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Miscellaneous Information


Various Identification Codes ...

GNIS Codes ...

The U.S. Board on Geographic Names (BGN) was created to address the problems caused by spelling and naming variations. The BGN will usually recognize an existing name or, when necessary, establish a new name for a geographic feature (such as a mountain, lake, river, stream, city, town, village, dam, bridge, etc).

The BGN names are kept in a database called the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) and it is the official Federal repository. The GNIS is operated and maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

A unique and permanent code has been assigned for each name in the GNIS database. These names and identifiers are definitive and it is intended that they are to be used by all departments of the Federal Government:

GNIS ID for Crystal Lake: 1243682

GNIS ID for Horry County: 1248005

GNIS ID for South Carolina: 1779799

FIPS Codes ...

In a past effort, various federal agencies worked together to create a set of codes with a purpose similar to the GNIS codes. These codes are called the Federal Information Processing Standard (or the FIPS 55 codes). Although they are still used by some organizations, the FIPS codes are obsolete and will ultimately be replaced by the GNIS codes.

While FIPS codes have been assigned to all counties and states, a specific code has not been assigned to Crystal Lake. The following FIPS codes apply to the State and County:

State Code:  45 (South Carolina)
County Code:  051 (Horry County)

GPS Location - GNIS Coordinates ...

An important aspect of the GNIS code is that it assigns a GPS location (the latitude/longitude) to the geographic feature. This location is simply a point on the map and does not represent the size or shape of the feature. In the case of Crystal Lake, it is a point within Crystal Lake that might be a post office, the city hall or simply an intersection - the point should really be considered arbitrary and only indicating a general location.

For Crystal Lake, the GNIS GPS location is given as:

Lat:   33° 39' 8"   (or 33.65°)

Lon:   -78° 57' 14"   (or -78.95°)  

Regional Codes ...

For statistical purposes, the US Census Bureau has divided the country into four Regions. Crystal Lake is located in Region #3 (the South Region).

In turn, the US Census Bureau has further divided each Region into Divisions. Crystal Lake is located in Division #5 (the South Atlantic Division).

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has created ten Federal Regions. Crystal Lake is located in Region IV (Region 4).

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has created ten Management Regions. Crystal Lake is located in Region IV (Region 4).

Referenced GNIS Records ...

GNIS ID #1243682   (Name of Record: Crystal Lake)

Class: populated place

A place or area having clustered or scattered buildings and a permanent population (such as a city, settlement, town or village). The boundaries may or may not coincide with the perceived population.

A 'populated place' record may have a corresponding 'census' or 'civil' record. The information contained in the 'populated place' record applies only to the class and should not be confused with either the 'census' and 'civil' classes.

County: Horry

Map Name: Myrtle Beach

Lat: 33.6523928       Lon: -78.9539207  

Elev: 8 ft.