Natural Resources Canada
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Digital data from the Canadian Geographical Names Data Base
In the Canadian Geographical Names Data Base (CGNDB) at Natural Resources Canada, we store names records for populated places and physical features across Canada. Of the entries, nearly 350 000 names are recognized by the Geographical Names Board of Canada (GNBC) for official Canadian use. For example, names are used on maps and charts and in texts. About 14% of these records are names of populated places and administrative areas; 63% are water features (e.g. lakes, rivers, bays) and 23% are other terrain features (e.g. mountains, capes, valleys).
The fewest names are recorded in Prince Edward Island (less than 2000) and the largest number in Quebec (over 100 000).
Each name carries associated fields of information. For instance, Montmartre is a village in Saskatchewan; it is located in Section 33, Township 14, Range 11, west of the Second Meridian, southeast of Indian Head, at coordinates 50°14'00"N - 103°27'00"W.
For those interested in acquiring digital data, each record has a unique identifier and may contain some 24 fields of attribute information available for general use. (A selection of these fields is included for the Canadian Geographical Names on Internet.)
Data files for sale are available in ASCII format on diskette, CD-ROM or via electronic transfer.
Costs are for data and an end-user licence
Sales are accompanied by a Sales Agreement for end users.
Price List - November 2007
| Standard files | |
|---|---|
| [ free sample data ] | |
| Name of file | Current names and all available attributes |
| Populated places and administrative areas | $100.00 |
| All places and features | $660.00 |
| Hydrographic features only | $420.00 |
| Terrain features only | $150.00 |
| Formerly official names | $70.00 |
| [ Regional files of all places and features ] | |
| Atlantic Region | $130.00 |
| Ontario and Quebec | $350.00 |
| Prairies, B.C., Yukon, N.W.T. and Nunavut | $190.00 |
All prices listed are subject to change.
Prices shown do not include taxes.
Payment Methods
- Orders must be prepaid in Canadian funds
- Visa and Mastercard are accepted
Order form for Canadian federal government clients
Other digital data products
- Geographical names data are also available without cost from the Canadian Geographical Names Service (CGNS). For more information, visit the CGNS Web site.
- A User’s Guide to data query and download is available at:
http://gnss.nrcan.gc.ca/gnss-srt/help.jsp - Geographical names data for individual National Topographic System (NTS) map sheets can be obtained on the GeoBase Web site.
- Click here for a document comparing geographical names digital data from the CGNDB, CGNS and GeoBase [PDF, 22.8 kb, viewer]
