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Alberta Geographical Names System (GNS)

Table 1. Alberta GNS

Identification information
Abstract Alberta Geographical Names System (GNS) was created to provide an accurate, consolidated and current database of all named geographic features that exist within the Province of Alberta.
Purpose GNS is the definitive source for all base feature naming.

Named geographic features

The named geographic features in GNS are:

  • Aerodrome, Air Weapons Range
  • Basin, Bay, Beach, Bluff, Bottom, Brook, Buffalo Jump, Butte
  • Cairn, Canal, Cape, Cave, Channel, Chutes, City, Cliff, Coulee, Creek
  • Dam, Draw
  • Eddy
  • Falls, Fen, Ferry, Flat, Ford, Forest Reserve
  • Gap, Gate, Glacier, Grove, Gulch
  • Hamlet, Heliport, Hill, Hollow, Hump
  • Icefield, Indian Reserve, Inlet, Island
  • Lake, Locality
  • Marsh, Meadow, Metis Settlement, Military Base, Mountain, Mountains, Municipality, Muskeg
  • Narrows, National Park, Natural Area
  • Opening
  • Pass, Peak, Plain, Plateau, Point, Pond, Port of Entry, Portage, Post Office, Prairie, Provincial Park
  • Railway Point, Range, Rapids, Recreation Area, Reservoir, Ridge, River, River Bend, River Crossing, River Junction, Rock
  • Settlement, Slide, Slough, Spring, Summer Village
  • Town, Townsite, Trench
  • Valley, Village
  • Wall, Wilderness Area

Each named geographic feature is referenced to a 1:20 000 National Topographic System Map Sheet.

  • The location (geographic and legal) used for aerial features is the centre point of the feature on the map sheet.
  • The location used for lineal features is the beginning point of the feature on the map sheet.

Information included in named geographic features

Each named geographic feature includes the following information:

  • feature name
  • feature status
  • 1:20 000 NTS map sheet reference
  • legal land description (meridian, range, township, section)
  • latitude (degrees, minutes, seconds)
  • latitude (decimal degrees)
  • longitude (degrees, minutes, seconds)
  • longitude (decimal degrees)
  • source of data
  • last update date
  • gazetted date
  • miscellaneous comments.

Place names also include population and population year.

Alberta Geographic Names sources

The sources of the Alberta Geographic Names are:

  • Alberta Gazette
  • Canadian Flight Supplement
  • Federal Government
  • Geographic Names Committee
  • Orders in Council

The data is maintained as new information becomes available.
Browse graphic GNS sample image (GIF, 19 KB)
Spatial reference information
Geographic reference Provincial
Distribution information
Format name MS Excel format
Fees  
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