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Miscellaneous InformationVarious 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 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 identification number 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 Virginia Beach: 1498559 GNIS ID for Virginia: 1779803 GPS Location - GNIS vs Census ...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 Virginia Beach, it is a point within Virginia Beach 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 Virginia Beach, the GNIS GPS location is given as: Lat: 36° 51' 10" (or 36.85°) Lon: -75° 58' 40" (or -75.98°) Determined by its statistical needs, the Census Bureau has defined a sampling area for Virginia Beach - this area also contains a map point. As with the GNIS code, the location of the Census point should be considered as being arbitrary within the sampling area. For Virginia Beach, the Census 2010 GPS location is given as: Lat: 36° 46' 45" (or 36.78°) Lon: -76° 1' 26" (or -76.02°) The map point defined by the Census Bureau lies 5 miles to the southwest<1> of the point given by the GNIS (see above). You might note that the GPS location given for the 2010 Census is different than the location that was specified by the 2000 Census: Lat: 36° 50' 4" (or 36.83°) Lon: -76° 5' 13" (or -76.09°) The GPS location given for the 2000 Census lies 5 miles to the northwest<2> of the point given by the 2010 Census. Regional Codes ...For statistical purposes, the US Census Bureau has divided the country into four Regions. Virginia Beach is located in Region #3 (the South Region). In turn, the US Census Bureau has further divided each Region into Divisions. Virginia Beach is located in Division #5 (the South Atlantic Division). The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has created ten Federal Regions. Virginia Beach is located in Region III (Region 3). The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has created ten Management Regions. Virginia Beach is located in Region III (Region 3). Referenced GNIS Records ...GNIS ID #1498559 (Name of Record: City of Virginia Beach) Class: civil A political division formed for administrative purposes (such as a borough, county, incorporated place, parish, town or township). A 'civil' record may have a corresponding 'census' or 'populated place' record. The information contained in the 'civil' record applies only to the class and should not be confused with either the 'census' and 'populated place' classes. County: Virginia Beach (city) Map Name: Pleasant Ridge Lat: 36.7376504 Lon: -76.005208 Elev: 3 ft. GNIS ID #1500261 (Name of Record: Virginia Beach) 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: Virginia Beach (city) Map Name: Virginia Beach Lat: 36.8529263 Lon: -75.977985 Elev: 3 ft. Referenced FIPS Records ...FIPS Code: 51/82000 (Place Name: Virginia Beach) County: Virginia Beach (city) (FIPS State/County: 51/810) Class: C7 GSA Code: 2540 MRF Code: 1280 MSA Code: 5720 Off-the-Road Links ...The official website for Virginia Beach: www.vbgov.com/ The official website for State of Virginia: https://www.virginia.gov/ The official website of the U.S. Board on Geographic Names (BGN) The official website of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) The official website of the U.S. Census Bureau The official website of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) The official website of the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Footnotes ... |
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This page was last modified/updated: 07 Apr 2024