U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: GNIS
Template documentation[view] [edit] [history] [purge]Template:GNIS generates an external link to a Feature Detail Report from the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), published by the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The link is displayed as "U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Name", where Name is either the Wikipedia article name ({{PAGENAME}}) or an optionally specified name.
Usage
The only required parameter is the GNIS Feature ID number (optionally, this parameter can be named id). The template then uses the Wikipedia article name as part of the anchor text.
{{GNIS|ID}}
{{GNIS|id=ID}}
If desired, a feature name other than the article name can be specified in a second unnamed parameter (optionally, this can be named name). This can be used if the article name contains disambiguation or when the GNIS feature name is different than the article name.
{{GNIS|ID|Name}}
{{GNIS|id=ID|name=Name}}
For GNIS features in Antarctica, add |type=antarid.
{{GNIS|ID|type=antarid}}
{{GNIS|id=ID|type=antarid}}
{{GNIS|ID|Name|type=antarid}}
{{GNIS|id=ID|name=Name|type=antarid}}
For GNIS types types of features retired in 2021, add |type=retired.
{{GNIS|ID|type=retired}}
{{GNIS|id=ID|type=retired}}
{{GNIS|ID|Name|type=retired}}
{{GNIS|id=ID|name=Name|type=retired}}
TemplateData
TemplateData for GNIS
This template generates an external link to a Feature Detail Report from the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), published by the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The link is displayed as 'U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Name', where Name is either the Wikipedia article name ({{PAGENAME}}) or an optionally specified name.
| Parameter | Description | Type | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ID | 1 id | GNIS Feature ID, a number without leading zeros.
| Number | required |
| Name | 2 name | GNIS Feature Name or other descriptive text. If not given it defaults to the Wikipedia article name
| String | optional |
| Type | type | Use the value 'antarid' for features in Antarctica. Use the value 'retired' for feature types retired in 2021.
| String | optional |
Instructions
- Go to the GNIS Feature Search page.
- Search for the name, location, and/or class of the feature desired, e.g., to find a mountain called 'Mt. Foo', type '
mount foo' in the Feature Name box and select 'Summit' from the Feature Class list. - Copy the id number for the desired feature (above its name) and insert it into the
{{GNIS|...}}template. - The latitude and longitude can also be copied and used in the
{{coord}}template, inserting the '|' vertical bar between degrees, minutes, seconds, and direction, e.g.: 441613N 0711812W →{{coord|44|16|13|N|071|18|12|W|region:US}}
Examples
URL: https://edits.nationalmap.gov/apps/gaz-domestic/public/search/names/871352
- Usage:
{{GNIS | 871352 | Mount Washington }} - Usage:
{{GNIS |id= 871352 |name= Mount Washington }}
URL: https://web.archive.org/web/2020/https://geonames.usgs.gov/apex/f?p=gnispq:5:::NO::P5_ANTAR_ID:2828
- Usage:
{{GNIS | 2828 | Clarke Glacier |type= antarid }} - Usage:
{{GNIS |id= 2828 |name= Clarke Glacier |type= antarid }}
URL: https://gnis-ld.org/lod/gnis/feature/235365
- Usage:
{{GNIS | 235365 | Stanford University |type= retired }} - Usage:
{{GNIS |id= 235365 |name= Stanford University |type= retired }}
Retired data
In October 2021, USGS announced that several classes of data had been removed from their searchable database:
The following feature classes will be archived: Airport, Bridge, Building, Cemetery, Church, Dam, Forest, Harbor, Hospital, Mine, Oilfield, Park, Post Office, Reserve, School, Tower, Trail, Tunnel, and Well.
If you encounter articles with GNIS links that return the error "The ID does not exist", they were probably for records in one of these classes. In this case, specify |type=retired, and a link will be generated to a KnowWhereGraph linked open data listing for the GNIS feature that reflects any ad hoc edits made to the feature since retirement.
See also
- Other GNIS templates
- {{GNIS 2}} – link with anchor text "[1]" or "Name"
- {{GNIS URL}} – link as bare URL only, without anchor text
- {{GNIS 4}} – link with GNIS Feature ID number as the anchor text
- {{Cite gnis}} – link using the {{Cite web}} template, for use as a reference
- {{Cite gnis2}} – link using the {{Citation}} template, for use as a reference with anchor text
- Similar templates
- {{Mountain index row}} – includes an optional GNIS link
- Canadian features (Canadian Geographical Names Data Base, BC Geographical Names)
- {{Cite cgndb}} – all of Canada
- {{Cite bcgnis}} – British Columbia
- Non-U.S. geographic features (GEOnet Names Server)
- On Solar System features (Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature)
- {{Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature}} – inline citations
- {{WGPSN}} – external links