US "Standard" Databases
Some of these may no longer be available on the web, and some might be old and better options could exist.
Feature & source | Coverage Notes | Fields Used For Labels | File Name |
Geologic map (must be reprojected before use)--digital version of King's 1974 geologic map of the United States. | 12,934 polygons 161 units based on age and lithology |
UNIT + ROCKDESC | us\geology_king\geology-polygon.dbf |
Climate
divisions: 1991 National Climatic Data Center |
|
PRE_MEAN + PRE_STD TMP_MEAN + TMP_STD |
us\climate_div\climate_div.dbf |
Physiographic Provinces: (must be reprojected before use) Fenneman, N.M., and Johnson, D.W, 1946, Physical divisions of the United States | Codes for 8 major divisions, 25 provinces, and 86 sections representing distinctive areas having common topography, rock types and structure, and geologic and geomorphic history | FENCODE+PROVINCE+SECTION | us\fennprov\fennprov.dbf |
US Interstates from NOAA | us\interstates\in101503.shp | ||
USGS 24K Quad: names and locations of the 1:24K 7½' topographic quadrangles. | Must have field "NAME" | us\quads24K\24Kgird.dbf |
The files go in c:\mapdata\database\us, with each of these files having its own directory.
This was originally set up for use with the National Atlas, which is now defunct, so you will have to get your own shapefiles and set your selections for rivers, roads, states, and counties (perhaps for another country) in US smart outlines.
Last revision 2/17/2017