The new list of Polish geographical names of the World – the rules of its eleboration in comparison to previous publications
Journal Title: Polish Cartographical Review - Year 2014, Vol 46, Issue 2
Abstract
Official list of Polish geographical names of the world, prepared by the Commission on Standardization of Geographical Names Outside the Republic of Poland, was published at the end of the year 2013. It is the second publication comprising Polish names of all the world. The previous one, titled Polskie nazwy geograficzne świata (Polish geographical names of the world) was published in 1994-1996. The list has the official status, and the Polish names it includes should be used by public institutions performing their activities within the borders of Poland. Its elaboration results also from the recommendation of the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names. The list includes the names of geographical features from all continents as well as undersea features. It does not, however, include the objects which are entirely located within the borders of Poland. The list refers only to the features for which the Polish geographical names are recommended, i.e. names spelled differently than the original ones. The list contains the Polish names of 13,358 geographical features (principal names). Most of them are placed in the chapter with European countries – 9646; the most represented countries are Ukraine (2222 features) and Belarus (2020). Since some names are repeated in lists for several countries (names of transboundary features), the total number of names is 14,975. In addition, 238 Polish variant names are also included as well as 254 long forms of names, used mostly in official relations. Compared to the previous publication, the Commission has significantly extended the number of recommended Polish names for geographical features (mostly towns and cities) that lay on areas which belonged to Poland before the second world war. Therefore, the lists of Polish names from Lithuania, Belarus and Ukraine have been enlarged. The list is divided into 8 parts (chapters). Seven of them refer to the parts of the world and the last one comprises undersea features. Each chapter begins with a list of recommended Polish names of the great regional units and oceans. Next, the names are posted according to alphabetically arranged countries and non-self-governing territories. Names of geographical features within the countries and territories are divided into 59 categories which appear specifically for each particular country or territory. In the eighth chapter, which comprises undersea features, the names are placed according to their location within 5 oceans, with those located in the Baltic and in the Mediterranean Sea listed separately. Undersea features in chapter 8 are divided into 14 categories. Localities are most numerous of all the categories (5238 features), followed by administrative units (1669) and rivers (667). Each entity referring to a particular object includes its Polish name, the original names (in Romanized form if necessary) and geographical coordinates. Entities are occasionally supplemented with additional information. An index of Polish names completes the publication. Translated by M. Horodyski
Authors and Affiliations
MACIEJ ZYCH
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