---
abstract: 'An ontology of geographic kinds is designed to yield a better understanding of the structure of the geographic world, and to support the development of geographic information systems that are conceptually sound. This paper first demonstrates that geographical objects and kinds are not just larger versions of the everyday objects and kinds previously studied in cognitive science. Geographic objects are not merely located in space, as are the manipulable objects of table-top space. Rather, they are tied intrinsically to space, and this means that their spatial boundaries are in many cases the most salient features for categorization. The ontology presented here will accordingly be based on topology (the theory of boundary, contact and separation) and on mereology (the theory of extended wholes and parts). Geographic reality comprehends mesoscopic entities, many of which are best viewed as shadows cast onto the spatial plane by human reasoning and language. Because of this, geographic categories are much more likely to show cultural differences in category definitions than are the manipulable objects of table-top space.'
altloc:
- http://www.geog.buffalo.edu/ncgia/i21/SDH98.html
chapter: ~
commentary: ~
commref: ~
confdates: 12-15 July
conference: 'Proceedings, International Symposium on Spatial Data Handling'
confloc: 'Vancouver, Canada'
contact_email: ~
creators_id: []
creators_name:
- family: Smith
given: B
honourific: ''
lineage: ''
- family: Mark
given: D M
honourific: ''
lineage: ''
date: 1998
date_type: published
datestamp: 1998-06-08
department: ~
dir: disk0/00/00/03/00
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eprint_status: archive
eprintid: 300
fileinfo: /style/images/fileicons/text_html.png;/300/1/ontology.html
full_text_status: public
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isbn: ~
ispublished: inpress
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item_issues_count: 0
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keywords: 'ontology, mereology, geographic kinds, entity types, GIS'
lastmod: 2011-03-11 08:53:48
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longitude: ~
metadata_visibility: show
note: ~
number: ~
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refereed: FALSE
referencetext: ~
relation_type: []
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reportno: ~
rev_number: 8
series: ~
source: ~
status_changed: 2007-09-12 16:26:26
subjects:
- bio-socio
- phil-metaphys
- soc-psy
succeeds: ~
suggestions: ~
sword_depositor: ~
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thesistype: ~
title: Ontology and geographic kinds
type: confpaper
userid: 144
volume: ~