Geographic coding - Definition and Overview

A geographic coding scheme generates codes for human-created geographical entities such as countries, counties, towns, airports, and so on.

Postal codes are examples of a fine-grained geographic coding schemes capable of resolving down to a single building or group of buildings.

ISO standards:

• ISO 3166, including
  • ISO 3166-1 country codes

United Nations standards:

• UN/LOCODE

IATA standards:

• IATA airport code

U.S. Government standards:

• FIPS two-letter country codes
• FIPS place codes
• FIPS county codes
• FIPS state codes
• State Department country codes for the issuing of diplomatic license plates for automobiles of staff and persons having diplomatic immunity

See also:

• Geographic information system
• Geocode

External links

• http://geonames.usgs.gov/index.html
• http://www.nima.mil/gns/html/index.html