Identification_Information:
  Citation:
    Citation_Information:
      Originator: U.S. Geological Survey
      Publication_Date: 199911
      Title: State Boundaries of the United States
      Publication_Information:
        Publication_Place: Reston, Virginia
        Publisher: U.S. Geological Survey
      Online_Linkage: <http://nationalatlas.gov/atlasftp.html>
  Description:
    Abstract:
      This data set portrays the State boundaries of the United States, Puerto 
      Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.  The data set was created by extracting 
      the State boundary polygons from the individual 1:2,000,000-scale State 
      boundary Digital Line Graph (DLG) files produced by the U.S. Geological 
      Survey.  These files were then merged into a single coverage.  This is a 
      revised version of the March 1999 data set.
    Purpose:
      These data are intended for geographic display and analysis at the 
      national level, and for large regional areas.  The data should be 
      displayed and analyzed at scales appropriate for 1:2,000,000-scale data.  
      No responsibility is assumed by the U.S. Geological Survey in the use of
      these data.  

  Time_Period_of_Content:
    Time_Period_Information:
      Range_of_Dates/Times:
        Beginning_Date: 1972
        Ending_Date: 1999
    Currentness_Reference: Ground condition
  Status:
    Progress: Complete
    Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency: Irregular
  Spatial_Domain:
    Bounding_Coordinates:
      West_Bounding_Coordinate: 170
      East_Bounding_Coordinate: -64
      North_Bounding_Coordinate: 72
      South_Bounding_Coordinate: 17

  Keywords:
    Theme:
      Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
      Theme_Keyword: boundaries
      Theme_Keyword: State boundaries
      Theme_Keyword: States
    Place:
      Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
      Place_Keyword: United States
      Place_Keyword: USA
    Place:
      Place_Keyword_Thesaurus:  
        U.S. Department of Commerce, 1987, Codes for the Identification of the 
        States, the District of Columbia and the Outlying Areas of The United 
        States, and Associated Areas (Federal Information Processing Standard
        5-2):  Washington, D.C., National Institute of Standards and Technology.
      Place_Keyword: Alabama
      Place_Keyword: Alaska
      Place_Keyword: Arizona
      Place_Keyword: Arkansas
      Place_Keyword: California
      Place_Keyword: Colorado
      Place_Keyword: Connecticut
      Place_Keyword: Delaware
      Place_Keyword: District of Columbia
      Place_Keyword: Florida
      Place_Keyword: Georgia
      Place_Keyword: Hawaii
      Place_Keyword: Idaho
      Place_Keyword: Illinois
      Place_Keyword: Indiana
      Place_Keyword: Iowa
      Place_Keyword: Kansas
      Place_Keyword: Kentucky
      Place_Keyword: Louisiana
      Place_Keyword: Maine
      Place_Keyword: Maryland
      Place_Keyword: Massachusetts
      Place_Keyword: Michigan
      Place_Keyword: Minnesota
      Place_Keyword: Mississippi
      Place_Keyword: Missouri
      Place_Keyword: Montana
      Place_Keyword: Nebraska
      Place_Keyword: Nevada
      Place_Keyword: New Hampshire
      Place_Keyword: New Jersey
      Place_Keyword: New Mexico
      Place_Keyword: New York
      Place_Keyword: North Carolina
      Place_Keyword: North Dakota
      Place_Keyword: Ohio
      Place_Keyword: Oklahoma
      Place_Keyword: Oregon
      Place_Keyword: Pennsylvania
      Place_Keyword: Rhode Island
      Place_Keyword: South Carolina
      Place_Keyword: South Dakota
      Place_Keyword: Tennessee
      Place_Keyword: Texas
      Place_Keyword: Utah
      Place_Keyword: Vermont
      Place_Keyword: Virginia
      Place_Keyword: Washington
      Place_Keyword: West Virginia
      Place_Keyword: Wisconsin
      Place_Keyword: Wyoming
      Place_Keyword: Puerto Rico
      Place_Keyword: Virgin Islands
      Place_Keyword: U.S. Virgin Islands

  Access_Constraints: None
  Use_Constraints: 
    None.  Acknowledgment of the National Atlas of the United States of America 
    and (or) the U.S. Geological Survey would be appreciated in products derived 
    from these data.  

  Point_of_Contact:
    Contact_Information:
      Contact_Person_Primary:
        Contact_Person: Steve Kambly
        Contact_Organization: U.S. Geological Survey
      Contact_Address:
        Address_Type: mailing and physical address
        Address: 561 National Center
        City: Reston
        State_or_Province: VA
        Postal_Code: 20192
      Contact_Voice_Telephone: 703-648-5094
      Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: skambly@usgs.gov

Data_Quality_Information:
  Logical_Consistency_Report: 
    The data set was checked for topological consistency using the Arc/INFO 
    command BUILD.  No other checks for logical consistency were performed on 
    this data set.
  Completeness_Report:
    This data set includes State boundaries for all 50 States, Puerto Rico, and 
    the U.S. Virgin Islands.  Data completeness generally reflects the content 
    of the original DLG files.

  Lineage:
    Source_Information:
      Source_Citation:
        Citation_Information:
          Originator: U.S. Geological Survey
          Publication_Date: 1995
          Title: 1:2,000,000-scale Digital Line Graph Data - Boundaries
          Publication_Information:
            Publication_Place: Reston, VA
            Publisher: U.S. Geological Survey
      Source_Scale_Denominator: 2000000
      Type_of_Source_Media: CD-ROM
      Source_Time_Period_of_Content:
        Time_Period_Information:
          Range_of_Dates/Times:
            Beginning_Date: 1970
            Ending_Date: 1995
        Source_Currentness_Reference: publication date
      Source_Citation_Abbreviation: 2MILBD
      Source_Contribution: spatial and attribute information

    Source_Information:
      Source_Citation:
        Citation_Information:
          Originator: U.S. Geological Survey
          Publication_Date: 1998
          Title: State Boundaries of the United States
          Publication_Information:
            Publication_Place: Reston, Virginia
            Publisher: U.S. Geological Survey
      Source_Scale_Denominator: 2000000
      Type_of_Source_Media: online
      Source_Time_Period_of_Content:
        Time_Period_Information:
          Single_Date/Time:
            Calendar_Date: 1998
        Source_Currentness_Reference: publication date
      Source_Citation_Abbreviation: ATLAS-STATES98
      Source_Contribution: spatial and attribute information

    Source_Information:
      Source_Citation:
        Citation_Information:
          Originator: U.S. Geological Survey
          Publication_Date: 1998
          Title: Hydrography Features of the United States
          Publication_Information:
            Publication_Place: Reston, Virginia
            Publisher: U.S. Geological Survey
      Source_Scale_Denominator: 2000000
      Type_of_Source_Media: online
      Source_Time_Period_of_Content:
        Time_Period_Information:
          Single_Date/Time:
            Calendar_Date: 1998
        Source_Currentness_Reference: publication date
      Source_Citation_Abbreviation: ATLAS-HY98
      Source_Contribution: spatial information

    Source_Information:
      Source_Citation:
        Citation_Information:
          Originator: U.S. Geological Survey
          Publication_Date: 199903
          Title: Hydrography Features of the United States
          Publication_Information:
            Publication_Place: Reston, Virginia
            Publisher: U.S. Geological Survey
      Source_Scale_Denominator: 2000000
      Type_of_Source_Media: online
      Source_Time_Period_of_Content:
        Time_Period_Information:
          Single_Date/Time:
            Calendar_Date: 199903
        Source_Currentness_Reference: publication date
      Source_Citation_Abbreviation: ATLAS-HY9903
      Source_Contribution: spatial and attribute information

    Source_Information:
      Source_Citation:
        Citation_Information:
          Originator: U.S. Geological Survey
          Publication_Date: 199903
          Title: State Boundaries of the United States
          Publication_Information:
            Publication_Place: Reston, Virginia
            Publisher: U.S. Geological Survey
      Source_Scale_Denominator: 2000000
      Type_of_Source_Media: online
      Source_Time_Period_of_Content:
        Time_Period_Information:
          Single_Date/Time:
            Calendar_Date: 1999
        Source_Currentness_Reference: publication date
      Source_Citation_Abbreviation: ATLAS-STATES9903
      Source_Contribution: spatial and attribute information

    Source_Information:
      Source_Citation:
        Citation_Information:
          Originator: U.S. Geological Survey
          Publication_Date: unknown
          Title: 1:100,000-scale USGS topographic sheets
          Publication_Information:
            Publication_Place: Reston, Virginia
            Publisher: U.S. Geological Survey
      Source_Scale_Denominator: 100000
      Type_of_Source_Media: paper
      Source_Time_Period_of_Content:
        Time_Period_Information:
          Single_Date/Time:
            Calendar_Date: unknown
        Source_Currentness_Reference: publication date
      Source_Citation_Abbreviation: 1:100,000-scale base maps
      Source_Contribution: spatial and attribute information

    Process_Step:
      Process_Description:
        The 2MILBD data files were originally digitized by the National Mapping 
        Division based on the sectional maps contained in 'The National Atlas of 
        the United States of America' published by the USGS in 1970.  The 
        sectional maps were updated during 1978-1981 and digitized in the early 
        1980's.  The data were updated again in the early 1990's by the USGS and 
        published on CD-ROM in 1995 as State DLGs.  These DLG files were updated 
        in 1997.  Using Arc/INFO software, the DLG optional format files were
        converted to Arc/INFO coverages using the DLGARC command.  Only State 
        political boundaries and attribute information were extracted for 
        inclusion.  The file was compared to ATLAS-HY98.  State boundary lines 
        that crossed open water were excluded for graphic purposes, and polygons
        that represented islands were attributed with the appropriate State 
        information.  The individual State coverages were then merged together 
        using the Arc/INFO command MAPJOIN.  "Slivers" created during the 
        MAPJOIN process were identified and deleted using the ELIMINATE
        command. 
      Source_Used_Citation_Abbreviation: 2MILBD
      Source_Used_Citation_Abbreviation: ATLAS-HY98
      Process_Date: 1998
      Source_Produced_Citation_Abbreviation: ATLAS-STATES98

    Process_Step:
      Process_Description:
        The spatial features in ATLAS-STATES98 were compared to ATLAS-HY9903 and 
        modified where necessary.  Incorrect attributes were corrected.  Puerto 
        Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands were added. 
      Source_Used_Citation_Abbreviation: ATLAS-STATES98
      Source_Used_Citation_Abbreviation: ATLAS-HY9903
      Process_Date: 1999
      Source_Produced_Citation_Abbreviation: ATLAS-STATES9903
   
    Process_Step:
      Process_Description:
        A minor adjustment was made to the shoreline in Galveston Bay, Texas.
      Source_Used_Citation_Abbreviation: ATLAS-STATES9903
      Source_Used_Citation_Abbreviation: 1:100,000 scale base maps
      Process_Date: 1999


Spatial_Data_Organization_Information:
  Indirect_Spatial_Reference:
    U.S. Department of Commerce, 1987, Codes for the Identification of the 
    States, the District of Columbia and the Outlying Areas of the United 
    States, and Associated Areas (FIPS 5-2): Washington, D.C., National 
    Institute of Standards and Technology.           

  Direct_Spatial_Reference_Method: Vector
  Point_and_Vector_Object_Information:
    SDTS_Terms_Description:
      SDTS_Point_and_Vector_Object_Type: GT-polygon composed of chains
      Point_and_Vector_Object_Count: 2902

Spatial_Reference_Information:
  Horizontal_Coordinate_System_Definition:
    Geographic:
      Latitude_Resolution: 0.000278
      Longitude_Resolution: 0.000278
      Geographic_Coordinate_Units: Decimal degrees
    Geodetic_Model:
      Horizontal_Datum_Name: North American Datum of 1983
      Ellipsoid_Name: GRS1980
      Semi-major_Axis: 6378137
      Denominator_of_Flattening_Ratio: 298.257222

Entity_and_Attribute_Information:
  Detailed_Description:
    Entity_Type:
      Entity_Type_Label: States (described by Statesp020.dbf)
      Entity_Type_Definition: 
        First order division of a nation, including States and State 
        equivalents.
      Entity_Type_Definition_Source: U.S. Geological Survey
    Attribute:
      Attribute_Label: Shape
      Attribute_Definition: The representation of the entity in the data.
      Attribute_Definition_Source: U.S. Geological Survey
      Attribute_Domain_Values:
        Enumerated_Domain:
          Enumerated_Domain_Value: Polygon
          Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition: 2-dimensional element
          Enumerated_Domain_Value_Definition_Source: ESRI GIS software
    Attribute:
      Attribute_Label: Area
      Attribute_Definition: The size of the shape in coverage units.
      Attribute_Definition_Source: U.S. Geological Survey
      Attribute_Domain_Values:
        Range_Domain:
          Range_Domain_Minimum: 0.000
          Range_Domain_Maximum: 267.354
    Attribute:
      Attribute_Label: Perimeter
      Attribute_Definition: The perimeter of the shape in coverage units.
      Attribute_Definition_Source: U.S. Geological Survey
      Attribute_Domain_Values:
       Range_Domain:
          Range_Domain_Minimum: 0.010
          Range_Domain_Maximum: 374.680
    Attribute:
      Attribute_Label: Statesp020
      Attribute_Definition: Internal feature number
      Attribute_Definition_Source: U.S. Geological Survey
      Attribute_Domain_Values:
        Range_Domain:
          Range_Domain_Minimum: 2
          Range_Domain_Maximum: 2903
    Attribute: 
      Attribute_Label: State 
      Attribute_Definition: The name of the State or State equivalent. 
      Attribute_Definition_Source: U.S. Geological Survey 
      Attribute_Domain_Values: 
        Codeset_Domain: 
          Codeset_Name: 
            Codes for the Identification of the States, the District of Columbia 
            and the Outlying Areas of the United States, and Associated Areas, 
            FIPS 5-2. 
          Codeset_Source: 
            U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and 
            Technology
    Attribute:
      Attribute_Label: State_fips
      Attribute_Definition: 
        The 2-digit FIPS code of the State or State equivalent.
      Attribute_Definition_Source: U.S. Geological Survey
      Attribute_Domain_Values:
        Codeset_Domain:
          Codeset_Name: 
            Codes for the Identification of the States, the District of Columbia 
            and the Outlying Areas of the United States, and Associated Areas,
            FIPS 5-2.
          Codeset_Source: 
            U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and 
            Technology

Distribution_Information:
  Distributor:
    Contact_Information:
      Contact_Organization_Primary:
        Contact_Organization: 
          Earth Science Information Center, U.S. Geological Survey
      Contact_Address:
        Address_Type: mailing address
        Address: 507 National Center
        City: Reston
        State_or_Province: VA
        Postal_Code: 20192
      Contact_Voice_Telephone: 1-888-ASK-USGS (1-888-275-8747)
      Contact_Voice_Telephone: 703-648-5920
      Contact_Instructions: 
        In addition to the address above there are other ESIC offices throughout 
        the country.  A full list of these offices is at
        <http://mapping.usgs.gov/esic/esic_index.html>.

  Distribution_Liability: 
    Although these data have been processed successfully on a computer system at 
    the U.S. Geological Survey, no warranty expressed or implied is made by the 
    U.S. Geological Survey regarding the utility of the data on any other  
    system, nor shall the act of distribution constitute any such warranty.  No 
    responsibility is assumed by the U.S. Geological Survey in the use of these 
    data.  
  Standard_Order_Process:
    Digital_Form:
      Digital_Transfer_Information:
        Format_Name: ESRI Shapefile
      Digital_Transfer_Option:
        Online_Option:
          Computer_Contact_Information:
            Network_Address:
              Network_Resource_Name: 
                <http://nationalatlas.gov/atlasftp.html>
      Digital_Transfer_Option:
        Offline_Option:
          Offline_Media: CD_ROM
          Recording_Format:tar
    Digital_Form: 
      Digital_Transfer_Information: 
        Format_Name: SDTS 
      Digital_Transfer_Option: 
        Online_Option: 
          Computer_Contact_Information: 
            Network_Address: 
              Network_Resource_Name:
                <http://nationalatlas.gov/atlasftp.html>
      Digital_Transfer_Option:
        Offline_Option:
          Offline_Media: CD_ROM
          Recording_Format:tar
    Fees:
      There is no charge for the online option.  For National Atlas files 
      ordered on CD-ROM there is a base price of $45.00 per disc, a handling fee 
      of $5.00, and a per-file charge based on file size.  The charge for files 
      less than 10 megabytes in size is $1.00.  The charge for files that range
      in size from 10 to 150 megabytes is $7.50.  The charge for files of 150 
      megabytes or larger is $15.00.  The charge is $1.00 for the State
      Boundaries of the United States data set.
    Ordering_Instructions:
      To order files on CD-ROM, please see
      <http://nationalatlas.gov/atlasftp.html#q12>.

Metadata_Reference_Information:
  Metadata_Date: 20010906
  Metadata_Contact:
    Contact_Information:
      Contact_Person_Primary:
        Contact_Person: Peg Rawson
        Contact_Organization: U.S. Geological Survey
      Contact_Address:
        Address_Type: mailing address
        Address: 521 National Center
        City: Reston
        State_or_Province: VA
        Postal_Code: 20192
      Contact_Voice_Telephone: 703-648-4183
      Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: atlasmail@usgs.gov
  Metadata_Standard_Name: 
    FGDC Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata 
  Metadata_Standard_Version: FGDC-STD-001-1998
  Metadata_Security_Information: 
    Metadata_Security_Classification_System: None
    Metadata_Security_Classification: Unclassified
    Metadata_Security_Handling_Description: None
