United States Board on Geographic Names facts for kids
The United States Board on Geographic Names (BGN) is a special group in the United States government. Its main job is to make sure that names of places are used the same way everywhere. This helps everyone, especially government workers, use the correct names for cities, rivers, mountains, and even places under the sea or in Antarctica. The BGN helps make sure names are standard, not that they control them.
History of the BGN
The Board was started in 1890 by President Benjamin Harrison. He used an "executive order," which is like a special rule from the president. This rule gave the Board the power to decide on questions about place names.
Later, in 1947, the U.S. Congress officially brought the Board back. They did this with a law called Public Law 80-242.
What is the Geographic Names Information System?
The BGN uses something called the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). This is a huge database that stores all the official names of places. It includes names found on maps and in old books.
The GNIS also keeps track of different ways a place might have been called in the past. This helps people understand how names have changed over time. The BGN also works to set names for places outside the U.S., like in Antarctica, and for features found deep in the ocean.
Related Pages
- Geographic Names Information System
- Permanent Committee on Geographical Names
- Geographical Names Board of Canada
