Toponymic Guidelines for Antarctica

Toponymic Guidelines for Antarctica by Lyubomir Ivanov

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ANTARCTIC PLACE-NAMES COMMISSION OF BULGARIA

TOPONYMIC GUIDELINES FOR ANTARCTICA

Adopted on 2 March 1995

1. INTRODUCTION

In Antarctica geographical names are important elements of

identification, orientation, localization and navigation, providing an

essential reference system for logistic operations, including search and

rescue measures, and for international scientific research. They facilitate

information exchange in the field, in scientific publications and in

administrative measures under the Antarctic Treaty System. Geographical

names also reflect the history of Antarctic exploration. The principles and

procedures for naming geographical features in Antarctica formulated

hereafter:

(1) Are applied to land and subglacial features, ice shelves, and

inshore features of the continental shelf south of 60º S;

(2) Should be followed on maps, in publications, in databases etc;

(3) Relate to Bulgarian place names and their Romanization;

(4) Are based on established practices in Antarctic place naming, and

incorporate elaborations of the SCAR Work Programme on Antarctic

place names.

2. GENERAL PRINCIPLES

A geographical name primarily serves to distinguish the feature from all

others; it should be unique in Antarctica. The principal purpose of a name

is to supply effective and appropriate means of identifying the feature

beyond doubt; commemoration of persons or events is a secondary

consideration. New names are assigned to Antarctic features if it is of

necessity in the course of research or field work, or for navigation, or if

they have become well established.

3. TYPES OF GEOGRAPHICAL FEATURES

A geographical name normally consists of a generic element defining the

topographic feature class (bay, mount, glacier etc.) and a specific element

distinguishing it from geographical names of the same class. The generic

element might be omitted with the definite article used instead.

A grouping into the following three feature categories is useful when

determining the appropriateness of new names for Antarctic features.

First order features:

(1) Regions or lands

(2) Coasts

(3) Extensive mountain ranges, plateaus

(4) Ice shelves, large glaciers

(5) Extensive sub-glacial mountains or valleys

Second order features:

(1) Peninsulas

(2) Mountain ranges

(3) Great or prominent mountains

(4) Glaciers

(5) Prominent capes

(6) Islands, ice rises

(7) Gulfs, large bays, harbours

(8) Straits or passages

(9) Sub-glacial ridges or valleys

Third order features:

(1) Minor mountains or hills, nunataks, cliffs, rocks

(2) Minor glaciers

(3) Lakes, streams

(4) Minor shore features, beaches, points, minor capes

(5) Minor bays, coves

(6) Parts of such features

Features having special significance or prominence in geographic

discovery, scientific investigation, or the history of Antarctica may be

placed in the next higher category than their size would warrant.

4. SPECIFIC ELEMENTS OF GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES

Non-personal names applied to Antarctic features include:

(1) Names of national or international geography or culture;

(2) Names that commemorate events related to Antarctic exploration;

(3) Names that commemorate organizations involved directly or

indirectly in carrying out, organization or funding of Antarctic research;

(4) Names of ships, aircraft or vehicles operating in Antarctica;

(5) Names related to Antarctic science and scientific work;

(6) Names descriptive of shape, colour etc. provided that they are not

too general a description.

Because Antarctica has been unveiled through the efforts of explorers,

scientists, and others, it has become a common practice to apply the

names of such persons to Antarctic features. Personal names applied to

Antarctic features include:

(1) Names of leaders or organizers of expeditions to Antarctica, leaders

of field parties and ship captains, members of expeditions, who have

made outstanding contribution to the success of an expedition;

(2) Names of persons who have made outstanding discoveries in

Antarctica or, through their work with Antarctic expeditions, have made

outstanding contributions to scientific knowledge or to the techniques of

Antarctic exploration;

(3) Names of persons who have made important contributions in the

planning, organization, outfitting, or operation of expeditions to Antarctica;

(4) Names of persons who have provided major financial or material

support to an expedition, or otherwise have contributed to Antarctic

exploration.

The type of personal contribution should generally be proportional to the

magnitude category of the named feature.

5. INAPPROPRIATE NAMES

Names in the following categories are considered to be inappropriate and

normally will not be considered, unless otherwise appropriate according to

the principles stated herein:

(1) Names in low taste, commonplace or of obscure or private origin,

including names suggesting a relationship or friendship;

(2) Names of pets or of commercial products;

(3) Names of contributors of funds, equipment, and supplies, who by

means of their advertising have endeavored to gain commercial

advantage as a result of their donations. This would not include

advantages which result from testing of donated equipment under

Antarctic conditions;

(4) Descriptive names which are ambiguous, likely to have duplicates, or

not particularly appropriate;

(5) Personal names combining both the given and the family name, or a

given name only. Given names might be acceptable in unusual situations,

or to avoid the application of identical toponyms;

(6) Names containing two generic terms, or a title, or an acronym.

6. CRITERIA OF NAMES APPROVAL

Name proposals will be considered by the Antarctic Place-names

Commission with regard to the following criteria:

(1) Chronological priority of discovery, possible naming of the feature by

an expedition leader, or other relevant action;

(2) Importance of the feature in the course of research or field work, or

for navigation;

(3) Correspondence between contribution of a person or organization

and the category of the named feature;

(4) Brevity, easy pronunciation, and euphony of the proposed name;

(5) Extent to which usage has become established.

Names of geographical origin may be applied to features of a different

topographic feature class.

Proposed names with unsuitable generics may be considered for approval

with their generic terms modified by the Commission.

Usage considered sufficiently fixed or unanimous may be accepted as

valid grounds for approval of a name that otherwise would not qualify.

7. LANGUAGE AND SPELLING

Names are approved in their Bulgarian language forms using Cyrillic

script, together with Roman spelling versions obtained as outlined herein.

Generic elements of names will normally be translated into one of the

official Antarctic Treaty languages which use Roman script (English,

French, Spanish), with specific elements correspondingly Romanized.

Definite articles of place names which contain no generic elements may

be dropped in the process with generics added instead. In the case of

English language, conversion of Bulgarian names to Roman spelling is

based on the following graphemic correspondences scheme:*

However, authentic Roman spellings of names of non-Bulgarian origin,

and traditional Roman spellings which exist for few Bulgarian names will

have priority.

8. NAMES APPROVAL PROCEDURES

Proposals for new names should be submitted to the Antarctic Place-

names Commission for approval, accompanied by full information about

the name, the reasons for its choice, and a clear description of the

feature. This should include:

Proposed name form;

Co-ordinates and elevation of midpoint or summit, or of extremities if

extended feature;

Distance and direction from associated named or unnamed features;

topographic feature class;

Feature characteristics (shape, dimensions, total relief, steepness etc.);

Photo reference (vertical, oblique, satellite image etc.);

Map reference (title, scale, year of publication);

Reason for the choice of name;

Date of discovery, recording, mapping etc. and by whom (expedition or

field party);

Particulars to specific element of the name (if an honoree, degree of

association with the feature);

Name and address of the proposer.

Appropriate international co-ordination should be maintained to provide

relevant comments and information before decisions on new names are

made. Names already approved by the Commission might be changed in

exceptional situations: to eliminate confusion or ambiguity, to standardize

spelling, or to streamline name forms that are unnecessarily long or

otherwise inconvenient. If a place name is withdrawn in favour of another

one, then its possible transfer to a new feature may be considered.

Proposed names should not be used officially until their formal approval.

Sofia, March 2, 1995

^* Subsequently, this transliteration system has been promulgated for

wider usage by the Bulgarian Government Ordinances # 61 of 2 April 1999

and # 10 of 11 February 2000, and by the 2009 Transliteration Law.

© APC-BG: Released into Public Domain

The Original 1995 Document

Toponymic Guidelines for Antarctica   (p. 1)

Toponymic Guidelines for Antarctica   (p. 2)

Toponymic Guidelines for Antarctica   (p. 3)

Toponymic Guidelines for Antarctica   (p. 4)

This work is in the public domain worldwide because it has been so released by the copyright holder.