100K OnDemand Topo Cartographic Specifications - Geographic Names

By NGP Standards and Specifications

100K OnDemand Topo cartographic specifications for Natural Features, Landforms, and Populated Places.

Feature Type

Natural Features

Landforms

Populated Places - Point

Populated Places - Polygon

NATURAL FEATURES

Arch

FType: Arch

FCode: No FCode for this feature

Feature Description: Natural arch-like opening in a rock mass (bridge, natural bridge, sea arch).

Area

FType: Area

FCode: No FCode for this feature

Feature Description: Any one of several areally extensive natural features not included in other categories (badlands, barren, delta, fan, garden).

Arroyo

FType: Arroyo

FCode: No FCode for this feature

Feature Description: Colloquial usage in southwestern United States. The valley of an ephemeral stream with a flat floor and steep banks or the ephemeral stream flowing through a valley with a flat floor and steep banks, either hydrographic or hypsographic (‘āwa‘a, draw, wash, gully).

Bar

FType: Bar

FCode: No FCode for this feature

Feature Description: Natural accumulation of sand, gravel, or alluvium forming an underwater or exposed embankment (ledge, reef, sandbar, shoal, spit).

Basin

FType: Basin

FCode: No FCode for this feature

Feature Description: Natural depression or relatively low area enclosed by higher land (amphitheater, bolson, cirque, depression, hole, lua, pit, sink).

Beach

FType: Beach

FCode: No FCode for this feature

Feature Description: The sloping shore along a body of water that is washed by waves or tides and is usually covered by sand or gravel (coast, kahakai, kapa kai, shore, strand).

Bench

FType: Bench

FCode: No FCode for this feature

Feature Description: Area of level to gently sloping land on the flank of an elevation such as a hill, ridge, or mountain where the slope of the land rises on one side and descends on the opposite side (first bottom, flood-plain step, level, terrace, tread).

Bend

FType: Bend

FCode: No FCode for this feature

Feature Description: Curve in the course of a stream or the land within the curve; A curve in a linear body of water (bottom, loop, meander).

Cape

FType: Cape

FCode: No FCode for this feature

Feature Description: Projection of land extending into a body of water (lae, neck, peninsula, point).

Cliff

FType: Cliff

FCode: No FCode for this feature

Feature Description: Very steep or vertical slope on one side (bluff, crag, escarpment, head, headland, nose, pali, palisades, precipice, promontory, rim, rimrock, scarp).

Crater

FType: Crater

FCode: No FCode for this feature

Feature Description: Circular-shaped depression at the summit of a volcanic cone or one on the surface of the land caused by the impact of a meteorite; a manmade depression caused by an explosion (bowl, caldera, lua, maar).

Crossing

FType: Crossing

FCode: No FCode for this feature

Feature Description: A place at which a river or stream may be crossed (landing, ferry, ford).

Flat

FType: Flat

FCode: No FCode for this feature

Feature Description: Relative level area within a region of greater relief (clearing, glade, pan, park, playa lake, salina, upland, papa).

Gap

FType: Gap

FCode: No FCode for this feature

Feature Description: Low point or opening between hills or mountains or in a ridge or mountain range (col, notch, pass, saddle, water gap, wind gap).

Island

FType: Island

FCode: No FCode for this feature

Feature Description: Area of dry or relatively dry land surrounded by water or low wetland (archipelago, atoll, cay, hammock, hummock, isla, isle, key, moku, mokupuni, rock).

Lava

FType: Lava

FCode: No FCode for this feature

Feature Description: Formations resulting from the consolidation of molten rock on the surface of the Earth (lava flow, kīpuka, māwae, traps).

Pillar

FType: Pillar

FCode: No FCode for this feature

Feature Description: Vertical, standing, often spire-shaped, natural rock formation (chimney, hoodoo, monument, pinnacle, pōhaku, rock tower).

Plain

FType: Plain

FCode: No FCode for this feature

Feature Description: A region of general uniform slope, comparatively level and of considerable extent; can refer to the flat area of a large mesa (desert, grassland, highland, kula, plateau, savanna).

Ridge

FType: Ridge

FCode: No FCode for this feature

Feature Description: Elevation with a narrow, elongated crest that can be part of a hill or mountain (arête, crest, chenier, cuesta, divide, esker, hogback, mogote, lae, ridge, spur).

Slope

FType: Slope

FCode: No FCode for this feature

Feature Description: A gently inclined part of the Earth's surface (grade, pitch).

Summit

FType: Summit

FCode: No FCode for this feature

Feature Description: Prominent elevation rising above the surrounding level of the Earth's surface; does not include pillars, ridges, or ranges; can occur as a single isolated mass or in a group (ahu, ballon, berg, bald, butte, cerro, colina, cone, cumbre, dome, head, hill, horn, knob, knoll, mauna, mesa, mesita, mound, mount, mountain, nu‘u, peak, puʻu, rock, sugarloaf, table, volcano).

Valley

FType: Valley

FCode: No FCode for this feature

Feature Description: Linear depression in the Earth's surface that generally slopes from one end to the other (awāwa, barranca, canyon, chasm, cirque, cove, coulee, draw, fjord, glen, gorge, gulch, gulf, gully, hollow, ravine).

Woods

FType: Woods

FCode: No FCode for this feature

Feature Description: Small area covered with a dense growth of trees; does not include an area of trees under the administration of a political agency.

Cartographic Representation

Features Not Symbolized

Labeling

Font Style	Font Size (Pt)	Font Color R/G/B	Halo Size (Pt)	Halo Color R/G/B	Placement Properties	Label Graphic Depiction
Segoe UI, Italic	7.50	142/ 91/ 50	0.80	240/ 240/ 240	Best position around point; Preferred offset 1 point; maximum 100%; Simplified symbol zones (center; then top center going clockwise): 0, 2, 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 6, 4	Media Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details Brown text with official name of natural feature.

Spring

FType: Spring

FCode: No FCode for this feature

Feature Description: Place where underground water flows naturally to the surface of the Earth (puna, seep).

Falls

FType: Falls

FCode: No FCode for this feature

Feature Description: Perpendicular or very steep fall of water in the course of a stream (cascade, cataract, wailele, waterfall).

Rapids

FType: Rapids

FCode: No FCode for this feature

Feature Description: Fast-flowing section of a stream with turbulent flow, often shallow and with exposed rock or boulders, where discharge is mostly influenced by velocity rather than width and depth (dalles, riffle, ripple).

Cartographic Representation

See "Hydrography" Cartographic Specifications Theme for Details

Labeling

Font Style	Font Size (Pt)	Font Color R/G/B	Halo Size (Pt)	Halo Color R/G/B	Placement Properties	Label Graphic Depiction
Charis SIL	7.00	48/ 102/ 166	0.80	240/ 240/ 240	Best position around point; Preferred offset 5 point; maximum 100%; Simplified symbol zones: 0, 2, 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 6, 4	Media Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details Blue text with official name of natural feature.

Swamp

FType: Swamp

FCode: No FCode for this feature

Feature Description: Poorly drained wetland, fresh or saltwater, wooded or grassy, possibly covered with open water (bog, cienega, everglades, fen, marais, marsh, pocosin, slough).

Cartographic Representation

See "Hydrography" Cartographic Specifications Theme for Details

Labeling

Font Style	Font Size (Pt)	Font Color R/G/B	Halo Size (Pt)	Halo Color R/G/B	Placement Properties	Label Graphic Depiction
Charis SIL	7.50	48/ 102/ 166	0.80	240/ 240/ 240	Best position around point; Preferred offset 1 point; maximum 100%; Simplified symbol zones: 0, 2, 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 6, 4	Media Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details Blue text with the official name of natural feature.

Bay

FType: Bay

FCode: No FCode for this feature

Feature Description: Indentation of a coastline or shoreline enclosing a part of a body of water; a body of water partly surrounded by land (arm, bahía, bight, cove, estuary, gulf, hono, inlet, kū‘ono, sound).

Channel

FType: Channel

FCode: No FCode for this feature

Feature Description: Linear deep part of a body of water through which the main volume of water flows and is frequently used as a route for watercraft (passage, reach, strait, thalweg, thoroughfare, throughfare). Not a stream or valley.

Gut

FType: Gut

FCode: No FCode for this feature

Feature Description: Relatively small coastal waterway connecting larger bodies of water or other waterways (creek, inlet, slough).

Isthmus

FType: Isthmus

FCode: No FCode for this feature

Feature Description: Narrow section of land in a body of water connecting two larger land areas.

Cartographic Representation

See "Hydrography" Cartographic Specifications Theme for Details

Labeling

Font Style	Font Size (Pt)	Font Color R/G/B	Halo Size (Pt)	Halo Color R/G/B	Placement Properties	Label Graphic Depiction
Charis SIL	7.50	48/ 102/ 166	0.80	240/ 240/ 240	Best position around point; Preferred offset 1 point; maximum 100%; Simplified symbol zones: 0, 2, 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 6, 4	Media Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details Blue text with official name of natural feature.

LANDFORMS

Arroyo

FType: Arroyo

FCode: 15006

Range

FType: Range

FCode: 15042

Feature Description: A single mass of hills or mountains; a complex, interconnected series of mountain ranges having a well-defined longitudinal trend (cordillera, mountain belt, sierra).

Ridge

FType: Ridge

FCode: 15044

Feature Description: Elevation with a narrow, elongated crest that can be part of a hill or mountain (arête, crest, chenier, cuesta, divide, esker, hogback, mogote, lae, ridge, spur).

Valley

FType: Valley

FCode: 15050

Features Not Symbolized

Labeling

Font Style	Font Size (Pt)	Font Color R/G/B	Halo Size (Pt)	Halo Color R/G/B	Placement Properties	Label Graphic Depiction
Segoe UI, Italic	8.50	142/ 91/ 50	0.50	240/ 240/ 240	Regular placement, avoid holes; Straight in polygon; Spread words up to fixed limit max 150%; Spread letters up to fixed limit max 25%	Media Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details Brown text with official name of natural feature.

Summit

FType: Summit

FCode: 15048

Features Not Symbolized

Labeling

Font Style	Font Size (Pt)	Font Color R/G/B	Halo Size (Pt)	Halo Color R/G/B	Placement Properties	Label Graphic Depiction
Segoe UI, Italic	8.50	142/ 91/ 50	0.50	240/ 240/ 240	Regular placement, avoid holes horizontal in polygon	Media Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details Brown text with official name of natural feature.

POPULATED PLACES (PPL) - POINT

Populated Place

FType: Populated Place

FCode: No FCode for this feature

Feature Description: Place labels include populated place, civil, and census features. A populated place is a place or area with clustered or scattered buildings and a permanent human population (city, settlement, town, village). A populated place is usually not incorporated and by definition has no legal boundaries. However, a populated place may have a corresponding "civil" record, the legal boundaries of which may or may not coincide with the perceived populated place. A civil feature is political division formed for administrative purposes (borough, county, incorporated place, municipio, parish, town, township). A census feature is a statistical area delineated locally specifically for the tabulation of Census Bureau data (census-designated place, census county division, unorganized territory, various types of American Indian/Alaska Native statistical areas).

Cartographic Representation

Features Not Symbolized

Labeling

Font Style	Font Size (Pt)	Font Color R/G/B	Halo Size (Pt)	Halo Color R/G/B	Placement Properties	Label Graphic Depiction
Charis SIL	8.00	52/ 52/ 52	0.70	240/ 240/ 240	Best Position; Preferred offset 1 point; Maximum offset 100%; External zones: 2, 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 6, 4	Media Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details Dark gray text with official name of populated place.

POPULATED PLACES (PPL) - POLYGON

PPL 1-100,000

FType: No FType for this feature

FCode: No FCode for this feature

Features Not Symbolized

Labeling

Font Style	Font Size (Pt)	Font Color R/G/B	Halo Size (Pt)	Halo Color R/G/B	Placement Properties	Label Graphic Depiction
Charis SIL	8.50	52/ 52/ 52	0.70	240/ 240/ 240	Regular placement, avoid holes in polygon; Horizontal in polygon; May place label outside polygon boundary; Preferred offset 1 point; Maximum offset 100%; External zones: 2, 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 6, 4	Media Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details Dark gray text with official name of populated place.

PPL 100,001-500,000

FType: No FType for this feature

FCode: No FCode for this feature

Features Not Symbolized

Labeling

Font Style	Font Size (Pt)	Font Color R/G/B	Halo Size (Pt)	Halo Color R/G/B	Placement Properties	Label Graphic Depiction
Charis SIL	9.00	52/ 52/ 52	0.70	240/ 240/ 240	Best placement; Preferred offset 1 point; Maximum offset 100%; External zones: 2, 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 6, 4	Media Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details Dark gray text with official name of populated place.

PPL 500,001-2,000,000

FType: No FType for this feature

FCode: No FCode for this feature

Features Not Symbolized

Labeling

Font Style	Font Size (Pt)	Font Color R/G/B	Halo Size (Pt)	Halo Color R/G/B	Placement Properties	Label Graphic Depiction
Charis SIL	10.00	52/ 52/ 52	0.70	240/ 240/ 240	Best placement; Preferred offset 1 point; Maximum offset 100%; External zones: 2, 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 6, 4	Media Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details Dark gray text with official name of populated place.

PPL 2,000,000+

FType: No FType for this feature

FCode: No FCode for this feature

Features Not Symbolized

Labeling

Font Style	Font Size (Pt)	Font Color R/G/B	Halo Size (Pt)	Halo Color R/G/B	Placement Properties	Label Graphic Depiction
Charis SIL, Uppercase	10.50	0/ 0/ 0	0.70	240/ 240/ 240	Best placement; Preferred offset 1 point; Maximum offset 100%; External zones: 2, 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 6, 4	Media Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details Dark gray text with official name of populated place.