combined statistical areas 

combinedStatisticalArea 

A geographic entity defined by the Federal Office of Management 

and Budget consisting of two or more adjacent core based 

statistical areas that have social and economic ties as measured by 

commuting, but at lower levels than are found among counties 

within metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas 

comunidad A census designated place in Puerto Rico that is not related to a 

municipioís seat of government 

consolidatedMetropolitanStatisticalArea 

(CMSA) 

A geographic entity designated by the Federal Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) for use by Federal statistical 

agencies. An area becomes a consolidated metropolitan statistical 

area (CMSA) if it qualifies as a metropolitan area (MA), has a 

census population of 1,000,000 or more, has component parts that 

qualify as primary metropolitan statistical areas (PMSAs) based on 

official standards, and local opinion favors the designation. CMSAs 

consist of whole counties except in New England, where they 

consist of county subdivisions (primarily cities and towns) 

coreBasedStatisticalArea 

A metropolitan or micropolitan statistical area defined by the 

Federal Office of Management and Budget consisting of the county 

or counties associated with at least one urban core (urbanized area 

or urban cluster) of at least 10,000 population, plus adjacent 

counties having a high degree of social and economic integration 

with the core as measured through commuting 

metropolitanArea (MA) 

A geographic entity designated by the Federal Office of 

Management and Budget (OMB) for use by Federal statistical 

agencies. An MA contains a core area with a large population 

nucleus, together with adjacent communities that have a high 

degree of economic and social integration with that core. (Some 

MAs are defined around two or more nuclei.) MAs are defined in 

terms of one or more counties or, in New England, county 
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Name Definition 

subdivisions (primarily cities and towns). ìMetropolitan areaî is a 

collective term established by the OMB in 1990 to refer to 

metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs), consolidated metropolitan 

statistical areas (CMSAs), primary metropolitan statistical areas 

(PMSAs), and New England county metropolitan areas (NECMAs) 

metropolitanDivision 

A geographic entity defined by the Federal Office of Management 

and Budget that contains a county or group of counties that function 

as a distinct area within a larger metropolitan statistical area 

metropolitanStatisticalAreaPre2003 

(MSA) (Definition prior to 2003) 

A geographic entity defined by the Federal Office of Management 

and Budget for use by Federal statistical agencies. A metropolitan 

statistical area (MSA) is a metropolitan area (MA) that is not closely 

associated with another MA. An MSA consists of one or more 

counties, except in New England, where MSAs are defined in terms 

of county subdivisions (primarily cities and towns) 

metropolitanStatisticalAreaPost2003 

(Definition as of June 6, 2003) 

A geographic entity defined by the Federal Office of Management 

and Budget consisting of the county or counties associated with at 

least one urbanized area of 50,000 or more population, plus 

adjacent counties having a high degree of social and economic 

integration with the core as measured through commuting 

micropolitanStatisticalArea 

A geographic entity defined by the Federal Office of Management 

and Budget consisting of the county or counties associated with at 

least one urban cluster of 10,000 or more population, plus adjacent 

counties having a high degree of social and economic integration 

with the core as measured through commuting 

neighborhood 

A geographic entity, generally defined within a municipality or 

county, that encompasses an area in which residents recognize a 

common identity as expressed through social and functional ties as 

well as various landscape elements 

newEnglandCityAndTownArea (NECTA)

A city- and town-based geographic entity defined by the Federal 

Office of Management and Budget that is conceptually similar to the 

county-based metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas 

newEnglandCityAndTownAreaDivision 

A city- and town-based geographic entity defined by the Federal 

Office of Management and Budget that functions as a distinct area 

within a larger New England city and town area 

newEnglandCountyMetropolitanArea 

(NECMA) 

A county-based area designated by the Federal Office of 

Management and Budget to provide an alternative to the county 

subdivision-based metropolitan statistical areas and consolidated 

metropolitan statistical areas in New England 

oklahomaTribalStatisticalArea (OTSA) 

A statistical entity identified and delineated by the U.S. Census 

Bureau in consultation with federally recognized American Indian 

tribes in Oklahoma that once had a reservation in that State. An 

OTSA encompasses an area that conforms to a tribeís reservation 

that was dissolved preceding the establishment of Oklahoma as a 

State in 1907. For some OTSAs, neighboring tribes agreed to 

modify the boundary for data presentation purposes. Referred to 

as a Tribal jurisdiction statistical area (TJSA) for the 1990 census 

and by a single all-encompassing entity called the ìHistoric Areas of 

Oklahoma (excluding urbanized areas)î for the 1980 census 

primaryMetropolitanStatisticalArea 

(PMSA) 

A geographic entity designated by the Federal Office of 

Management and Budget for use by Federal statistical agencies. If 

an area that qualifies as a metropolitan area (MA) has a census 

population of one million or more, two or more primary metropolitan 

statistical areas (PMSAs) may be defined within it if they meet 

official standards and local opinion favors the designation. When 
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Name Definition 

PMSAs are established within an MA, that MA is designated a 

consolidated metropolitan statistical area (CMSA) 

publicUseMicrodataArea (PUMA) 

A geographic entity for which the U.S. Census Bureau provides 

specially selected extracts of raw information from a small (5-

percent) sample of long-form census records that are screened to 

protect confidentiality of census records. The extract files are 

referred to as public use microdata samples (PUMS). PUMAs must 

have a minimum census population of 100,000 and cannot cross 

State lines 

ruralUrbanCommutingArea (RUCA) 

A geographic entity defined by the U.S. Department of Agricultureís 

Economic Research Service in conjunction with the U.S. 

Department of Health and Human Serviceís Office of Rural Health 

Policy and the W ashington/W yoming/Alaska/Montana/Idaho 

(WWAMI) Rural Health Research Center to represent the area 

associated with an urban center through various levels of 

commutation. RUCAs are defined in terms of census tracts 

stateDesignatedAmericanIndian 

StatisticalArea (SDAISA) 

A statistical entity delineated for an American Indian tribe that does 

not have a land base (reservation) and is recognized as a tribe by a 

State government, but not the Federal government. State 

designated American Indian statistical areas (SDAISAs) are 

identified and delineated for the U.S. Census Bureau by a State 

liaison identified by the governorís office 

superPUMA 

A geographic entity for which the U.S. Census Bureau provides 

specially selected extracts of raw information from a small (1-

percent) sample of long-form census records that are screened to 

protect confidentiality of census records. The extract files are 

referred to as public use microdata samples (PUMS). SuperPUMAs must have a minimum census population of 400,000 and 

cannot cross State lines 

trafficAnalysisZone (TAZ) 

A statistical entity delineated by State and/or local transportation 

officials for tabulating traffic-related dataóespecially journey-towork and place-of-work statistics. A TAZ usually consists of one or 

more census blocks, block groups, or census tracts 

tribalDesignatedStatisticalArea (TDSA) 

A statistical entity delineated for the U.S. Census Bureau by a 

federally recognized American Indian tribe that does not have a 

land base (a federally recognized reservation or off-reservation 

trust land). A TDSA generally encompasses a compact and 

contiguous area that contains a concentration of people who 

identify with a federally recognized American Indian tribe and in 

which there is structured or organized Tribal activity 

unorganizedTerritory (UT) 

In a State in which the U.S. Census Bureau provides data for minor 

civil divisions (MCDs), the portion of a county that is not included in 

a legally established MCD or in an incorporated place that is 

independent of an MCD. For data presentation purposes, the 

Census Bureau recognizes such area as one or more separate 

county subdivisions, each designated as an unorganized territory 

urbanArea 

A geographic entity defined to represent the extent of urban 

development, according to agency- or organization-specified 

criteria 

urbanCluster (UC) A geographic entity defined by the U.S. Census Bureau to identify a 

densely settled area having a population of 2,500 to 49,999 

urbanizedArea (UA) A geographic entity defined by the U.S. Census Bureau to identify a 

densely settled area having a population of at least 50,000 
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Name Definition 

zipCodeTabulationArea (ZCTA) 

A statistical entity developed by the U.S. Census Bureau to 

approximate the delivery area for a U.S. Postal Service 5-digit or 3-

digit ZIP Code in the United States and Puerto Rico. A ZCTA is an 

aggregation of census blocks that have the same predominant ZIP 

Code associated with the mailing addresses in the Census Bureauís 

Master Address File 

zonaUrbana 

In Puerto Rico, a census designated place consisting of the 

municipio seat of government and the adjacent built-up area. A 

zona urbana cannot extend across its municipio's boundary. See 

census designated place, comunidad 

8.11.2 SpatialRelationshipList enumeration 

SpatialRelationshipList is an enumeration of values for the attribute fromToSpatialRelationship. 
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Part 5: Governmental unit and other geographic area boundaries 

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Table 16 ñ SpatialRelationshipList enumeration 

Name Definition 

contains 

The interior of one geographic area completely includes and encompasses 

the interior and boundary of the other geographic area, so that their 

boundaries do not intersect 

covers The interior and boundary of one geographic area completely include the 

interior of the other geographic area and their boundaries intersect 

coveredBy 

The interior of one geographic area is completely included in the interior or 

the boundary of the other governmental unit and their boundaries intersect. 

This is the opposite of and reciprocal condition to "covers" 

disjoint The boundaries and interiors of two geographic areas do not intersect 

equal The two geographic areas have the same boundary and interior 

inside 

The interior and boundary of one geographic area is completely included in 

the interior of the other geographic area, so that their boundaries do not 

intersect. This is the opposite of and reciprocal condition to "contains" 

overlap The boundaries and interiors of the two geographic areas intersect 

touch The boundaries of two geographic areas intersect but the interiors do not 

intersect 
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Geographic Information Framework Data Content Standard Part 5: Governmental unit and other geographic area boundaries Annex A (informative): Sample map extraction and associated attribute table 

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Annex A 

(informative) 

Sample map extraction and associated attribute table 

Figure A.1 ñ Sample map 
Federal Geographic Data Committee FGDC-STD-014.5-2008 

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Table A.1 ñ Sample associated attribute table 

unitId instanceName instanceCode codingSystemReference codingSystemReference governmentalUnitType statisticalUnitType typeDefinition geometry

1 Greenwich 0256 General Services 

Administration Geographic Location Codes - City 

 town A governmental 

unit that is a functioning minor civil division found in the New England States, New York, and Wisconsin; and a type of incorporated place in 30 States and the U.S. Virgin Islands. 

1,1 2, 2 3,3 12,12 1,1 

2 Stamford 0700 General Services 

Administration Geographic Location Codes - City 

 town A governmental 

unit that is a functioning minor civil division found in the New England States, New York, and Wisconsin; and a type of incorporated place in 30 States and the U.S. Virgin Islands. 

3,3 4,4 13,13 11,11 12,12 3,3 

3 New Canaan 0425 General Services 

Administration Geographic Location Codes - City 

 town A governmental 

unit that is a functioning minor civil division found in the New England States, New York, and Wisconsin; and a type of 

13,13 14,14 15,15 10,10 11,11 13,13 
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unitId instanceName instanceCode codingSystemReference codingSystemReference governmentalUnitType statisticalUnitType typeDefinition geometry

incorporated place in 30 States and the U.S. Virgin Islands. 

4 Fairfield County 09001 INCITS 38 - Information 

Systems - Codes - Identification of the States, the District of Columbia, and the Outlying Areas of the United States For Information Interchange 

INCITS 31 - Information Systems - Codes -Structure for the Identification of Counties and County Equivalents of the United States and its Outlying and Associated Areas for Information Interchange 

 county The primary 

legal division of every State except Alaska and Louisiana. 

1,1 2,2 3,3 4,4 5,5 6,6 7,7 8,8 9,9 10,10 11,11 12,12 1,1 

Table A.2 ñ Sample spatial relationships 

fromSpUnit toSpUnit fromToSpatialRelationship 

4 1 covers 4 2 covers 4 3 covers 1 2 touch 2 3 touch 
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Table A.3 ñ Sample maintenance and change types 

fromMaintUnit toMaintUnit DeterminationType ChangeType 

1 2 coDetermined All 2 3 coDetermined All 1 4 coDetermined All 2 4 coDetermined All 3 4 coDetermined All