Washington Specific
Locate Geographic Features and Named Places
- GEONames Search - This feature-rich website from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency provides information about geographic place names in multiple languages.
- Geographic Names Information System [GNIS] - This site from the U.S. Geological Survey has a Basic Query that enables you to search the database for all U.S. geographic features, an Advanced Search that uses additional fields for more complex searches. This site also enables you to search for features in Antarctica and to search the database for U.S. geographic features using the relevant Census Codes, Class Codes, GSA Codes, and OPM Codes.
- World Atlas - A general geographic site for base maps and information. Note, this site does not GIS enabled.
- Geologic Maps of the United States
U.S. Government Agencies Involved with Mapping
- The U.S. Census Bureau (U.S. Department of Commerce) is the most prolific creator of statistics and maps in the country. You will be able to find resources for mapping Census data and much more.
- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (U.S. Department of the Interior) creates a great deal of maps for the National Wildlife Refuge program and for the countless reports they publish on animal life in this country.
- Forest Service, (U.S. Department of Agriculture) publishes all those nifty maps you pick up at national forests around the country. They also update their own topographic maps for quadrangles located within national forest boundaries.
- Geological Survey, (U.S. Department of the Interior) oversees research and work pertaining to the geology of the country. They publish a myriad of maps including topographic, thematic, geological, climactic, and biological just to name a few.
- National Agricultural Statistics Service (U.S. Department of Agriculture) are the publishers of Agricultural Statistics and the Census of Agriculture. The Census of Agriculture goes as far back as 1840.
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (U.S. Department of Commerce) oversees a lot of functions having to do with the climate and weather like the National Weather Service . NOAA's Central Library has current and historical daily weather maps going as far back as 1871. The Office of Coast Survey has a collection of historical maps and charts going as far back as the 1807.
- National Park Service (U.S. Department of the Interior) creates the very wonderful maps that you pick up when you visit a national park.
- Natural Resources Conservation Service (U.S Department of Agriculture) these folks are the publishers of the soil surveys that are created for just about every county around the country.
Part of the archival site from NASA, this site has an excellent explanation of Latitude and Longitude.
