Using the GEOnet Name Server (GNS)

The GEONet Name Server (GNS) searches for features around the world. GNS is located at http://earth-info.nima.mil/gns/html/index.html. The database contains over 3.5 million features and over 5 million place names for locations outside of the United States. The military relies on GNS for its operations, so the database is updated every other week. GNS is primarily designed for military use. Some of the search criteria and information in the database isn’t very useful to the average civilian. At best expect to find these types of information for a given feature:

• Country
• Type
• Latitude and longitude

To perform a basic GNS search for a feature, follow these steps:

1. Go to the GNS Web site at http://earth-info.nima.mil/gns/html.
2. Click the Access GNS link.
3. Click the GNS Search link in the GNS Main Menu at the left of the page. You can enter search criteria by scrolling down the page.
4. In the Name text box, enter the name of the feature you’re looking for. A drop-down list box to the right of the text box lets you narrow your search with these options:• Starts With • Is an Exact Match • Contains • Ends With
5. If you know the country the feature is located in, select the country from the list.
6. Click the Search Database button.