3. Working Group on Toponymic Terminology

Convenor

Staffan Nyström (Sweden) E-mail Mr. Nyström (staffan.nystrom@nordiska.uu.se)

Work programme

The main task of the Working Group since its inception in 1991 has been to develop a revised Glossary of toponymic terminology. This has been completed and review and updating is now undertaken on an ongoing basis (in accordance with resolution VIII/3 from 2002).

Publication

The United Nations published the Glossary of Terms for the Standardization of Geographical Names in 2002. The Glossary consists of six language versions (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish) combined in one volume with appropriate cross-referencing.

The Glossary can be purchased as a United Nations Publication (Sales No. M.01.XVII.7). Also the text can be accessed as a .pdf document on the UNGEGN website (http://unstats.un.org/unsd/geoinfo/glossary.pdf)

Additions and changes to the Glossary for the period 2002-07 have been prepared in the six languages and are available on the UNGEGN website (http://unstats.un.org/unsd/geoinfo/glossary_add.htm).

Working group meetings

The Working Group met with other UNGEGN initiatives in Uppsala (Sweden) in October 2010; in Vienna in May 2008; and some members met with the ICOS terminology group in Toronto in August 2008.

The Working Group met during the Ninth Conference when the text of additions to the Glossary for 2002-07 was finalized.

Recent reports of the Working Group