Board on Geographic Names

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78-05597A000200050124-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: November 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 3, 1998
• Sequence Number: 124
• Publication Date: April 27, 1956
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Reee 1999/09/20 : CIA-RDP78-05597A000200050124-3
27 April 1956
Board on Geographic Names
The BZN is charged by statute with the standardization of
geographic names in the United States and its possessions, and all
foreign areas, With the activation of the NIS Program; in 1948,
there 'was a need for. the d+e relopa~?~ent of gazetteers V naurL:
unifor ttylit p ogra.ptalc 4 d8 Throughout. the . appr iniately
85 s l4reaat sections us elated bare nips -f the MS for which
produtt#on respoasihitlty'* bras a*si d to more t 4b different
and non-tA C agencies. Ar r ingsfar nta were
to fi+scaily support the BGN on a continuing
of Stsettears for the N"Ia program.
hi additiau to the production of the g;sett#ers the SON also
reviews i r geographic nor a consistency sit the eontriba Lions
rec?-iced frog i The ther+ than 4C contributors to this program.
At the t
ether
rmx* this gazetteer program wa
there is stfll no o
regiArer^xlents of the
as a whole.
sated there were no
rograrn lit
and the Jut
wsee, arsd
t can meet
non community
Gazetteer, have been produced on more than 85 of the 103
land areas of the wo'ld. N.oWever, b*cause of the urgency of
making approved standardized geographic nan: s available to
NI IS
most
With the r
ces in the, early stages of the NI ?rograyr.,
se gazetteers were produced in preliminary form
of these gsiaett.e
require.crments. Rev
now underway.
e research aad'expansio-
d 7->e necessary to Bally meet N1'
on of tl;ese preliminary gazetteers is
Landcarried by KAK to Saunders - CIA Budget
prepared at request
e suitable for
25X1A9a
Approved For Release 1999/09/20 : CIA-RDP78-05597A000200050124-3
 Approved For Release 1999/09/20 : CIA-RDP78-05597A000200050124-3
cally, the Office of Gerozr'aphy, .l epartusnt of the Interior,
pe rform$ the f lowiiag *ervieleea~and functions in contributing to the
Hatto Intelugeedce Survey
Llndtrtakeeresaearch and generates standard geographic
a for reproduction and distribution by CIA. These
Feels cover all areas assigned for name standardisation
research.
b. Effects name sf-andardization for and editing of base
spa used by all contributing agencies in their preparation
3 Sections and < thor a ,eir tints.
c. i dita1 all NIS elements produced by the contributing
agencies to the coarse of each Ascal,year. This amounts to
editing the text and accarnpanyin tables, figures, and maps
for accuracy and constaaecy of geographic name usage of
approximately 5156 NIS elements.
d. Pearferrns such ether services as the editing of
supplementary geographic name lists, hee maintenance
of s ,%"grapbic narr:e inquiries service, and the issuance
of gazetteer correction lists,
Approved For Release 1999/09/20 : CIA-RDP78-05597A000200050124-3