FamilySearch Wiki:WikiProject Gazetteers

Gazetteers Project for Emerging and Maturing Homelands (Not Canada or US)

Project Leader: Heather Mecham
Examples:
Angola Gazetteers page example
Iran Gazetteers page example
Malta Gazetteers page example
Moldova Gazetteers page example

Purpose: To update/standardize the gazetteers pages for each country. You will use a lot of your best judgement to make these pages better. Some of these pages won't have much information and some may have an incredible amount of information. Therefore, we may have to modify the template in the future. Please reach out anytime you have questions or have difficulties knowing where to place information.

Task List

Task List
Please complete the Gazetteers pages in the following order:

1. Emerging Homelands
2. Maturing Homelands
3. United States

Project Instructions

Part 1: Choose a Country and Prepare a Sandbox

Step 1: Go to the list and choose a country from the Emerging Homelands 2021 tab. All countries on other tabs are completed. Put your name under 'completed by' to claim it.
Step 2: Create a sandbox for this page.

Step 3: Copy and paste the code below into your sandbox:

{{COUNTRY-sidebar}}{{breadcrumb
| link1=[[COUNTRY Genealogy|COUNTRY]]
| link2=
| link3=
| link4=
| link5=[[COUNTRY Gazetteers|Gazetteers]]
}}

== Online Gazetteers ==
*[URL FamilySearch Places]
== Print Only Gazetteers == 

== Why Use Gazetteers ==

A gazetteer is a dictionary of place-names. Gazetteers list or describe towns and villages, parishes, states, populations, rivers and mountains, and other geographical features. They usually include only the names of places that existed at the time the gazetteer was published. Within a specific geographical area, the place-names are listed in alphabetical order, similar to a dictionary. You can use a gazetteer to locate the places where your family lived and to determine the civil and religious jurisdictions over those places. 

There are many places within a country with similar or identical place-names. You will need to use a gazetteer to identify the specific town where your ancestor lived, the state the town was or is in, and the jurisdictions where records about the person was kept.

=== Gazetteer Contents ===

Gazetteers may also provide additional information about towns, such as: 

*Different religious denominations 
*Schools, colleges, and universities
*Major manufacturers, canals, docks, and railroad stations
*The population size.
*Boundaries of civil jurisdiction.
*Ecclesiastical jurisdiction(s)
*Longitude and latitude.
*Distances and direction from other from cities.
*Schools, colleges, and universities.
*Denominations and number of churches.
*Historical and biographical information on some individuals (usually high-ranking or famous individuals)

[[Category:COUNTRY]]

Step 4: Replace COUNTRY with the name of your country. (This will create the country sidebar template and breadcrumb.)

Part 2: Check Resources on the Existing Page

Step 1. Go to the existing gazetteers page for the country. If there isn't one, go to Part 3.
Step 2. Click on each link. Any broken links don't need to be added to your sandbox.
Step 3. Copy any links that assist with understanding the geography or jurisdictions of your country into your sandbox under the "online gazetteers" or "print only gazetteers" depending on the type of resource.

Part 3: Find online and print only gazetteers

When you search, you might have to search by a country's colonial or alternative name. Also, try finding gazetteers by searching the country's continent.

Part 3A: Add FamilySearch Places Link

Step 1. Go here and search for your country.
Step 2. Select the search result you want.
. Then, copy the URL and add it to the page. Paste the following on the page:

*[URL FamilySearch Places]

Step 8: Go to the FamilySearch Catalog. Add publishing information. If the sources on the page aren't digitally available online, then place them under Print Only Gazetteers.

*[URL BOOK TITLE] AUTHOR, TITLE, PUBLISHER INFORMATION, YEAR

Step 9: Search "COUNTRY Gazetteer" at archive.org

*[URL BOOK TITLE] AUTHOR, PUBLISHER INFORMATION, YEAR

Step 10: Go to this website. Add country in the search bar.

*[URL BOOK TITLE] AUTHOR, PUBLISHER INFORMATION, YEAR

Step 11: Try that nation's archive website (you might have to translate "gazetteer" into that nation's language).

*[URL BOOK TITLE] AUTHOR, PUBLISHER INFORMATION, YEAR

Step 12: Automatically link to these websites:

* World Gazetteers at [https://archive.org/search.php?query=World%20Gazetteer Archive.org]

Step 13: Google Search for the name of your country and online gazetteers. (Avoid gazetteers that aren't helpful like animal or weather gazetteers. A Wikipedia list of places might be helpful.)
Step 14: Select Save changes.
Step 15: Double-check the page to make sure it looks alright. Make sure that the links under Online Gazetteers are actually digitally available online. All other sources should be under Print Only Gazetteers.
Step 16: Go back to the task list and add the finished date and the link to the page you created in your sandbox.

Gazetteers Project for United States

Project Leader: Heather Mecham
Examples:
Angola Gazetteers page example
Iran Gazetteers page example
Malta Gazetteers page example
Moldova Gazetteers page example
Purpose: To update/standardize the gazetteers pages for each state. You will use a lot of your best judgement to make these pages better. Some of these pages won't have much information and some may have an incredible amount of information. Therefore, we may have to modify the template in the future. Please reach out anytime you have questions or have difficulties knowing where to place information.

Task List

Task List Please complete the gazetteers pages in the following order:

1. Emerging Homelands
2. Maturing Homelands
3. United States

Project Instructions

Step 1: Go to the list and choose a state from the United States tab. Please finish all countries on the Emerging Homelands tab and the Maturing Homelands Tab before moving on to United States. Put your name under 'completed by' to claim it.
Step 2: Create a sandbox for this page.

Step 3: Drop this Wikicode onto the page:

{{XX-sidebar}}{{breadcrumb
| link1=[[United States Genealogy|United States]]
| link2=[[United States Gazetteers|U.S. Gazetteers]] 
| link3=[[STATE, United States Genealogy|STATE]] 
| link4=
| link5=[[STATE Gazetteers|Gazetteers]]
}}

== Online Gazetteers ==

== Print Only Gazetteers == 

== Why Use Gazetteers ==

A gazetteer is a dictionary of place-names. Gazetteers list or describe towns and villages, parishes, states, populations, rivers and mountains, and other geographical features. They usually include only the names of places that existed at the time the gazetteer was published. Within a specific geographical area, the place-names are listed in alphabetical order, similar to a dictionary. You can use a gazetteer to locate the places where your family lived and to determine the civil and religious jurisdictions over those places. 

There are many places within a state with similar or identical place-names. You will need to use a gazetteer to identify the specific town where your ancestor lived, the state the town was or is in, and the jurisdictions where records about the person was kept.

=== Gazetteer Contents ===

Gazetteers may also provide additional information about towns, such as: 

*Different religious denominations 
*Schools, colleges, and universities
*Major manufacturers, canals, docks, and railroad stations
*The population size.
*Boundaries of civil jurisdiction.
*Ecclesiastical jurisdiction(s)
*Longitude and latitude.
*Distances and direction from other from cities.
*Schools, colleges, and universities.
*Denominations and number of churches.
*Historical and biographical information on some individuals (usually high-ranking or famous individuals)

[[Category:STATE, United States]]

Step 4: Replace XX with the state's two letter abbreviation. This will create the sidebar.
Step 5: Replace STATE with the full name of your state. (This will create the state breadcrumbs.)

Step 6: Finding online and print only gazetteers

When you search, you might have to search by a state's colonial or alternative name. Check the following places to find a gazetteer:
Step 6: Use what is already on the page. If the sources on the page aren't digitally available online, then place them under Print Only Gazetteers.
Step 7: Under the heading online gazetteers, add a link for FamilySearch Places. Go here and search for your state. Then, copy the URL and add it to the page. Paste the following on the page:

*[URL FamilySearch Places]

Step 8: Go to the FamilySearch Catalog. Add publishing information. If the sources on the page aren't digitally available online, then place them under Print Only Gazetteers.

*[URL BOOK TITLE] AUTHOR, TITLE, PUBLISHER INFORMATION, YEAR

Step 9: Search "STATE Gazetteer" at archive.org

*[URL BOOK TITLE] AUTHOR, PUBLISHER INFORMATION, YEAR

Step 10: Go to this website. Add state in the search bar.

*[URL BOOK TITLE] AUTHOR, PUBLISHER INFORMATION, YEAR

Step 13: Google Search for the name of your state and online gazetteer. (Avoid gazetteers that aren't helpful like animal or weather gazetteers. A Wikipedia list of places might be helpful.)
Step 11: Select Save changes.
Step 12: Double-check the page to make sure it looks alright. Make sure that the links under Online Gazetteers are actually digitally available online. All other sources should be under Print Only Gazetteers.
Step 13: Go back to the task list and add the finished date and the link to the page you created in your sandbox.

Project Instructions for Canadian Provinces

Part 1 Select a Province and Create a Sandbox

Step 1: Go to the list and choose a province from the Maturing Homelands tab. Please finish all countries on the Emerging Homelands tab before moving on to the Maturing Homelands Tab. Put your name under 'completed by' to claim it.

Step 2: Create a sandbox for this page by typing in User:USERNAME/sandboxSANDBOX NAME. Replace USERNAME with your username and SANDBOX NAME with what you want to name your sandbox. You will get a notification that

Step 3: Copy and paste this Wikicode into your sandbox:

{{PROVINCE-sidebar}}{{breadcrumb
| link1=[[Canada Genealogy|Canada]]
| link2=[[PROVINCE Genealogy|PROVINCE]]
| link3=
| link4=
| link5=[[PROVINCE_Gazetteers|PROVINCE]]
}}

== Online Gazetteers ==
*[http://www.canadiangeographic.com/atlas/gazetteer.aspx?lang=En Canadian Atlas Online]
*[http://www4.rncan.gc.ca/search-place-names/search?lang=en Canadian Geographical Names Data Base (CGNDB)]
== Print Only Gazetteers == 

== Why Use Gazetteers ==

A gazetteer is a dictionary of place-names. Gazetteers list or describe towns and villages, parishes, states, populations, rivers and mountains, and other geographical features. They usually include only the names of places that existed at the time the gazetteer was published. Within a specific geographical area, the place-names are listed in alphabetical order, similar to a dictionary. You can use a gazetteer to locate the places where your family lived and to determine the civil and religious jurisdictions over those places. 

There are many places within a country with similar or identical place-names. You will need to use a gazetteer to identify the specific town where your ancestor lived, the state the town was or is in, and the jurisdictions where records about the person was kept.

=== Gazetteer Contents ===

Gazetteers may also provide additional information about towns, such as: 

*Different religious denominations 
*Schools, colleges, and universities
*Major manufacturers, canals, docks, and railroad stations
*The population size.
*Boundaries of civil jurisdiction.
*Ecclesiastical jurisdiction(s)
*Longitude and latitude.
*Distances and direction from other from cities.
*Schools, colleges, and universities.
*Denominations and number of churches.
*Historical and biographical information on some individuals (usually high-ranking or famous individuals)

[[Category:Canada Gazetteers]] [[Category:PROVINCE, Canada]]

Step 4: Replace PROVINCE with the name of your province. (This will create the province sidebar template and breadcrumb.)

Part 2: Finding online and print only gazetteers

When you search, you might have to search by a province's colonial or alternative name. Also, try finding gazetteers by searching the province's country. Check the following places to find a gazetteer:

Step 1: Use what is already on the page. If the sources on the page aren't digitally available online, then place them under Print Only Gazetteers.

Step 2: Under the heading "Online Gazetteers" add a link for FamilySearch Places. Go here and search for your province. Then, copy the URL and add it to the page. Paste the following on the page:

*[URL FamilySearch Places]

Step 3: Go to the FamilySearch Catalog. Search for your province. Go to the gazetteers entry in the list of search results. Search results are in alphabetical order. Click on the word gazetteers to see the catalog entries. Right-clik on each one to open it in a new tab to collect the URL for the catalog entry. Add publishing information. If the sources on the page aren't digitally available online, then place them under Print Only Gazetteers.

*[URL BOOK TITLE] AUTHOR, TITLE, PUBLISHER INFORMATION, YEAR

Step 4: Search "PROVINCE Gazetteer" at archive.org

*[URL BOOK TITLE] AUTHOR, PUBLISHER INFORMATION, YEAR

Step 5: Go to this website. Add province in the search bar.

*[URL BOOK TITLE] AUTHOR, PUBLISHER INFORMATION, YEAR

Step 6: Try that nation's archive website (you might have to translate "gazetteer" into that nation's language).

*[URL BOOK TITLE] AUTHOR, PUBLISHER INFORMATION, YEAR

Step 7: Automatically link to this website by copying and pasting the code below:

* World Gazetteers at [https://archive.org/search.php?query=World%20Gazetteer Archive.org]

Step 8: Google Search for your province and online gazetteers (Avoid gazetteers that aren't helpful like animal or weather gazetteers. A Wikipedia list of places might be helpful.)

Step 9: Select Save changes.

Step 10: Double-check the page to make sure it looks alright. Make sure that the links under Online Gazetteers are actually digitally available online. All other sources should be under Print Only Gazetteers. Red links are ok in the sidebar, but any red links in the page or for the category at the very bottom of the page are a sign there's a problem that needs to be fixed.

Step 11: Go back to the task list and add the finished date and the link to the page you created in your sandbox.