Large Scale International Boundaries

Description

Overview The Office of the Geographer and Global Issues at the U.S. Department of State produces the Large Scale International Boundaries (LSIB) dataset. The current edition is version 11.3.1 (published 30 April 2024). The 11.3.1 release contains data refinements enabling reuse of the dataset. These data and generalized derivatives are the only international boundary lines approved for U.S. Government use. The contents of this dataset reflect U.S. Government policy on international boundary alignment, political recognition, and dispute status. They do not necessarily reflect de facto limits of control. This dataset is a National Geospatial Data Asset managed by the Department of State on behalf of the Federal Geographic Data Committee's International Boundaries Theme. Details Sources for these data include treaties, relevant maps, and data from boundary commissions and national mapping agencies. Where available and applicable, the dataset incorporates information from courts, tribunals, and international arbitrations. The research and recovery process involves analysis of satellite imagery and elevation data. Due to the limitations of source materials and processing techniques, most lines are within 100 meters of their true position on the ground. Attribute Structure The dataset uses the following attributes: - CC1 - CC1_WPID - COUNTRY1 - CC2 - CC2_WPID - COUNTRY2 - RANK - LABEL - STATUS - NOTES The eight attributes listed above describe the boundary lines contained within the LSIB dataset in both a human and machine readable fashion. Other attributes in the release include "FID", "Shape", and "Shape_Leng" are components of the shapefile format and do not form an intrinsic part of the LSIB. The following fields are logically linked: - "CC1", "CC1_WPID", and "COUNTRY1" - "CC2", CC2_WPID", and "COUNTRY2" - "RANK" and "STATUS" The following fields originate from external sources maintained separately from this dataset: - "CC1" and "CC2" - "CC1_WPID" and "CC2_WPID" - "COUNTRY1" and "COUNTRY2" "CC1" and "CC2" fields are machine readable fields which contain political entity codes. These codes are derived from the Geopolitical Entities, Names, and Codes Standard (GENC) Edition 3 Update 18. The dataset uses the GENC two-character codes. The code 'Q2', which is not in GENC, denotes a line in the LSIB representing a boundary associated with an area not contained within the GENC standard. The "CC1_WPID" and "CC2_WPID" fields represent unique identifies (SpaceIDs) ids associated with individual geometries in the World Polygons Dataset. The concept of SpaceTimeIDs were developed specifically for LSIB. World Polygons, and the Boundaries and Sovereignty Encyclopedia (BASE). The "COUNTRY1" and "COUNTRY2" fields contain human-readable text corresponding to the name of the political entity. These names are names approved by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names (BGN) as incorporated in the list of Independent States in the World and the list of Dependencies and Areas of Special Sovereignty maintained by the Department of State. In an effort to ensure the greatest compatibility, names are presented without diacritics and certain names are rendered using commonly accepted cartographic abbreviations. Names for lines associated with the code 'Q2' are descriptive and are not necessarily BGN-approved. Names rendered in all CAPITAL LETTERS are names of independent states. Other names are those associated with dependencies, areas of special sovereignty, or are otherwise presented for the convenience of the user. The following fields are an intrinsic part of the LSIB dataset and do not rely on external sources: - "RANK" - "STATUS" - "LABEL" - "NOTES" Neither the "RANK" nor "STATUS" field contains null values; the "LABEL" and "NOTES" fields do. The "RANK" field is a numeric, machine readable expression of the "STATUS" field. Collectively, these fields encode the views of the United States Government on the political status of the boundary line. The only values within the "RANK" field are: "1", "2", "3". The "STATUS" field contains three options: - International Boundary - Other Line of International Separation - Special Line A value of "1" in the "RANK" field corresponds to an "International Boundary" value in the "STATUS" field. Values of "2" and "3" correspond to "Other Line of International Separation" and "Special Line", respectively. The "LABEL" field contains required text necessarily to describe the line segment. The "LABEL" field is used when the line segment is displayed on maps or other forms of cartographic visualizations. This includes most interactive products. The requirement to incorporate the contents of the "LABEL" field on these products is scale dependent. If a label is legible at the scale of a given static product a proper use of this dataset would encourage the application of that label. Using the contents of the "COUNTRY1" and "COUNTRY2" fields in the generation of a line segment label is not required. The "STATUS" field is not a line labeling field but does contain the preferred description for the three LSIB line types when lines are incorporated into a map legend. Using the "CC1", "CC2", or "RANK" fields for labeling purposes is prohibited. The "NOTES" field contains an explanation of any applicable special circumstances modifying the lines. This information can pertain to the origins of the boundary lines, any limitations regarding the purpose of the lines, or the original source of the line. Use of the "NOTES" field for labeling purposes is prohibited. Cartographic usage of the LSIB requires a visual differentiation between the three categories of boundaries. Specifically, this differentiation must be between: - International Boundaries (Rank 1); - Other Lines of International Separation (Rank 2); and - Special Lines (Rank 3). Rank 1 lines must be the most visually prominent. Rank 2 lines must be less visually prominent than Rank 1 lines. Rank 3 lines must be shown in a manner visually subordinate to Ranks 1 and 2. Where scale permits, Rank 2 and 3 lines must be labeled in accordance with the “Label” field. Data marked with a Rank 2 or 3 designation does not necessarily correspond to a disputed boundary. Additional cartographic information can be found in Guidance Bulletins published by the Office of the Geographer and Global Issues (https://hiu.state.gov/data/cartographic_guidance_bulletins/). The source for the U.S.—Canada international boundary (NGDAID97) is the International Boundary Commission: https://www.internationalboundarycommission.org/en/maps-coordinates/coordinates.php The source for the “International Boundary between the United States of America and the United States of Mexico” (NGDAID82) is the International Boundary and Water Commission: https://catalog.data.gov/dataset?q=usibwc Direct inquiries to internationalboundaries@state.gov  Direct download: https://data.geodata.state.gov/LSIB.zip

Resources

Name Format Description Link
52 Large Scale International Boundaries Dataset WMS https://services.geodata.state.gov/geoserver/ows?service=WMS&version=1.3.0&request=GetCapabilities
57 Direct download URL https://data.geodata.state.gov/LSIB.zip
0 https://www.state.gov/independent-states-in-the-world/
34 LSIB_thumbnail.png https://data.geodata.state.gov/LSIB_thumbnail.png
0 The Geopolitical Entities, Names, and Codes (GENC) Standard is the U.S. Government profile of ISO 3166, modified only where necessary to comply with U.S. law and U.S. Government recognition policy. The GENC Standard is a combination of entries from the ISO 3166 Countries and Subdivisions Register, and the exceptional entries tracked in the ISO Exclusion, Exception, Extension, and Exigent Countries and Subdivisions Register. https://nsgreg.nga.mil/GENC-overview.jsp
0 Information about the Large Scale International Boundaries Dataset https://www.geodata.state.gov/geonetwork/srv/eng/catalog.search#/metadata/3bdb81a0-c1b9-439a-a0b1-85dac30c59b2
0 The guidance bulletins linked below are issued by the Office of the Geographer and Global Issues at the U.S. Department of State to inform Federal cartographers of changes in mapping policy, mostly with regard to international boundary and sovereignty issues. These policies are intended only for the United States Federal Government. Users should take care to access the most recent bulletin for a particular country or area, as some of the bulletins are superseded by others. https://hiu.state.gov/data/cartographic_guidance_bulletins/

Tags

  • downloadable data
  • geospatial
  • national geospatial data asset
  • global
  • ngdaid194
  • international boundaries theme
  • ngda

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