Geography Exceptions to the Rule: Difference between revisions
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! Alternate names !! | ! Alternate names !! Present-day equivalent | ||
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| Abyssinia || Ethiopia | | Abyssinia || Ethiopia | ||
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| East Pakistan || Bangladesh | | East Pakistan || Bangladesh | ||
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| East Prussia || Parts of Russia, Poland, and Lithuania | | East Prussia || Parts of present-day Russia, Poland, and Lithuania | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Formosa || Taiwan | | Formosa || Taiwan | ||
|- | |- | ||
| French Indochina || Region | | French Indochina || Region encompassing present-day Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia | ||
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| French West Africa || Region of several present-day West African countries | | French West Africa || Region of several present-day West African countries | ||
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| Gold Coast || Ghana | | Gold Coast || Ghana | ||
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| Hispaniola || | | Hispaniola || Island comprising present-day Haiti and the Dominican Republic | ||
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| Île Bourbon || Réunion, France | | Île Bourbon || Réunion, France | ||
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| Kaiser-Wilhelmsland || | | Kaiser-Wilhelmsland || Northeastern New Guinea, now part of Papua New Guinea | ||
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| Kamerun || Primarily Cameroon; portions | | Kamerun || Primarily Cameroon; also included portions of several neighboring present-day countries | ||
|- | |- | ||
|Lower California || Baja California, Mexico | | Lower California || Baja California Peninsula, Mexico | ||
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| Macedonia || | | Macedonia || Historical geographic region encompassing parts of present-day North Macedonia, Greece, and Bulgaria | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Malaya || Primarily Peninsular Malaysia | | Malaya || Primarily Peninsular Malaysia | ||
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| New Granada || | | New Granada || Historical territory primarily encompassing present-day Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, and Venezuela | ||
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| New Hebrides || Vanuatu | | New Hebrides || Vanuatu | ||
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| Portuguese East Africa || Mozambique | | Portuguese East Africa || Mozambique | ||
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| Prussia || Parts of | | Prussia || Parts of present-day Germany, Poland, Russia, Lithuania, and other neighboring areas, depending on the historical period | ||
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| Siam || Thailand | | Siam || Thailand | ||
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| Tanganyika || Tanzania | | Tanganyika || Tanzania | ||
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| Tonkin/Tongkin/Tongquin || | | Tonkin/Tongkin/Tongquin || Historical region of northern Vietnam | ||
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| Yugoslavia || Region | | Yugoslavia || Region encompassing the present-day countries of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Slovenia | ||
|- | |- | ||
| Zaire || Democratic Republic of the Congo | | Zaire || Democratic Republic of the Congo | ||
Latest revision as of 19:06, 9 November 2026
Geography Exceptions to the Rule
Please refer to this page for unusual or outdated geographic terms and geographic hierarchies that you may encounter in EMu collection records.
Geographic Hierarchy Variations in EMu
| Currently accepted name | Administrative subdivision level | EMu geographic hierarchy placement | Issue/Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Azores | Country | Continent: Africa; Country: Portugal | Portuguese autonomous archipelago in Macaronesia; may be incorrectly assigned to Europe based on political affiliation with Portugal. |
| Bermuda | Country | Continent: North America; Country: Bermuda | Atlantic island territory; sometimes miscategorized as part of the West Indies. |
| Hawaii | Province/State/Territory | Continent: Oceania; Country: United States of America | U.S. state situated in the Pacific Ocean. Place under Oceania, not North America. |
| Islas Canarias (Canary Islands) | Country | Continent: Africa; Country: Spain | Spanish autonomous archipelago in Macaronesia; may be incorrectly assigned to Europe based on political affiliation with Spain. |
| Isla de Pascua (Easter Island, Rapa Nui) | District/County/Shire | Continent: Oceania; Country: Chile; Province/State/Territory: Valparaíso | Island and special territory of Chile in the southeastern Pacific Ocean. Place under Oceania, not South America. |
| Hawaii | Province/State/Territory | Continent: Oceania; Country: United States of America | U.S. state situated in the Pacific Ocean. Place under Oceania, not North America. |
| Madeira | Province/State/Territory | Continent: Africa; Country: Portugal | Autonomous archipelago of Portugal situated in Macaronesia in the North Atlantic Ocean. Place under Africa, not Europe. |
| Navassa Island | Province/State/Territory | Continent: West Indies; Country: United States Minor Outlying Islands | Uninhabited Caribbean island classified among the United States Minor Outlying Islands, most of which are in Oceania. Navassa Island itself should be placed under West Indies. |
| Trinidad and Tobago | Country | Continent: South America; Country: Trinidad and Tobago | Southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Place under South America, not West Indies. |
Important Hierarchical Variations to Note
The geographic hierarchy used in EMu does not always correspond directly to the official or commonly cited administrative hierarchy of a country or territory. The following exceptions and conventions should be used when entering geographic information in EMu.
| Province/State/Territory | Geographic Hierarchy | EMu Geographic Hierarchy Placement | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | The United Kingdom consists of four constituent countries: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Below this level, administrative divisions differ among the four countries. | Primary (State/Province): England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales
Secondary (County): Administrative County, Metropolitan District, or Unitary Authority (England); District (Northern Ireland); Council Area (Scotland); Unitary Authority (Wales) |
Because the administrative systems differ across the four constituent countries, the type of division entered at the county level varies. |
| Brazil | States are divided into municipalities. | Primary (State/Province): State
Secondary (County): Municipality |
In EMu, municipalities are used for the secondary (county-level) division rather than the microregions cited by Statoids (Law, 2015), as microregions were statistical/geographic groupings rather than administrative units. |
| Puerto Rico | Puerto Rico is divided into 78 municipalities (municipios), which are further divided into barrios. | Primary (State/Province): Municipio
Secondary (County): Barrio |
Because EMu requires hierarchical placement at the state/province and county levels, municipios and barrios are shifted upward in the EMu hierarchy. |
| Belgium | Region > Province > Arrondissement > Municipality | Primary (State/Province): Province
Secondary (County): Municipality |
EMu omits the regional and arrondissement levels for this purpose. Provinces are therefore entered at the state/province level and municipalities at the county level. |
Historical Locality Names and Present-Day Equivalents
| Alternate names | Present-day equivalent |
|---|---|
| Abyssinia | Ethiopia |
| Annam | Vietnam |
| Bengal | Region consisting of parts of Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal |
| Basutoland | Lesotho |
| Bechuanaland | Botswana |
| Belgian Congo | Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| Bohemia | Czech Republic |
| British Honduras | Belize |
| British Guiana | Guyana |
| British North Borneo | Malaysia |
| Burma | Myanmar |
| Cambodge | Cambodia |
| Celebes | Sulawesi, Indonesia |
| Ceylon | Sri Lanka |
| Dahomey | Benin |
| Dutch East Indies | Indonesia (primarily) |
| Dutch Guiana | Suriname |
| East Pakistan | Bangladesh |
| East Prussia | Parts of present-day Russia, Poland, and Lithuania |
| Formosa | Taiwan |
| French Indochina | Region encompassing present-day Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia |
| French West Africa | Region of several present-day West African countries |
| Gold Coast | Ghana |
| Hispaniola | Island comprising present-day Haiti and the Dominican Republic |
| Île Bourbon | Réunion, France |
| Kaiser-Wilhelmsland | Northeastern New Guinea, now part of Papua New Guinea |
| Kamerun | Primarily Cameroon; also included portions of several neighboring present-day countries |
| Lower California | Baja California Peninsula, Mexico |
| Macedonia | Historical geographic region encompassing parts of present-day North Macedonia, Greece, and Bulgaria |
| Malaya | Primarily Peninsular Malaysia |
| New Granada | Historical territory primarily encompassing present-day Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, and Venezuela |
| New Hebrides | Vanuatu |
| New Holland | Australia |
| Northern Rhodesia | Zambia |
| Nyasaland | Malawi |
| Persia | Iran |
| Portuguese East Africa | Mozambique |
| Prussia | Parts of present-day Germany, Poland, Russia, Lithuania, and other neighboring areas, depending on the historical period |
| Siam | Thailand |
| South West Africa | Namibia |
| Southern Rhodesia | Zimbabwe |
| Swaziland | Eswatini |
| Tanganyika | Tanzania |
| Tonkin/Tongkin/Tongquin | Historical region of northern Vietnam |
| Yugoslavia | Region encompassing the present-day countries of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Slovenia |
| Zaire | Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| Zanzibar | Tanzania |
This list is non-exhaustive. If you come across additional terms that should be included, please email Liz at egjieli@nybg.org.