Geographic Names Information System

A Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) is a database that records names and other information about places on Earth. It stores information about places like cities, towns, rivers, lakes, and mountains. The information in the GNIS helps us locate these places when we're geography. It also helps us identify them when we’re talking or writing about them. With GNIS, we can look up things like the geographic coordinates of a place, its population, and when it was founded. It can also help us learn the history of a place, from the names of its streets and neighborhoods to the stories behind how those places got their names.