GNS places database
Contact Mark Mulligan . Click here to access the data (requires Google Earth version 4+).How to use (video) (requires Adobe flash ).
This database is compiled from the US National Geospatial Intelligence Agency GEONET Names Server database (GNS) as of March 2006. The GNS contains more than 4 million features globally and has been rebuilt here as Google Earth KML in 5 by 5 degree tiles. Zoom in and you will see the tiles appear. Zoom in further to a tile and the places will begin to appear as blue icons with names. Click on an icon for further details on the place. Click on any placemark for further information about it from the database.
Places database (view of Himalaya) in Google Earth
Note that the database is used in raw form and there are sometimes multiple records for one place, with different spellings for example. Moreover there is likely to be positional error in the location of features. Coordinates in the GNS are approximate and are intended for finding purposes only.Please take these considerations into account in your use of the data. If you see errors please use the built-in Geowiki to correct them.
Places database (view of rural Sarawak) in Google Earth