United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names

The UNGEGN (United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names, " the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names " ) is a committee that deals with the global standardization of toponyms ( place names ) or relevant documentation structures. It was founded in 1959, is assigned to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, where it forms a sub-section of the Statistical Commission. The UNGEGN presents itself in the form of ten working committees that are staffed by national experts and are subject to the five -yearly United Nations Conference on the Standardization of Geographical Names.

Work focuses on

Some of the key activities of the Conference and the UNGEGN

  • The promotion of national documentation of place names in the interest of clear designation
  • Facilitate the transposition of place names in Latin script by official national guidelines
  • Promote the safeguarding of historic place names or endonymischen names in minority languages

The global orientation of the body a wide range of problems to be treated. Topics range from the process of naming Indonesian islands - here only have less than half of the 17,500 Islands official name - about the cultural and historical oriented documentation of place names of Aboriginal people in Australia to recommendations for the design of pronunciation databases. Neither the UNGEGN nor the conference put this name that still they decide in disputes or maintain their own lists of names: Both bodies are limited to the promotion of methods and documentation of national activities.

Structure

The UNGEGN prepares the five -yearly conferences (United Nations Conferences on the Standardization of Geographical Names) ago. To this end they organized in the period between conferences typically two times so called sessions. The UNGEGN divided on the one hand, in countries divisions ( Divisions ), on the other hand, in working groups ( WGs ).

UNGEGN - countries divisions

The individual engaged in the UNGEGN States on the one hand according to language, on the other hand, grouped according to geographic criteria to countries divisions. Some states are a member of more than one country division. Currently, there are 23 different divisions (hereinafter with its English name in alphabetical order listed ):

  • Africa Central Division
  • Africa East Division
  • Africa South Division
  • Africa West Division
  • Arabic Division
  • Asia East Division (other than China)
  • Asia South - East and Pacific South - West Division
  • Asia South - West Division (other than Arabic)
  • Baltic Division
  • Celtic Division
  • China Division
  • Dutch -and German - speaking Division
  • East Central and South - East Europe Division
  • Eastern Europe, Northern and Central Asia Division
  • East Mediterranean Division (other than Arabic)
  • French - speaking Division
  • India Division
  • Latin America Division
  • North Division
  • Portuguese - speaking Division
  • Romano - Hellenic Division
  • United Kingdom Division
  • USA / Canada Division

UNGEGN working groups

As part of the UNGEGN over the years, several working groups ( WGs ) have been established that are dedicated to specific aspects of the standardization of geographical names across the country divisions. A special addition to these working groups is occupied by the so-called Task Team for Africa. A Coordinator for Toponymic guidelines coordinates further the efforts of the individual state standards bodies around the creation of Toponymischer guidelines.

There are currently ten UNGEGN working groups ( original English name in brackets adjusted ):

  • Working Group on behalf of States (Working Group on Country Names)
  • Working Group on toponymic databases and directories (Working Group on Data Files and Gazetteers Toponymic )
  • Working Group on toponymic terminology (Working Group on Toponymic Terminology )
  • Working Group for public relations and finance (Working Group on Publicity and Funding)
  • Working Group on Umschriftsysteme (Working Group on Romanization Systems)
  • Working Group on toponymic training courses (Working Group on Training Courses in Toponymy )
  • Working Group on Evaluation and Implementation (Working Group on Evaluation and Implementation)
  • Working Group on exonyms (Working Group on exonym )
  • Working Group on Pronunciation (Working Group on Pronunciation )
  • Working Group on Geographical Names as a part of cultural heritage ( Working Group on Geographical Names as Cultural Heritage )

UNGEGN representative from the German-speaking

The UNGEGN provide for closer cooperation between the national experts in 23 according to linguistic or geographical areas aligned subdivisions. Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, South Africa and Suriname have focused the DGSD department assigned (Dutch -and German - speaking Division ). Austria is represented by the Association for cartographic toponymy, Germany by the Standing Committee on Geographical Names.

UNGEGN Toponymic Guidelines Integrated Authority File
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