Database Use & Specifications

The New Zealand Place Names Database contains place names that appear on the LINZ Topographic NZMS260 map series.

The names on topographic maps are not all official names approved by the New Zealand Geographic Board Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa (NZGB). Similarly, not all official names appear on topographic maps. Official names are listed in the New Zealand Gazetteer of Official Geographic Names (the Gazetteer).

Note that maintenance of the database ended on 31 October 2008.

Place names included in the database

The database contains 55,000 names sourced from the following LINZ resources:

• LINZ's topographic data
• the Gazetteer published by the NZGB (for names within the main New Zealand islands)
• maps and charts.

The database does not contain the names of:

• street and road names, state highways
• reserves, parks, conservation areas
• offshore islands (including the Chatham, Auckland, Antipodes, Campbell, Raoul, Snares and Bounty Islands) and Pacific islands
• undersea features
• the Ross Sea region of Antarctica.

Use of macrons

Macrons for Māori names are not displayed in the place names database due to technical limitations. The NZGB has compiled a list of official names with macrons to assist in mapping, charting, signage, reporting, legislation, or other official documents.

Conditions of use

The data may be freely distributed provided that the following conditions are met and included with the data:

1. Acknowledge the source. Where place names data, maps or other images are reproduced, derived or copied from LINZ material, the following acknowledgement note must be shown on the product and associated media:
   
   Sourced from Land Information New Zealand, [date]. Crown copyright reserved.
   
   
2. Do not change the spelling or dataset composition unless a decision has been made by the NZGB.
3. LINZ does not accept responsibility for any problem that occurs if the data is downloaded, translated or imported into another format or computer program.
4. These above conditions of use are to be included with any copied or adapted data.

For feedback on the place names database, please contact the NZGB.