Facebook received 73,390 user data requests from federal agencies and courts in the United States during the second half of 2023. The social network produced some user data in 88.84 percent of requests from U.S. federal authorities. The United States accounts for the largest share of Facebook user data requests worldwide.

Open Government Data (OGD) has the potential to support social and economic progress. However, this potential can be frustrated if this data remains unused. Although the literature suggests that OGD datasets' metadata quality is one of the main factors affecting their use, to the best of our knowledge, no quantitative study provided evidence of this relationship. Considering about 400,000 datasets of 28 national, municipal, and international OGD portals, we have programmatically analyzed their usage, their metadata quality, and the relationship between the two. Our analysis has highlighted three main findings. First of all, regardless of their size, the software platform adopted, and their administrative and territorial coverage, most OGD datasets are underutilized. Second, OGD portals pay varying attention to the quality of their datasets’ metadata. Third, we did not find clear evidence that datasets usage is positively correlated to better metadata publishing practices. Finally, we have considered other factors, such as datasets’ category, and some demographic characteristics of the OGD portals, and analyzed their relationship with datasets usage, obtaining partially affirmative answers.

The dataset consists of three zipped CSV files, containing the collected datasets' usage data, full metadata, and computed quality values, for about 400,000 datasets belonging to the 8 national, 4 international, and 16 US municipalities OGD portals considered in the study.

Data collection occurred in the period: 2019-12-19 -- 2019-12-23.

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Portal #Datasets Platform

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US 261,514 CKAN

France 39,412 Other

Colombia 9,795 Socrata

IE 9,598 CKAN

Slovenia 4,892 CKAN

Poland 1,032 Other

Latvia 336 CKAN

Puerto Rico 178 Socrata

New York, NY 2,771 Socrata

Baltimore, MD 2,617 Socrata

Austin, TX 2,353 Socrata

Chicago, IL 1,368 Socrata

San Francisco, CA 1,001 Socrata

Dallas, TX 1,001 Socrata

Los Angeles, CA 943 Socrata

Seattle, WA 718 Socrata

Providence, RI 288 Socrata

Honolulu, HI 244 Socrata

New Orleans, LA 215 Socrata

Buffalo, NY 213 Socrata

Nashville, TN 172 Socrata

Boston, MA 170 CKAN

Albuquerque, NM 60 CKAN

Albany, NY 50 Socrata

HDX 17,325 CKAN

EUODP 14,058 CKAN

NASA 9,664 Socrata

World Bank Finances 2,177 Socrata

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The three datasets share the same table structure:

Table Fields

• portalid: portal identifier
• id: dataset identifier
• engine: identifier of the supporting portal platform: 1(CKAN), 2 (Socrata)
• admindomain: 1 (National), 2 (US), 3 (International)
• downloaddate: date of data collection
• views: number of total views for the dataset
• downloads: number of total downloads for the dataset
• overallq: overall quality values computed by applying the methodology presented by Neumaier et al. in [1]
• qvalues: json object containing the quality values computed for the 17 metrics presented in by Neumaier et al. [1]
• assessdate: date of quality assessment
• metadata: the overall dataset's metadata downloaded via API from the portal according to the supporting platform schema

[1] Neumaier, S.; Umbrich, J.; Polleres, A. Automated Quality Assessment of Metadata Across Open Data Portals.J. Data and Information Quality2016,8, 2:1–2:29. doi:10.1145/2964909

The US government is a major producer of economic and financial data, statistics, analysis, and forecasts that are gathered, compiled, and published as public goods for use by citizens, government agencies, researchers, nonprofits, and the business community. There is no market transaction in the publication and dissemination of these government data and therefore no market-determined value. The purpose of this paper is to outline and augment our understanding of the value of government data for business decision-making. We provide an overview of the topic, including results from government reports and a private sector survey. We then provide concrete examples of how these government data are used to make business decisions focusing on three sectors: automotive, energy, and financial services. Examples of new initiatives by the federal government to open access to more data, exploiting technology advances associated with the internet, cloud storage, and software applications, are discussed. With the significant growth in the digital economy, we also include discussion and insights around how digital platform companies utilize government data in conjunction with their privately generated data (or "big data") to foster more informed business decisions.

Treasury Report on Receivables and Debt Collection Activities (TROR) is the federal government’s primary means for collecting data on the status of non-tax receivables (delinquent and non-delinquent debt) owed to the United States.

As of June 2023, U.S. government agencies used different functionalities to collect cybercrime-related data. In the case of six agencies, the information should be entered into specific required data fields, whereas six other agencies provided optional data fields to enter the information.

Comprehensive dataset of the international ODA-relevant activities of all federal ministries (with the exception of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and the Federal Foreign Office) as well as the German Bundestag and Deutsche Welle between January 2021 and March 2023. AA and BMZ publish their own data sets, e.g. on gov.data. The machine-readable data, freely usable with the name of the data source, were collected on the basis of the standard of the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI). The IATI standard meets the requirements for open data of the federal government according to §12a EGovG. This is the first data collection of this kind and - in conjunction with the separate data sets of BMZ and AA - enables a comprehensive assessment of all activities of the Federal Government abroad per country or sector for the first time. In the medium term, the data of all departments in the transparency portal ( HYPERLINK "http://www.transparenzportal.bund.de" www.transparenzportal.bund.de) should be published in a user-friendly manner. Currently, only the open data of the BMZ are included there.

The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) is the codification of the general and permanent rules published in the Federal Register by the executive departments and agencies of the Federal Government. It is divided into 50 titles that represent broad areas subject to Federal regulation. Each print volume of the CFR is updated once each calendar year, and is issued on a quarterly basis. Bulk data downloads of Code of Federal Regulations files in XML format are available from 1996 to the present, by year, title, and volume. The current XML data set is not yet an official format of the Code of Federal Regulations. Only the PDF and Text versions have legal status as parts of the official online format of the Code of Federal Regulations. The XML-structured files are derived from SGML-tagged data and printing codes, which may produce anomalies in display. In addition, the XML data does not yet include image files. Users who require a higher level of assurance may wish to consult the official version of the Code of Federal Regulations on Govinfo.gov. The FDsys data set includes digitally signed Code of Federal Regulations PDF files, which may be relied upon as evidence in a court of law. See: https://www.govinfo.gov/app/collection/cfr/

USGS Structures from The National Map (TNM) consists of data to include the name, function, location, and other core information and characteristics of selected manmade facilities across all US states and territories. The types of structures collected are largely determined by the needs of disaster planning and emergency response, and homeland security organizations. Structures currently included are: School, School:Elementary, School:Middle, School:High, College/University, Technical/Trade School, Ambulance Service, Fire Station/EMS Station, Law Enforcement, Prison/Correctional Facility, Post Office, Hospital/Medical Center, Cabin, Campground, Cemetery, Historic Site/Point of Interest, Picnic Area, Trailhead, Vistor/Information Center, US Capitol, State Capitol, US Supreme Court, State Supreme Court, Court House, Headquarters, Ranger Station, White House, and City/Town Hall. Structures data are designed to be used in general mapping and in the analysis of structure related activities using geographic information system technology. Included is a feature class of preliminary building polygons provided by FEMA, USA Structures. The National Map structures data is commonly combined with other data themes, such as boundaries, elevation, hydrography, and transportation, to produce general reference base maps. The National Map viewer allows free downloads of public domain structures data in either Esri File Geodatabase or Shapefile formats. For additional information on the structures data model, go to https://www.usgs.gov/ngp-standards-and-specifications/national-map-structures-content.

United States Federal Government Receipts data was reported at 367.635 USD bn in Mar 2025. This records an increase from the previous number of 296.424 USD bn for Feb 2025. United States Federal Government Receipts data is updated monthly, averaging 110.938 USD bn from Dec 1967 (Median) to Mar 2025, with 688 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 863.644 USD bn in Apr 2022 and a record low of 10.725 USD bn in Oct 1968. United States Federal Government Receipts data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Bureau of the Fiscal Service. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.F005: Federal Government Receipts and Outlays. For the months of Jan-1793 to Mar-2005, the source has made backdated adjustments on Federal Government Receipts (id: 40862801). Thus, Individual Income Taxes Receipts (id: 40863101), Corporation Income Taxes Receipts (id: 40863201), Social Insurance & Retirement Receipts (id: 40863301), Excise Taxes Receipts (id: 40863701), Estate and Gift Taxes Receipts (id: 40863801), Customs Duties Receipts (id: 40863901) and Miscellaneous Receipts (id: 40864001) may not add up to Federal Government Receipts (id: 40862801). [COVID-19-IMPACT]

United States US: Government Intramural Expenditure on R&D (GOVERD) data was reported at 75.823 USD bn in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 73.443 USD bn for 2022. United States US: Government Intramural Expenditure on R&D (GOVERD) data is updated yearly, averaging 35.945 USD bn from Dec 1981 (Median) to 2023, with 43 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 75.823 USD bn in 2023 and a record low of 13.455 USD bn in 1981. United States US: Government Intramural Expenditure on R&D (GOVERD) data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.OECD.MSTI: Gross Domestic Expenditure on Research and Development: OECD Member: Annual.

For the United States, some respondents revised their reporting practices and eliminated expenditures that did not meet the definition of R&D during the 2023 BERD data collection. This has resulted in a meaningful decrease in estimated U.S. R&D performance compared to the amount of 2023 R&D performance that would have been estimated based on respondent reporting practices used in 2022 and earlier..From 2021 onwards, changes to the US BERD survey questionnaire allowed for more exhaustive identification of acquisition costs for ‘identifiable intangible assets’ used for R&D. This has resulted in a substantial increase in reported R&D capital expenditure within BERD. In the business sector, the funds from the rest of the world previously included in the business-financed BERD, are available separately from 2008. From 2006 onwards, GOVERD includes state government intramural performance (most of which being financed by the federal government and state government own funds). From 2016 onwards, PNPERD data are based on a new R&D performer survey. In the higher education sector all fields of SSH are included from 2003 onwards.

Following a survey of federally-funded research and development centers (FFRDCs) in 2005, it was concluded that FFRDC R&D belongs in the government sector - rather than the sector of the FFRDC administrator, as had been reported in the past. R&D expenditures by FFRDCs were reclassified from the other three R&D performing sectors to the Government sector; previously published data were revised accordingly. Between 2003 and 2004, the method used to classify data by industry has been revised. This particularly affects the ISIC category “wholesale trade” and consequently the BERD for total services.

U.S. R&D data are generally comparable, but there are some areas of underestimation:

1. i) Up to 2008, Government sector R&D performance covers only federal government activities. That by State and local government establishments is excluded;
2. ii) Except for the Government and the Business Enterprise sectors, the R&D data exclude most capital expenditures. For the Business Enterprise sector, depreciation is reported in place of gross capital expenditures up to 2014. Higher education (and national total) data were revised back to 1998 due to an improved methodology that corrects for double-counting of R&D funds passed between institutions.

Breakdown by type of R&D (basic research, applied research, etc.) was also revised back to 1998 in the business enterprise and higher education sectors due to improved estimation procedures.

The methodology for estimating researchers was changed as of 1985. In the Government, Higher Education and PNP sectors the data since then refer to employed doctoral scientists and engineers who report their primary work activity as research, development or the management of R&D, plus, for the Higher Education sector, the number of full-time equivalent graduate students with research assistantships averaging an estimated 50 % of their time engaged in R&D activities. As of 1985 researchers in the Government sector exclude military personnel. As of 1987, Higher education R&D personnel also include those who report their primary work activity as design.

Due to lack of official data for the different employment sectors, the total researchers figure is an OECD estimate up to 2021. As of 2022, it is based on official personnel data available for all sectors. For years 2020 and 2021, it is based on official personnel data available for the business, PNP and Higher Education sectors, and OECD estimates for the Government sector (for estimating the missing FFRDC component). For previous years, OECD estimates were readjusted back to 2000.

The government personnel data includes the state government R&D personnel from 2021 and FFRDC R&D personnel from 2022. However, 8 FFRDC centres are not included as they could not report their R&D personnel data. These 8 centres account for 24% of the total R&D expenditure of all FFRDCs in 2022. Pre-production development is excluded from Defence GBARD (in accordance with the Frascati Manual) as of 2000. 2009 GBARD data also includes the one time incremental R&D funding legislated in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Beginning with the 2000 GBARD data, budgets for capital expenditure – “R&D plant” in national terminology - are included. GBARD data for earlier years relate to budgets for current costs only.

Contains:World HillshadeWorld Street Map (with Relief) - Base LayerLarge Scale International Boundaries (v11.3)World Street Map (with Relief) - LabelsDoS Country Labels DoS Country LabelsCountry (admin 0) labels that have been vetted for compliance with foreign policy and legal requirements. These labels are part of the US Federal Government Basemap, which contains the borders and place names that have been vetted for compliance with foreign policy and legal requirements.Source: DoS Country Labels - Overview (arcgis.com)Large Scale International BoundariesVersion 11.3Release Date: December 19, 2023DownloadFor more information on the LSIB click here: https://geodata.state.gov/ A direct link to the data is available here: https://data.geodata.state.gov/LSIB.zipAn ISO-compliant version of the LSIB metadata (in ISO 19139 format) is here: https://geodata.state.gov/geonetwork/srv/eng/catalog.search#/metadata/3bdb81a0-c1b9-439a-a0b1-85dac30c59b2 Direct inquiries to internationalboundaries@state.govOverviewThe Office of the Geographer and Global Issues at the U.S. Department of State produces the Large Scale International Boundaries (LSIB) dataset. The current edition is version 11.3 (published 19 December 2023). The 11.3 release contains updates to boundary lines and data refinements enabling reuse of the dataset. These data and generalized derivatives are the only international boundary lines approved for U.S. Government use. The contents of this dataset reflect U.S. Government policy on international boundary alignment, political recognition, and dispute status. They do not necessarily reflect de facto limits of control.National Geospatial Data AssetThis dataset is a National Geospatial Data Asset managed by the Department of State on behalf of the Federal Geographic Data Committee's International Boundaries Theme.DetailsSources for these data include treaties, relevant maps, and data from boundary commissions and national mapping agencies. Where available and applicable, the dataset incorporates information from courts, tribunals, and international arbitrations. The research and recovery process involves analysis of satellite imagery and elevation data. Due to the limitations of source materials and processing techniques, most lines are within 100 meters of their true position on the ground.Attribute StructureThe dataset uses thefollowing attributes:Attribute NameCC1COUNTRY1CC2COUNTRY2RANKSTATUSLABELNOTES These attributes are logically linked:Linked AttributesCC1COUNTRY1CC2COUNTRY2RANKSTATUS These attributes have external sources:Attribute NameExternal Data SourceCC1GENCCOUNTRY1DoS ListsCC2GENCCOUNTRY2DoS ListsThe eight attributes listed above describe the boundary lines contained within the LSIB dataset in both a human and machine-readable fashion. Other attributes in the release include "FID", "Shape", and "Shape_Leng" are components of the shapefile format and do not form an intrinsic part of the LSIB."CC1" and "CC2" fields are machine readable fields which contain political entity codes. These codes are derived from the Geopolitical Entities, Names, and Codes Standard (GENC) Edition 3 Update 18. The dataset uses the GENC two-character codes. The code ‘Q2’, which is not in GENC, denotes a line in the LSIB representing a boundary associated with an area not contained within the GENC standard.The "COUNTRY1" and "COUNTRY2" fields contain human-readable text corresponding to the name of the political entity. These names are names approved by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names (BGN) as incorporated in the list of Independent States in the World and the list of Dependencies and Areas of Special Sovereignty maintained by the Department of State. To ensure the greatest compatibility, names are presented without diacritics and certain names are rendered using commonly accepted cartographic abbreviations. Names for lines associated with the code ‘Q2’ are descriptive and are not necessarily BGN-approved. Names rendered in all CAPITAL LETTERS are names of independent states. Other names are those associated with dependencies, areas of special sovereignty, or are otherwise presented for the convenience of the user.The following fields are an intrinsic part of the LSIB dataset and do not rely on external sources:Attribute NameMandatoryContains NullsRANKYesNoSTATUSYesNoLABELNoYesNOTESNoYesNeither the "RANK" nor "STATUS" field contains null values; the "LABEL" and "NOTES" fields do.The "RANK" field is a numeric, machine-readable expression of the "STATUS" field. Collectively, these fields encode the views of the United States Government on the political status of the boundary line.Attribute NameValueRANK123STATUSInternational BoundaryOther Line of International Separation Special Line A value of "1" in the "RANK" field corresponds to an "International Boundary" value in the "STATUS" field. Values of "2" and "3" correspond to "Other Line of International Separation" and "Special Line", respectively.The "LABEL" field contains required text necessarily to describe the line segment. The "LABEL" field is used when the line segment is displayed on maps or other forms of cartographic visualizations. This includes most interactive products. The requirement to incorporate the contents of the "LABEL" field on these products is scale dependent. If a label is legible at the scale of a given static product a proper use of this dataset would encourage the application of that label. Using the contents of the "COUNTRY1" and "COUNTRY2" fields in the generation of a line segment label is not required. The "STATUS" field is not a line labeling field but does contain the preferred description for the three LSIB line types when lines are incorporated into a map legend. Using the "CC1", "CC2", or "RANK" fields for labeling purposes is prohibited.The "NOTES" field contains an explanation of any applicable special circumstances modifying the lines. This information can pertain to the origins of the boundary lines, any limitations regarding the purpose of the lines, or the original source of the line. Use of the "NOTES" field for labeling purposes is prohibited.External Data SourcesGeopolitical Entities, Names, and Codes Registry: https://nsgreg.nga.mil/GENC-overview.jspU.S. Department of State List of Independent States in the World: https://www.state.gov/independent-states-in-the-world/U.S. Department of State List of Dependencies and Areas of Special Sovereignty: https://www.state.gov/dependencies-and-areas-of-special-sovereignty/The source for the U.S.—Canada international boundary (NGDAID97) is the International Boundary Commission: https://www.internationalboundarycommission.org/en/maps-coordinates/coordinates.phpThe source for the “International Boundary between the United States of America and the United States of Mexico” (NGDAID82) is the International Boundary and Water Commission: https://catalog.data.gov/dataset?q=usibwcCartographic UsageCartographic usage of the LSIB requires a visual differentiation between the three categories of boundaries. Specifically, this differentiation must be between:- International Boundaries (Rank 1);- Other Lines of International Separation (Rank 2); and- Special Lines (Rank 3).Rank 1 lines must be the most visually prominent. Rank 2 lines must be less visually prominent than Rank 1 lines. Rank 3 lines must be shown in a manner visually subordinate to Ranks 1 and 2. Where scale permits, Rank 2 and 3 lines must be labeled in accordance with the “Label” field. Data marked with a Rank 2 or 3 designation does not necessarily correspond to a disputed boundary.Additional cartographic information can be found in Guidance Bulletins (https://hiu.state.gov/data/cartographic_guidance_bulletins/) published by the Office of the Geographer and Global Issues.ContactDirect inquiries to internationalboundaries@state.gov.CreditsThe lines in the LSIB dataset are the product of decades of collaboration between geographers at the Department of State and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency with contributions from the Central Intelligence Agency and the UK Defence Geographic Centre.Attribution is welcome: U.S. Department of State, Office of the Geographer and Global Issues.Changes from Prior ReleaseThe 11.3 release is the third update in the version 11 series.This version of the LSIB contains changes and accuracy refinements for the following line segments. These changes reflect improvements in spatial accuracy derived from newly available source materials, an ongoing review process, or the publication of new treaties or agreements. Notable changes to lines include:• AFGHANISTAN / IRAN• ALBANIA / GREECE• ALBANIA / KOSOVO• ALBANIA/MONTENEGRO• ALBANIA / NORTH MACEDONIA• ALGERIA / MOROCCO• ARGENTINA / BOLIVIA• ARGENTINA / CHILE• BELARUS / POLAND• BOLIVIA / PARAGUAY• BRAZIL / GUYANA• BRAZIL / VENEZUELA• BRAZIL / French Guiana (FR.)• BRAZIL / SURINAME• CAMBODIA / LAOS• CAMBODIA / VIETNAM• CAMEROON / CHAD• CAMEROON / NIGERIA• CHINA / INDIA• CHINA / NORTH KOREA• CHINA / Aksai Chin• COLOMBIA / VENEZUELA• CONGO, DEM. REP. OF THE / UGANDA• CZECHIA / GERMANY• EGYPT / LIBYA• ESTONIA / RUSSIA• French Guiana (FR.) / SURINAME• GREECE / NORTH MACEDONIA• GUYANA / VENEZUELA• INDIA / Aksai Chin• KAZAKHSTAN / RUSSIA• KOSOVO / MONTENEGRO• KOSOVO / SERBIA• LAOS / VIETNAM• LATVIA / LITHUANIA• MEXICO / UNITED STATES• MONTENEGRO / SERBIA• MOROCCO / SPAIN• POLAND / RUSSIA• ROMANIA / UKRAINEVersions 11.0 and 11.1 were updates to boundary lines. Like this version, they also contained topology fixes, land boundary terminus refinements, and tripoint adjustments. Version 11.2 corrected a few errors in the attribute data and ensured that CC1 and CC2 attributes are in alignment with an updated version of the Geopolitical Entities, Names, and Codes (GENC) Standard, specifically Edition 3 Update 17.LayersLarge_Scale_International_BoundariesTerms of

Graph and download economic data for Government current expenditures: Federal: General public service: Tax collection and financial management (G160431A027NBEA) from 1968 to 2023 about collection, management, public, tax, financial, expenditures, federal, government, services, GDP, and USA.

Graph and download economic data for Federal government current tax receipts: Taxes on production and imports (NA000324Q) from Q1 1947 to Q1 2025 about receipts, imports, tax, federal, production, government, GDP, and USA.

Between January 18 and November 2023, a quarter of data breach incidents in the United States government happened at city administration offices. A further 17 percent of the incidents involved counties, while law enforcement agencies encountered 14 percent of the data breaches.

Agency-level reports that external federal oversight entities such as the White House, Congress, OMB, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), and General Services Administration (GSA), require under authorities such as (but not limited to) OMB Circular A-123, the Federal Managers Financial Integrity Act (FMFIA), the Chief Financial Officers Act (CFOA), the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), Joint Committee on Printing requirements, and the FAIR Act. Examples include:rn- Agency Financial Report (AFR)rn- Statement of Assurance (per FMFIA), or equivalent rn- information collection clearancesrn- report on financial management systems’ compliance with requirements (per FMFIA), or equivalentrn- report on internal controls for corporations covered by the Government Corporation Control Act (per CFOA) rn- EEOC reports rn- Analysis and Action Plans and other reports required by EEOC’s MD 715rn- No FEAR Act reportsrn- service organization auditor report, or equivalentrn- improper payments report rn- premium class travel report rn- report on property provided to non-federal recipients, schools, and nonprofit educational institutionsrn- feeder reports to the Status of Telework in the Federal Government Report to Congressrn- feeder reports to GSA fleet reports

From the Web site: USAspending.gov is the official source for spending data for the U.S. Government. Its mission is to show the American public what the federal government spends every year and how it spends the money. You can follow the money from the Congressional appropriations to the federal agencies and down to local communities and businesses.

The Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) is the Federal standard for geographic nomenclature. The U.S. Geological Survey developed the GNIS for the U.S. Board on Geographic Names, a Federal inter-agency body chartered by public law to maintain uniform feature name usage throughout the Government and to promulgate standard names to the public. The GNIS is the official repository of domestic geographic names data; the official vehicle for geographic names use by all departments of the Federal Government; and the source for applying geographic names to Federal electronic and printed products of all types. See https://www.usgs.gov/core-science-systems/ngp/board-on-geographic-names for additional information.

Between January and November 2023, California was the U.S. state with the highest number of reported data breach incidents targeting the government. In the measured period, the government agencies saw 16 cases of data breaches. Texas ranked second, with eight incidents. Overall, 137 cases of government data breaches were recorded in the United States.

Graph and download economic data for All Employees, Federal (CES9091000001) from Jan 1939 to Jun 2025 about establishment survey, federal, government, employment, and USA.

The USGS Governmental Unit Boundaries dataset from The National Map (TNM) represents major civil areas for the Nation, including States or Territories, counties (or equivalents), Federal and Native American areas, congressional districts, minor civil divisions, incorporated places (such as cities and towns), and unincorporated places. Boundaries data are useful for understanding the extent of jurisdictional or administrative areas for a wide range of applications, including mapping or managing resources, and responding to natural disasters. Boundaries data also include extents of forest, grassland, park, wilderness, wildlife, and other reserve areas useful for recreational activities, such as hiking and backpacking. Boundaries data are acquired from a variety of government sources. The data represents the source data with minimal editing or review by USGS. Please refer to the feature-level metadata for information on the data source. The National Map boundaries data is commonly combined with other data themes, such as elevation, hydrography, structures, and transportation, to produce general reference base maps. The National Map viewer allows free downloads of public domain boundaries data in either Esri File Geodatabase or Shapefile formats. For additional information on the boundaries data model, go to https://nationalmap.gov/boundaries.html.