3

EDITORIAL RULES

3.1

Hierarchical Relationships

Included in this chapter

• Parents (required)
• Sort Order (required-default)
• Historical Flag (required-default)^[1]
• Dates for relationship to parents
• Parent string (required-default)
• Facet or Hierarchy Code
  
  
  • Example
    [as displayed to end users on line]

3.1.1

Parents (required)

3.1.1.1

Definition
The broader context(s) for the place record; parents refer to Hierarchical Relationships, which are broader/narrower, reciprocal relationships between records.

3.1.1.2

• 1. Parent: The parent_key is the numeric Subject ID of the preferred parent (e.g., 100001). The records for the child and parent are linked by their ID. When an editor places a record in a hierarchy in VCS, she/he chooses the correct parent and the system makes the link using the two IDs.
  
  
• 2. Preferred Parent Flag: Indicates if this is the preferred parent or a non-preferred parent. Each place may have only one preferred parent. Values are P[referred] and N[on-preferred].
  
  
• 3. Parent String: A display generated by the system by concatenating the names of the immediate parent and other ancestors, used to give context to the place name in horizontal displays (as opposed to vertical, hierarchical displays) (e.g., in parentheses in this example: Bermuda (North and Central America, World)).
  
  
  • Example
    [from the VCS Subject Edit window for Bermuda]
    

3.1.1.3

Values
Values are concatenated automatically by the system, using the preferred name, place type, and appropriate indentation.

3.1.1.4

Sources: Warrant for the hierarchical divisions

3.1.1.4.1

For levels of hierarchical division
In building the hierarchy of a nation, look at more than one source. When sources disagree, do research to resolve the issues. However, try to use only one standard source for actually constructing the major subdivisions of any given nation. You may find that sources disagree on the number of subdivisions of a nation and the names of the subdivisions. Given that the boundaries of subdivisions tend to change over time, prefer the most recent, most authoritative source.

3.1.1.4.2

For the preferred names of subdivisions
For the preferred names for the subdivisions, be consistent regarding transliteration method, syntax, punctuation, capitalization, and style. If possible, use the same source for both 1) constructing the hierarchy and 2) for the determining the preferred names for the subdivisions; this will ensure that the hierarchy appears consistent (i.e., it should have the same transliteration method, use of capitals and diacritics, etc.). See discussion of preferred names in chapter 3.3 Names.

3.1.1.4.3

List of Sources
Sources for the hierarchical structure may include the following:

• USGS National Mapping Information query form (for the USA) http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnis/web_query.gnis_web_query_form (you can search for the spelling of county names)
  
  
• NGS (formerly NIMA) GNS query (for nations other than the USA) http://earth-info.nga.mil/gns/html/index.html (go to listing of ADM1 codes)
  
  
• CIA World Fact Book Web site (go to a page about a nation, the subdivisions are listed under Government: Administrative Divisions.
  
  
• Encyclopedia Britannica: Books of the Year have the subdivisions of nations under the World Data section at the back of the book; use the most recent available book. Alternatively use the Encyclopedia Britannica online. http://www.search.eb.com/. Go to the entry for the nation; the list of subdivisions is generally in a paragraph under "Government."
  
  
• Merriam-Webster's Geographic Dictionary, the 3rd edition. Subdivisions are listed under the entry for a nation.
  
  
• Web sites for individual nations.
  
  
• Changes to existing hierarchies are announced in the US Board of Geographic Names: Foreign Names Information Bulletins.
  
  
• Maps in Times Atlas of the World, 10th edition.
  
  
• Maps in National Geographic Atlas of the World, 7th edition.
  
  
• Maps in Oxford Atlas of the World, 4th edition.
  
  
• There is no recent version of Rand McNally New International Atlas available. Therefore, do not use it for nations that have had boundary changes since 1995.

3.1.1.4.4

Discussion
In the Getty Vocabularies, each record is linked to its immediate parent by means of a numeric ID. The hierarchy is constructed through these links.

• The hierarchy in TGN refers to the method of structuring and displaying the places within their broader contexts. Both physical and administrative/political entities make up the TGN hierarchy. Relationships in the hierarchy are indicated with indentation. Hierarchical relationships in TGN generally represent whole/part relationships (as opposed to genus/species relationships). TGN is polyhierarchical, meaning that places can belong to more than one parent place. Hierarchical relationships are referred to by genealogical terms: child, children, siblings, parent, grandparent, ancestors, descendents, etc.
  
  
• The TGN hierarchy includes both physical features and administrative entities. Including these different types of entities in the same hierarchy creates a tension based on the variation in relationships between places and their physical and administrative parents and children. TGN contains historical as well as current places, and this complexity adds another level of tension Therefore, the rules for constructing hierarchies necessarily reflect these tensions; while consistency is an important goal, the rules are necessarily tailored to individual situations. The overriding principle for building hierarchies is to do it in a way that will best enhance retrieval.

3.1.1.4.5

Hierarchy display
In VCS, the hierarchical relationships are visible from the Hierarchy View window and also from the Subject Edit full record window, under Hierarchies (where it displays in a horizontal string). Hierarchical relationships are created in the Hierarchy Display of VCS or by loading candidate data.

• Root of the hierarchy: TGN root, named Top of the TGN hierarchy, is the highest level of the hierarchy (the so-called root). World and various candidate hierarchies are facets below the Root. All continents and all modern nations are listed below the level World. Some historical nations and empires are included.
  
  
• Hierarchical displays are system-generated from the preferred name, the preferred place-type, and from links to parents and other ancestors. Indentation is used to indicate whole/part relationships. In the example below, Cuzco is the immediate parent of Acomayo, and Peru is an ancestor (the grand-parent). All of the places below Cuzco are its children, and they are siblings to each other.
  
  
• The TGN hierarchy has many levels of depth, although the display usually shows only the first level below the target place, and all levels above it.
  
  
• In VCS, the plus sign indicates where more levels may be visible (click on the plus sign in VCS to view the children under any level). In the online display, click on the hierarchy symbol.
  

3.1.1.4.6

Major subdivisions
Major subdivisions of the hierarchy typically include continent, nation, first level subdivision, second level subdivision, inhabited place, and sometimes neighborhood.

3.1.1.4.7

Depth of the hierarchy
Most nations have one level of administrative subdivision above inhabited place, and many have two levels. Generally, the hierarchy in TGN goes down only to the level of the inhabited place (although some neighborhoods are included for the larger cities).

• Example
• [partial display for Cuzco department]
  Top of the TGN hierarchy (hierarchy root)
  .... World (facet )
  ........ South America (continent)
  ............ Peru (nation)
  ................ Cuzco (department)
  ........................ Acomayo (inhabited place)
  ........................ Anta (inhabited place)
  ........................ Atalaya, Cerro (mountain)
  ........................ Auzangate, Nevado (mountain)
  .........................Calca (inhabited place)
  .........................Ccapi (inhabited place)
  ........................ Chaullay (inhabited place)
  ........................ Cuzco (inhabited place)
  .........................Espinar (inhabited place)
  .........................Huarocondo (inhabited place)
  .........................Langui y Layo, Laguna de (lake)
  .........................Lares (inhabited place)
  .........................Llactapata (deserted settlement)
  ......................... [etc.]

3.1.1.5

RULES for creating hierarchical relationships

3.1.1.5.1

Minimum requirements

• System rules: Subjects are arranged hierarchically through the link of each place to its parent; the root record (Top of the TGN Hierarchies) has the preferred parent of itself.
  
  
• Editorial rules: It is required to position a new place record correctly in the hierarchy. Before creating a new record or moving an existing record, you must determine where to put the record in the hierarchy. Each record must have at least one parent; records may have multiple parents.
  

3.1.1.5.2

Choosing the parent

   » Specificity of placement

Position the place under the most specific parent possible, unless a given rule requires that you do otherwise.

   » Sources for positioning places

A map is required to move inhabited places and physical features under a parent. Use maps in one of the atlases named above, National Geographic loose maps, or other recently produced, authoritative maps.

• For historical nations, use authoritative maps depicting historical nations. Use great caution when using actual historical maps; for example, a 17th-century map may have errors in boundaries and coastlines and is therefore not reliable for creating hierarchies (although it is a valuable source of historical names; see Chapter 3.3: Names).

   » Continents, nations, and administrative subdivisions

The records for the top levels of the TGN hierarchy, including the world, continents, current nations, and administrative subdivisions should not be edited, merged, or moved without the permission of your supervisor. You may create and edit historical nations if you are doing a special project for historical nations.

• In any case, however, you should be aware of the rules regarding hierarchical placement of nations and subdivisions so that you can identify errors if you encounter them; if you feel there are errors in the existing hierarchical relationships, point them out to your supervisor.

3.1.1.5.3

Positioning Nations

   » Under a continent

Position nations directly under the appropriate continent. The boundaries of current continents are the same as described in the "Continents, Islands, and Mountains" section of the Times Atlas of the World, 10th edition.

   » On two continents

In a few rare cases, a nation may exist on two continents, and it should be linked to two parents; one parent must be preferred. The preferred parent should be the continent on which the nation is predominantly located. For example, Russia is in Europe and Asia. Given that most of Russia is in Asia, the preferred parent is Asia and Europe is the non-preferred parent.

• If an island or other very small part of the nation lies on a continent different from where the great bulk of the nation lies (e.g., as with the island state of Hawaii, which is located at a significant distance from the bulk of the USA on North America), do not link the nation to two continents (instead, link the island or other small part to both the nation and the continent to which it physically belongs). See also the discussion at Positioning Physical Features below.
  

3.1.1.5.4

Determining subdivisions of the hierarchy

   » Main divisions

The main subdivisions in the current political world include continents, nations, and the main political subdivisions within nations (e.g., states, regions, provinces, etc.).

   » Minimum number of levels

Every nation generally should have at least one level of subdivision, and many have two levels of subdivision. For example, the hierarchy of the USA is divided into two levels, states and counties.

   » Consistent levels within a nation

Be consistent. With rare exceptions, the number of administrative levels must be consistent throughout a given nation, down to the level of inhabited place. That is, for a given nation, if you divide one first level subdivision into second level subdivisions, you are required to include ALL of the second level subdivisions for EVERY first level subdivision for the entire nation. For example, if TGN includes counties for a given US state, all counties for that state must be given, and all of the other states must also be divided into their respective counties.

   » No set number from one nation to another

As is stated in the rule above, each nation must have a consistent number of administrative levels. (If you encounter a rare exception, consult with your supervisor.) However, there is no set number of levels used across all nations in the hierarchy (e.g., Italy may have two levels of subdivision, but Poland has only one level).

   » Place Types flag special administrative levels

Flag the major subdivisions of the administrative hierarchy by using the appropriate place types. Place types are used to mark the significant administrative levels of the hierarchy in order to allow users to create hierarchies that have a set number of levels, when necessary (some users have systems that require a set number of levels). These place-type designations are intended to work for constructing a hierarchy of inhabited places, but not necessarily with physical features. The place type is either the preferred place type or the place type in position number 2; See chapter 3.5 Place Types. The divisions are the following:

• continent (preferred place type)
• primary political unit (place type in position #2, for nations, empires, etc.)
• first level subdivision (place type in position #2)
• second level subdivision (place type in position #2)
• inhabited place (preferred place type)
  or deserted settlement (preferred place type)
  
  
  • Example
    [for Central province, Kenya]

• The resulting hierarchy display: In the example below, note that all entities directly under Kenya are first level subdivisions (i.e., first level subdivision is place type #2 in their records); however the preferred place type for all of these siblings is not necessarily the same. Note how province and special area are both used for the nation of Kenya.
  
  
  • Example
    [first level subdivisions under the nation Kenya]
  • Top of the TGN hierarchy (hierarchy root)
    ...World (facet)
    .......Africa (continent)
    ............Kenya (nation)
    ..................Central (province)
    ..................Coast (province)
    ..................Eastern (province)
    ..................Nairobi Area (special area)
    ..................North Eastern (province)
    ..................Nyanza (province)
    ..................Rift Valley (province)
    
    
• Within a given nation, while conceptually the number of administrative levels must be consistent, the actual number of levels in the database may occasionally vary, because the hierarchy contains both administrative entities and physical features. Note that physical features may intervene between administrative levels where necessary, as when inhabited places are located on islands.
  
  
  • Example
    [Pate Island forms intervening level]
  • Top of the TGN hierarchy (hierarchy root)
    ... World (facet)
    ........ Africa (continent)
    ..............Kenya (nation)
    ..................Coast (province)
    ...........................Bura (inhabited place)
    ...........................Galana (river)
    ...........................Gazi (inhabited place)
    ...........................Kinango (inhabited place)
    ...........................Lamu (inhabited place)
    ...........................Lugards Falls (waterfalls)
    ...........................Mkunumbi (inhabited place)
    ...........................Pate Island (island)
    ...................................Pate (inhabited place)
    ...................................Rasini (inhabited place)
    ...........................Rabai (inhabited place)
    ...........................Shimoni (inhabited place)
    ...........................Tana (river)
    
    
• The overriding principle here is to provide hierarchical relationships that will be most helpful when TGN is used to search down hierarchies in search engines; consult with your supervisor when in doubt. In the example above, end users looking for things on Pate Island will expect to find those inhabited places.

3.1.1.5.5

Positioning Inhabited Places

   » Under the correct level in their nation

Position inhabited places and deserted settlements under the most specific level appropriate for their nation. For example, Italy has levels for region and the more specific province; thus all inhabited places in Italy must be placed under the specific, appropriate province.

• Example
• Top of the TGN hierarchy (hierarchy root)
  .... World (facet)
  ........ Europe (continent)
  ............ Italy (nation)
  ................ Tuscany (region)
  .................... Siena (province)
  ........................... Abbadia San Salvatore (inhabited place)
  ........................... Argiano (inhabited place)
  ........................... Asciano (inhabited place)
  ........................... Badia a Isola (inhabited place)
  ........................... Bagno Vignoni (inhabited place)
  ........................... Buonconvento (inhabited place)
  ........................... Campiglia dei Fosci (inhabited place)
  ........................... Casciano (inhabited place)
  ........................... [etc.]

   » Deserted settlements

For deserted settlements, position the record under the modern area where the site is located. If your source lists historical parents, you may link to them as well, provided you check with your supervisor. See also Historical Parents below.

• Example
• Top of the TGN hierarchies
  .. World (facet)
  .... North and Central America (continent)
  ........ Mexico (nation)
  ............ Chiapas (state)
  ................ Yaxchilán (deserted settlement)

   » Lost settlements

Lost settlements are known from literary accounts but their exact modern location is unknown. For lost settlements, position the place under the modern administrative division where scholars believe the place was located. If your source lists historical parents, you may link to them as well, after checking with your supervisor. See also Historical Parents below.

• Example
• Top of the TGN hierarchy (hierarchy root)
  .... World (facet)
  ........ Asia (continent)
  ............ Turkey (nation)
  ................ Dogu Anadolu (region)
  .................... Van Ili (province)
  ........................ Nevrd Norshen (lost settlement)
  
  
• If scholars do not know enough about the site of the lost settlement to position it in a specific modern administrative subdivision, position it under the modern broader context that contains it. If it is not even known in which modern nation the site is located, position it under a historic region. Do not position a lost settlement directly under a continent or general region.
  
  
• If scholars are uncertain if a place name known from literary sources corresponds to a modern site, you may do one of two things. 1) If scholars believe that it is very likely that a historic site was the same as the modern place, add the historical name to the record for the modern site, with an explanation in the Display Date (and Descriptive Note, if necessary). 2) If scholars are strongly divided or the association between the known site and the historical site is very tentative, do not include the historical names in the name for the modern site. Instead, make separate records for the known site and the lost settlement and link them as related places. See 3.3 Names and 3.6 Associative Relationships.

   » Metropolitan areas

Use authoritative sources to assign place types and build the hierarchy for a given metropolis. For large metropolitan areas with complex divisions, refer to other similar places in the TGN database to follow precedents and establish consistency when creating their subdivisions. Metropolitan areas differ one from another, and may include inhabited places, neighborhoods, suburbs, and various other official administrative divisions and informal divisions. See also chapter 3.5 Place Types.

• Example
• Top of the TGN hierarchy (hierarchy root)
  .... World (facet)
  ........ Asia (continent)
  ............ India (nation)
  ................ Delhi (union territory)
  .................... Delhi metropolitan area (metropolitan area)
  ........................ Arakpur (neighborhood)
  ........................ Azadpur (neighborhood)
  ........................ Basai Darapur (neighborhood)
  ........................ Dahirpur (neighborhood)
  ........................ Delhi (inhabited place)
  ........................ Delhi Cantonment (inhabited place)
  ........................ Friends Colony (neighborhood)
  ........................ Jhil Kuranga (neighborhood)
  ........................ Kalkaji (neighborhood)
  ........................ Kilokri (neighborhood)
  ........................ [etc.]
  
  
• Metropolis or city is larger than the higher subdivision: Large cities and metropolitan areas should be positioned under the correct level of administrative subdivision, so that they will be consistent with the rest of the hierarchy for that nation. However, there are a handful of rare exceptions to this rule (for example, when a metropolis has grown so large that it encompasses several administrative subdivisions that would normally be larger than the city). In the example below, the city of New York is placed directly under the state because the boundaries of the city contain several counties (in the USA, counties are typically the level administratively between state and inhabited place). The counties above the city of New York are all non-preferred parents for the city, but the default display must show only one preferred parent. If we chose one of the counties to be a preferred parent, it would confuse end users; therefore this rare exception to the hierarchy rule for the USA is allowed. Never create such a non-standard relationship for cities without first checking with your supervisor.
  
  
  • Example
  • Top of the TGN hierarchy (hierarchy root)
    .... World (facet )
    ........ North and Central America (continent)
    ............ United States (nation)
    ................ New York (state)
    .................... New York (inhabited place)
    ................................ Bronx (borough)
    ................................ Brooklyn (borough)
    ................................ Manhattan (borough)
    ................................ Queens (borough)
    ................................ Staten Island (borough)

[from the full record for the city of New York, showing five of its six parents; note that two of the county names are homographs of the borough names]

   » Parts of cities

Under a city, you may include neighborhoods, suburbs, and official administrative subdivisions such as urban districts and quarters. Large physical features or man-made entities (such as large parks) may be included for some of the world's largest cities.

• Be consistent. If you include any administrative subdivision of a given city, include all of them for that city. In the example below, all 20 rioni (municipalities) for Rome are included.
  
  
  • Example
  • Top of the TGN hierarchy (hierarchy root)
    .... World (facet )
    ........ Europe (continent)
    ............ Italy (nation)
    ................ Lazio (region)
    .................... Roma (province)
    ........................ Rome (inhabited place)
    ............................. Acilia (rione)
    ............................. Borgata Borghesina (rione)
    ............................. Borgata Fidene (rione)
    ............................. Capannelle (rione)
    ............................. Casalotti (rione)
    ............................. Casal Palocco (rione)
    ............................. Castel di Decima (rione)
    ............................. Castel di Leva (rione)
    ............................. [etc.]

   » Buildings, piazzas, and roads

Occasionally records for buildings may be included in TGN when the building is in the countryside and serves as a place name (e.g., for a monastery). Full records for architecture would properly be stored in their own separate authority. Piazzas, streets, and buildings within cities are generally not included in TGN; consult with your supervisor before adding one. A few important transcontinental roads are included.

   » Urban Expansion: When independent areas in a larger city

When possible, include the names of formerly independent places as neighborhoods or suburbs under the city.

• Example
• Top of the TGN hierarchy (hierarchy root)
  .... World (facet)
  ........ Europe (continent)
  ............ Austria (nation)
  ................ Vienna state (state)
  .................... Vienna (inhabited place)
  ......................... Altmannsdorf (suburb)
  ......................... Aspern (suburb)
  ..........................Atzgersdorf (suburb)
  ..........................Augarten (park)
  ..........................Breitenlee (suburb)
  ......................... Brigittenau (neighborhood)
  ......................... D$04obling (neighborhood)
  ......................... [etc.]
  
  
• Two methods: If a city has grown over time and encompasses formerly independent towns, you may do one of two things. 1) If the former town is now considered a neighborhood of the modern city, include the name of the former town in a record for a neighborhood or suburb under the city (as in the example above). This is the preferred method for cities that have subsumed several smaller towns as they grew. 2) If the city has grown up from a central core, and the name has changed but surrounding communities have not been subsumed, include the former names as variant names in the record for the city; do not make separate records for the former stages or boundaries of the city.
  
  
• Include former names: The names formerly associated with the place must be included somewhere in association with the modern place, either as a neighborhood or suburb, or as a former name for the place. A large modern city may include both historical names in the record for the city and separate children (suburbs or neighborhoods) that preserve the names of formerly independent surrounding communities. See also chapter 3.3 Names.
  

   » Urban Diminishment: When a large historical city is now smaller

If a large city has been deserted and subsequently occupied by several smaller modern towns (e.g., Thebes, Egypt in the example below), do the following: Make the modern district or other administrative unit the preferred parent for the modern towns, but link the towns to the historical larger city as a non-preferred parent. In the example below, the villages on the site of Thebes would have as preferred parent the governorate by which they are currently administered. However, in order to allow retrieval down the hierarchical path of historical Thebes, the villages have an alternate parent that is the site of the deserted settlement, Thebes (indicated in the example with "N," for "non-preferred parent"; see also Historical Parents below.

• Example
• Top of the TGN hierarchy (hierarchy root)
  .... World (facet )
  ........ Africa (continent)
  ............ Egypt (nation)
  ................ Upper Egypt (region)
  .................... Qina (governorate)
  ........................ Thebes (deserted settlement)
  ............................... Karnak (inhabited place) [N]
  ............................... Luxor (inhabited place) [N]
  ............................... Malkata (deserted settlement)
  ............................... Qurna (inhabited place) [N]
  ............................... Thebes, Necropolis of (necropolis)

3.1.1.5.6

Positioning Physical Features

   » Under a parent that contains the feature

A physical feature should be placed under the most specific level that contains it, i.e., under the entity at the lowest level in the hierarchical tree that has boundaries that contain the feature. For example, if a creek is located entirely in one county in the USA, put it under that county; if it crosses the county line into an adjacent county, place the creek under the larger entity in the hierarchy, which is the state. If a river runs through multiple nations, place it under the continent.

   » Physical features crossing boundaries

If a physical feature crosses a boundary, place it under the next highest level in the hierarchy. In other words, the river or mountain range that crosses a boundary should be placed under the level of the hierarchy that entirely contains it. For example, the Amazon River crosses national boundaries, so it is placed under the next highest level, the continent of South America.

• Example
• Top of the TGN hierarchy (hierarchy root)
  .... World (facet )
  ........ South America (continent)
  ............ Amazon River (river)
  

   » Physical parents for physical features

Physical features generally do not have other physical features as broader contexts (except for continent or island), but instead are positioned under the administrative subdivision, nation, or continent that contains them. In some rare exceptions, physical features may be positioned under other physical features (e.g., a mountain may be placed under the mountain range to which it belongs). Consult with your supervisor before doing so.

• If any physical feature is placed under a physical parent, all features belonging to that parent must be consistently linked to it too. Given that the focus of TGN is to edit inhabited places and other administrative entities, creating such hierarchies of physical features has a low priority.
  
  
  • Physical parents: Island groups and mountain ranges
    Occasional exceptions to the above rule may include islands placed under island groups, and mountains placed under major mountain ranges.
    
    
    • Be consistent: Maintain consistency when making such links for island groups or mountain ranges. For example, if you link some islands to an island chain, you must link all islands that belong to the chain.
      
      
  • Physical parents: Rivers
    In general, avoid creating hierarchical links between rivers and their tributaries, due to the extremely complex nature of such river systems and our higher editorial priorities.

   » Inhabited places on islands

For the preferred parent, inhabited places and physical features that are located on islands should usually be positioned under the island in the TGN hierarchy (as opposed to being placed under their administrative district). That is, the island will generally form a level in the hierarchy. This rule was necessary for island nations, and the rule was extended to include all islands in the database.

• In the example below, Denmark conceptually has one level of administrative subdivision: the county. However, Falster island forms an actual hierarchical level under a county; some towns are under Falster island and the mainland towns are directly under the county (that is, the towns of Falster island have one extra level of subdivision). This phenomenon occurs only with islands; if you wish to apply it to other situations, consult with your supervisor.
  
  
  • Example
    [for a county in Denmark]
  • Top of the TGN hierarchy (hierarchy root)
    .... World (facet )
    ........ Europe (continent)
    ............ Denmark (nation)
    ................ Storstrom (county)
    .................... Allerslev (inhabited place)
    .................... Barse (inhabited place)
    .................... Fakse (inhabited place)
    .................... Fakse Ladeplads (inhabited place)
    ..................... Falster (island)
    .............................. Eskilstrup (inhabited place)
    .............................. Gedser (inhabited place)
    .............................. Hampegard (deserted settlement)
    ............................... Hesnaes (inhabited place)
    .............................. Horbelev (inhabited place)
    .............................. [etc.]

   » Inhabited places on peninsulas and other physical features

The rule of placing inhabited places and physical features on islands was established to maintain consistency with island nations, where this is necessary. However, this rule is generally not applied to other physical features such as peninsulas or mountains, because they have ambiguous boundaries. Such entities generally have no hierarchical depth (i.e., they have no children). Do not place inhabited places on peninsulas, mountains, in river valleys, etc., without consulting your supervisor.

   » Vanished physical features

For vanished physical features - such as submerged islands, former mountains, valleys that have been flooded, etc. - position the record for the vanished feature under the modern place corresponding to where it was located. If its precise location is unknown, place it in the next higher level of the hierarchy of the modern world, at a level where scholars generally feel the site would be located (e.g., if scholars do not know the province where the former lake was located, place under the next highest administrative level, perhaps the nation). You may place lost physical features under continents if necessary (but inhabited places, deserted settlements, and lost settlements may never be placed directly under a continent). Do not place the vanished feature under a general region or under a historical state, nation, or empire.

• Example
• Top of the TGN hierarchies
  .... World (facet)
  ........ Europe (continent)
  ............ Sweden (nation)
  ................ Västra G$04otaland (county)
  .................... Yoldia Sea (former body of water)

3.1.1.5.7

Multiple parents
TGN is polyhierarchical. Places in TGN may be linked to multiple places as broader contexts (i.e., multiple parents). A place should have multiple broader contexts when its parent is disputed or it otherwise has multiple direct hierarchical relationships.

• In consultation with your supervisor, assign multiple parents to places in TGN as necessary to represent accurate polyhierarchical positions of inhabited places and other administrative entities. It is a lesser priority for physical features, which should be treated consistently, but only as time and priorities allow.
  

• Preferred parent
  One parent must be flagged as preferred. Make the preferred relationship to the parent that best fits the criteria as described in the cases below.
  
  
  • Display: Children displaying with a non-preferred parent are flagged with an upper-case N (for non-preferred) in square brackets in the hierarchy display.
    
    
  • Example

   » When inhabited places cross intra-national borders

If the area of an inhabited place crosses boundaries of intra-national administrative subdivisions (as may happen in the USA with a city belonging to two or more counties), the inhabited place should appear under both administrative subdivisions.

• Preferred parent: Choose as preferred parent the administrative unit that contains the largest physical portion of the child. If the area is equally divided or you do not know which contains the largest portion, choose as preferred the parent that falls first alphabetically. In the example below, the inhabited place straddles the county line, with the larger part in Nash county.
  
  
  • Example
    [preferred parent display]
    
  • Top of the TGN hierarchy (hierarchy root)
    .... World (facet )
    ........ North and Central America (continent)
    ............ United States (nation)
    ................ North Carolina (state)
    .................... Nash (county)
    ........................ Rocky Mount (inhabited place)
    
    [non-preferred parent display]
    
  • Top of the TGN hierarchy (hierarchy root)
    .... World (facet )
    ........ North and Central America (continent)
    ............ United States (nation)
    ................ North Carolina (state)
    .................... Edgecombe (county)
    ........................ Rocky Mount (inhabited place) [N]

[display in the Full Record for Rocky Mount]

   » Dependent states and dependencies

Different physical and political parents may be required for dependent states and dependencies. If an administrative entity is physically part of one area, but politically part of an entity that is physically separate, link it to both parents.

• Preferred parent: The preferred parent is the default parent under which the place will display in hierarchy displays and which will be its immediate parent in horizontal strings and other headings. Editorial policy differs depending upon the place type of the place, but policy must be applied consistently for all similar places across the TGN hierarchies. The rules below for choosing preferred parents are informed by the guiding principles of 1) common practice in authoritative publications and 2) the answer to this question: Under which hierarchy will users typically expect to find the place?
  
  
  • Dependent states: Political parent is preferred
    For entities that have preferred place type dependent state (which actually means the state is self-governing in many ways), make the physical relationship the preferred relationship, and the political relationship non-preferred. See the example of Bermuda below.
    
    
    • Example
      
    • Top of the TGN hierarchy (hierarchy root)
      ....World (facet )
      ....... North and Central America (continent)
      ........... Bermuda (dependent state)
      
      
    • Top of the TGN hierarchy (hierarchy root)
      ...World (facet )
      ....... Europe (continent )
      ........ United Kingdom (nation)
      ............ Bermuda (dependent state) [N]

• Non-autonomous entities: Political parent is preferred
  For entities with less autonomy, such as a dependency, an overseas province, or state, etc., make the political relationship the preferred relationship.

• Example
  Top of the TGN hierarchy (hierarchy root)
  .... World (facet )
  ....... North and Central America (continent)
  ........... United States (nation)
  ................ Hawaii (state)
  
  
• Top of the TGN hierarchy (hierarchy root)
  … World (facet )
  ….. Oceania (continent)
  ........ Hawaiian Islands (island group)
  ............ Hawaii (state) [N]

   » Islands' administrative divisions

Create subdivisions for islands as described below.

• Administrative subdivision as parent of the island
  If inhabited places are located on an island and the administrative subdivision encompasses the whole island, make a record for the island under the administrative subdivision of which it is a part, and place all the island's inhabited places and physical features under the island. Do not assign multiple parents to the places on the island.
  
  
  • Example
    Top of the TGN hierarchy (hierarchy root)
    .... World (facet )
    ........ Europe (continent)
    ............ Greece (nation)
    ................ Ionian Islands (region)
    .................... Kefallinía (department)
    ........................ Ithaca (island)
    ............................... Ithaca (inhabited place)

• Boundaries extend onshore
  If an island is divided by multiple administrative subdivisions that themselves also extend onshore, or if multiple islands form an administrative entity, for the inhabited places on the island, make their preferred parent the administrative subdivision and their non-preferred parent the island. In the example below, the county comprises several islands. Within a given nation, try to be consistent regarding the assignment of multiple parents for islands.
  
  
  • Example
  • Top of the TGN hierarchy (hierarchy root)
    .... World (facet )
    ........ Europe (continent)
    ............ Denmark (nation)
    ................. Storstrøm (county)
    ....................... Allerslev (inhabited place)
    
    
  • Top of the TGN hierarchy (hierarchy root)
    .... World (facet )
    ........ Europe (continent)
    ............ Denmark (nation)
    ................ Sjælland (island)
    ..................... Allerslev (inhabited place) [N]

• For an island itself divided into administrative divisions
  If an island is divided by multiple administrative subdivisions that do not extend onshore or to other islands, do not assign multiple parents to the inhabited places; make the administrative subdivision the immediate parent of the inhabited places, and make the island the immediate parent of the subdivision. If the administrative subdivisions extend onshore, see Boundaries extend onshore above.
  
  
• For an island coextensive with an administrative division
  In the rare case that the administrative division is precisely coextensive with the island (that is, there is no smaller island or continental land that forms part of the administrative subdivision), it is not necessary to assign multiple parents. Instead, the inhabited places and physical features should have the island as the immediate parent, and the island should have the next highest administrative level as its immediate parent. NOTE that the island in this case should have two place types, county and island. See also chapter 3.5 Place Types.
  
  
  • Example
  • Top of the TGN hierarchy (hierarchy root)
    .... World (facet )
    ........ North and Central America (continent)
    ............ Saint Kitts and Nevis (nation)
    ................ Nevis (island)
    ........................ Charlestown (inhabited place)

[Place Types for Nevis island]

3.1.1.5.8

Disputed territories
Consult with your supervisor before making such relationships.

   » Disputed jurisdiction

If jurisdiction over an area is disputed between two nations, and the international community recognizes the dispute (as reported in major reference sources and official publications), that area should appear as part of both nations.

   » Sources

Preferred sources for disputed areas are standard, published reference works (the CIA World Fact Book on line and the Encyclopedia Britannica Book of the Year include frequent updates regarding international disputes) and official reports from the United Nations or other neutral international organizations.

   » Preferred parent

Choose as the preferred parent the one that is generally recognized by the international community as having administrative authority. If this is unclear, choose the nation that has actual physical or military control of the area (illustrated in the example of the Gaza Strip below, with the hierarchy reflecting the status as of Summer 2005). If this is also unclear, choose as preferred the parent with the preferred name (in the vernacular language) that sorts first alphabetically. Keep in mind that you are choosing a so-called "preferred parent" for technical purposes only, and links to all parents will operate equally well in retrieval.

• Example
• Top of the TGN hierarchy (hierarchy root)
  .... World (facet )
  ........ Asia (continent)
  ............ Israel (nation)
  ................ Gaza Strip (occupied territory)
  
  
• Top of the TGN hierarchy (hierarchy root)
  .... World (facet )
  ........ Asia (continent)
  ............ Palestinian state (autonomous area)
  ................ Gaza Strip (occupied territory) [N]

3.1.1.5.9

General Regions
TGN includes general regions, which are recognized, named areas with undefined, controversial, or ambiguous borders. Examples include the Middle East, which refers to an area in southwestern Asia and northeastern Africa, but which has no defined borders and may be variously interpreted to mean a different set of nations. General regions are not organized political entities.

• Example
• Top of the TGN hierarchy (hierarchy root)
  .... World (facet )
  ........ Middle East (general region)

   » Children for general regions

General regions typically have no hierarchical depth, that is, they have no children. If you feel a general region should have children, consult with your supervisor.

   » General region vs. historical state

If you are considering adding a general region, make sure that you should not instead be making a historical state. For example, Flanders is a historical state because it had established boundaries and known rulers at various times in history; but the Middle East is a general region because it refers to several states.

3.1.1.5.10

Historical parents for inhabited places and deserted settlements

   » Preferred parent vs. historical parent

For inhabited places and deserted settlements, the preferred parent should be the location in the modern world where the site is located. You may assign additional, historical parents for extant places that were formerly part of another nation or state (as in the example below, Arezzo is currently in the nation of Italy but was formerly part of ancient Etruria).

• In general, assign historical parents only if the historical state is already part of TGN and if adding the inhabited place to its hierarchy will be consistent with the rest of the hierarchy for the historical parent. To assure greater consistency in the assignment of children to historical nations and states, the inhabited places should be linked to the historical parent according to an organized plan - from the top down - when the historical nation or state is created, not haphazardly when occasional inhabited places are created.
  
  
  • Example
  • Top of the TGN hierarchy (hierarchy root)
    .... World (facet )
    ........ Europe (continent)
    ............ Italy (nation)
    ................ Tuscany (region)
    .................... Arezzo (province)
    ........................ Arezzo (inhabited place)
    
    
  • Top of the TGN hierarchy (hierarchy root)
    .... World (facet )
    ........ Europe (continent)
    ............ Italian Peninsula (peninsula)
    ................ Etruria (former group of nations/states/cities)
    ...................... Arezzo (inhabited place) [N]

• Historical parents: Lost settlements
  In the rare case where scholars do not know the approximate modern site for a lost settlement, you may make a historical state the preferred parent for the lost settlement. See Positioning Inhabited Places: Lost Settlements above.

3.1.1.5.11

Historical parents for physical features
The preferred parent of a vanished or historical physical feature should be the modern area where it existed. In general, do not add additional, historical parents for physical features. If you feel a situation warrants adding historical parents to a physical feature, consult with your supervisor.

3.1.1.5.12

Building historical hierarchies
You may build historical hierarchies - that is, create records for historical nations, states, and empires from the top down - only in consultation with your supervisor. You must do extensive research and plan your hierarchy before constructing it.

   » What are the boundaries of the historical state?

The boundaries of the historical state typically have changed over time. As you assign names, children, and write notes about the state, assume the boundaries to include the broadest reach of the state. Note the extent of the boundaries and make general reference to the historical changes in boundaries in the Descriptive Note, if appropriate (see chapter 3.4).

   » What is the name of the state and its children?

For former nations or states, deserted settlements, lost settlements, and other administrative entities that do not exist in the current world, the preferred name should be the name currently most often used to refer to the place in scholarly literature in the English language. Try to use the same source for all the names in the historical hierarchy so that the hierarchy appears consistent. See chapter 3.3 Names: Historical names.

   » Historical nations' administrative subdivisions

Historical nations, states, and empires may have any one of three possible hierarchical statuses: 1) The historical state may have no children; 2) the historical state may have inhabited places as children but no administrative levels, so that inhabited places and deserted settlements are positioned directly under the historical state (which is their non-preferred parent); or 3) the historical state may have its own administrative subdivisions, reflecting the historical administrative levels of the state.

• Historical state has no children: Any historical state may currently be lacking children. If children are to be added, this will be done in a dedicated editorial project. Some historical states will never have children.
  
  
  • Recently changed boundaries: For entities with recently changed international borders, generally do not link the former children to the new state (e.g., USSR). Instead, describe the boundaries of the former nation in the descriptive note (see chapter 3.4).
    
    
    • Example
      [historical state, USSR, has no children]
    • Top of the TGN hierarchy (hierarchy root)
      .... World (facet)
      ........ Asia (continent)
      ............ Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics (former nation/state/empire)
      
      
  • For recently changed subdivisions within existing nations, generally do not link inhabited places to the former subdivision.
    
    
    • Example
      [a historical county has no children]
    • Top of the TGN hierarchy (hierarchy root)
      .... World (facet)
      ........ Europe (continent)
      ............ United Kingdom (nation)
      ................ England (country)
      .................... Avon (former administrative division)
      
      
• Historical state has inhabited places as children: For relatively small historical states, it is not necessary to add political subdivisions unless it is warranted by contributors' requests. Make the historical state the non-preferred parent for the most important inhabited places that were part of the state.
  
  
  • Example
    [historical state has inhabited places as immediate children, with no administrative subdivisions]
  • Top of the TGN hierarchy (hierarchy root)
    .... World (facet)