Gazetteer of Hungary

Gazetteer of Hungary (FNT)

The gazetteer-database under the responsibility of FÖMI contains 40 types of geographical names including the names of settlements, parts of settlements, landscapes, large units of the land, woods, nature conservation areas, relief and hydrography, names of conspicuous points (ruin, lookout tower etc.) as well as the names of the most important objects of traffic. It is a Database of Geographical Names (FNT – Földrajzinév-tár).

One record of name determines the position of the geographical object by the name of the county and settlement in which the object exist as well as by its EOV(Uniform National projection System) and/or geographical co-ordinates The record of name contains the type of the name (hill, lake, cave etc., altogether 40 types), the versions of the name, the source of the name and its source. Other attributes are the number of the inhabitants, height etc. In the “remarks” field there are references on administrative changes, the situations (subordinated, over ordinated), the object extends to an other settlement etc.

By its content the database is structured by settlements, which means, that a geographical object - extending over more settlement – can be found as much as the number of the settlements. By logic the structure of the database consists of records of name, there is no hierarchy between the records.

The database has two versions. Name density of the first one (FNT1) corresponds to a topographic map in scale 1:40000. This database was produced by the use of 300 sources (maps, geographical literature, economical, statistical sources), and each municipality had the chance to complete, modify the database reflecting the local use of name.

FNT1 covers the whole territory of Hungary, the process of updating is continuous.

The name density of FNT2 corresponds to the topographic map in scale 1:10000, its readiness is 30%. Its source is the FNT1 with its sources and the original cadastral map in scale 1:2880. The database is produced on location with the involvement of the inhabitants, the employees of the municipalities, field or wood companies etc.

Special uses:
Collecting names of a polygon given by EOV co-ordinates, determination of connections of tributaries to a river etc.

Examples:
1. Somebody wanted to buy the fields of his ancestors but he did not know the name of the settlement, only the name of the large units of the land. With the help of FNT he could find the place.
2. A linguist began to research a name because he supposed turkish (cumanian) etymology behind a commonly used geographical name.