The Country boundaries at level 0 dataset is part of the Global Administrative Areas (GADM) 3.6 vector dataset series which includes distinct datasets representing administrative boundaries for all countries in the world. GADM makes use of high spatial resolution images and an extensive set of attributes to map administrative areas at all levels of political sub-division. The National level 0 attributes comprise country name in English and ISO 3166-1 alpha3 coding. Please read the GADM 3.6 - Global Administrative Areas dataset series metadata for more information.

High resolution, World Bank-approved administrative boundaries. Each download option (shapefile, GeoPackage, or GeoJSON format) includes Admin 0, 1, 2, Non-Determined Legal Status Areas (NDLSA), and an ocean mask. An Admin 0 line file (for visualization purposes with World Bank-specific drawing instructions) can also be found in the shapefile folder. A data dictionary and additional columns of information which can be joined to the Admin 1 and 2 files are available as separate downloads.

Also included are API endpoints for interactive maps.

If Bank staff use this data to create a map- print, web, presentations for an external audience (e.g. external web sites), etc., staff must receive legal clearance by submitting the finished map to the World Bank Cartography Unit.

To report an error in any of the admin boundary files, please raise a new issue here: https://github.com/worldbank/WB_GAD/issues and it will be considered during the next update cycle.

Excellent world shapefile maps with national boundaries, first order admin (provinces, states, etc.), disputed areas, coastlines, populated areas and more at various scale levels.

World Countries (Generalized) is a generalized layer of country level boundaries which can be used at small to medium scales (e.g. down to 1:2m scale). The boundaries have been generalized to support faster rendering at small scales. Included are attributes for name and ISO codes, along with country affiliation information.

Overview The 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 11.4 (published 24 February 2025). The 11.4 release contains updated boundary lines and data refinements designed to extend the functionality 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 Asset This dataset is a National Geospatial Data Asset (NGDAID 194) managed by the Department of State. It is a part of the International Boundaries Theme created by the Federal Geographic Data Committee. Dataset Source Details Sources for these data include treaties, relevant maps, and data from boundary commissions, as well as national mapping agencies. Where available and applicable, the dataset incorporates information from courts, tribunals, and international arbitrations. The research and recovery process includes 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. Cartographic Visualization The LSIB is a geospatial dataset that, when used for cartographic purposes, requires additional styling. The LSIB download package contains example style files for commonly used software applications. The attribute table also contains embedded information to guide the cartographic representation. Additional discussion of these considerations can be found in the Use of Core Attributes in Cartographic Visualization section below. Additional cartographic information pertaining to the depiction and description of international boundaries or areas of special sovereignty can be found in Guidance Bulletins published by the Office of the Geographer and Global Issues: https://data.geodata.state.gov/guidance/index.html Contact Direct inquiries to internationalboundaries@state.gov. Direct download: https://data.geodata.state.gov/LSIB.zip Attribute Structure The dataset uses the following attributes divided into two categories: ATTRIBUTE NAME | ATTRIBUTE STATUS CC1 | Core CC1_GENC3 | Extension CC1_WPID | Extension COUNTRY1 | Core CC2 | Core CC2_GENC3 | Extension CC2_WPID | Extension COUNTRY2 | Core RANK | Core LABEL | Core STATUS | Core NOTES | Core LSIB_ID | Extension ANTECIDS | Extension PREVIDS | Extension PARENTID | Extension PARENTSEG | Extension These attributes have external data sources that update separately from the LSIB: ATTRIBUTE NAME | ATTRIBUTE STATUS CC1 | GENC CC1_GENC3 | GENC CC1_WPID | World Polygons COUNTRY1 | DoS Lists CC2 | GENC CC2_GENC3 | GENC CC2_WPID | World Polygons COUNTRY2 | DoS Lists LSIB_ID | BASE ANTECIDS | BASE PREVIDS | BASE PARENTID | BASE PARENTSEG | BASE The core attributes listed above describe the boundary lines contained within the LSIB dataset. Removal of core attributes from the dataset will change the meaning of the lines. An attribute status of “Extension” represents a field containing data interoperability information. Other attributes not listed above include “FID”, “Shape_length” and “Shape.” These are components of the shapefile format and do not form an intrinsic part of the LSIB. Core Attributes The eight core attributes listed above contain unique information which, when combined with the line geometry, comprise the LSIB dataset. These Core Attributes are further divided into Country Code and Name Fields and Descriptive Fields. County Code and Country Name Fields “CC1” and “CC2” fields are machine readable fields that contain political entity codes. These are two-character codes derived from the Geopolitical Entities, Names, and Codes Standard (GENC), Edition 3 Update 18. “CC1_GENC3” and “CC2_GENC3” fields contain the corresponding three-character GENC codes and are extension attributes discussed below. The codes “Q2” or “QX2” denote a line in the LSIB representing a boundary associated with areas not contained within the GENC standard. The “COUNTRY1” and “COUNTRY2” fields contain the names of corresponding political entities. These fields contain names approved by the U.S. Board on Geographic Names (BGN) as incorporated in the ‘"Independent States in the World" and "Dependencies and Areas of Special Sovereignty" lists maintained by the Department of State. To ensure maximum compatibility, names are presented without diacritics and certain names are rendered using common cartographic abbreviations. Names for lines associated with the code "Q2" are descriptive and not necessarily BGN-approved. Names rendered in all CAPITAL LETTERS denote independent states. Names rendered in normal text represent dependencies, areas of special sovereignty, or are otherwise presented for the convenience of the user. Descriptive Fields The following text fields are a part of the core attributes of the LSIB dataset and do not update from external sources. They provide additional information about each of the lines and are as follows: ATTRIBUTE NAME | CONTAINS NULLS RANK | No STATUS | No LABEL | Yes NOTES | Yes Neither the "RANK" nor "STATUS" fields contain null values; the "LABEL" and "NOTES" fields do. The "RANK" field is a numeric expression of the "STATUS" field. Combined with the line geometry, these fields encode the views of the United States Government on the political status of the boundary line. ATTRIBUTE NAME | | VALUE | RANK | 1 | 2 | 3 STATUS | International Boundary | Other 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 to describe the line segment on all finished cartographic products, including but not limited to print and interactive maps. The “NOTES” field contains an explanation of special circumstances modifying the lines. This information can pertain to the origins of the boundary lines, limitations regarding the purpose of the lines, or the original source of the line. Use of Core Attributes in Cartographic Visualization Several of the Core Attributes provide information required for the proper cartographic representation of the LSIB dataset. The cartographic usage of the LSIB requires a visual differentiation between the three categories of boundary lines. 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. Please consult the style files in the download package for examples of this depiction. The requirement to incorporate the contents of the "LABEL" field on cartographic 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 contains the preferred description for the three LSIB line types when they are incorporated into a map legend but is otherwise not to be used for labeling. Use of the “CC1,” “CC1_GENC3,” “CC2,” “CC2_GENC3,” “RANK,” or “NOTES” fields for cartographic labeling purposes is prohibited. Extension Attributes Certain elements of the attributes within the LSIB dataset extend data functionality to make the data more interoperable or to provide clearer linkages to other datasets. The fields “CC1_GENC3” and “CC2_GENC” contain the corresponding three-character GENC code to the “CC1” and “CC2” attributes. The code “QX2” is the three-character counterpart of the code “Q2,” which denotes a line in the LSIB representing a boundary associated with a geographic area not contained within the GENC standard. To allow for linkage between individual lines in the LSIB and World Polygons dataset, the “CC1_WPID” and “CC2_WPID” fields contain a Universally Unique Identifier (UUID), version 4, which provides a stable description of each geographic entity in a boundary pair relationship. Each UUID corresponds to a geographic entity listed in the World Polygons dataset. These fields allow for linkage between individual lines in the LSIB and the overall World Polygons dataset. Five additional fields in the LSIB expand on the UUID concept and either describe features that have changed across space and time or indicate relationships between previous versions of the feature. The “LSIB_ID” attribute is a UUID value that defines a specific instance of a feature. Any change to the feature in a lineset requires a new “LSIB_ID.” The “ANTECIDS,” or antecedent ID, is a UUID that references line geometries from which a given line is descended in time. It is used when there is a feature that is entirely new, not when there is a new version of a previous feature. This is generally used to reference countries that have dissolved. The “PREVIDS,” or Previous ID, is a UUID field that contains old versions of a line. This is an additive field, that houses all Previous IDs. A new version of a feature is defined by any change to the

This map features boundaries and places for the World, including countries, 1st order administrative areas, and cities. The map layers are delivered as features, which you can click on for attribute information or re-symbolize as you choose.

World Continents represents the boundaries for the continents of the world.This layer is best viewed out beyond a maximum scale (zoomed in) of 1:3,000,000. The sources of this dataset are Esri, Global Mapping International (GMI), U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (The World Factbook), and Garmin. It is updated as country boundaries coincident to continental boundaries change. To download the data for this layer as a layer package for use in ArcGIS desktop applications, refer to World Continents.

The geoBoundaries Global Database of Political Administrative Boundaries Database is an online, open license resource of boundaries (i.e., state, county) for every country in the world. Currently 199 total entities are tracked, including all 195 UN member states, Greenland, Taiwan, Niue, and Kosovo. Comprehensive Global Administrative Zones (CGAZ) is a set of global composites for administrative boundaries. Disputed areas are removed and replaced with polygons following US Department of State definitions. It has three boundary levels ADM0, ADM1, and ADM2, clipped to international boundaries (US Department of State), with gaps filled between borders. This dataset is part of CGAZ. It was ingested from version 6.0.0 of Global Composite Files with DBF_DATE_LAST_UPDATE=2023-09-13. It shows boundaries at level ADM0 (country-level boundaries).

World Countries (Generalized) represents generalized boundaries for the countries of the world, as they existed in January 2004.

World Countries provides a detailed basemap layer for the countries of the world. This layer has been designed to be used as a basemap and includes fields for official names and country codes, along with fields for continent and display. Particularly useful are the fields LAND_TYPE and LAND_RANK that separate polygons based on their size. These fields are helpful for rendering at different scales by providing the ability to turn off small islands that may clutter small-scale (zoomed out) views. The sources of this dataset are Esri, Garmin, U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (The World Factbook), and International Organization for Standardization (ISO). This layer was published in October 2024. It is updated every 12-18 months or as significant changes occur.

World Administrative Divisions is a detailed dataset of country first level administrative boundaries which can be used at both large and small scales. It has been designed to be used as a basemap that can be easily edited to fit a users needs and view of the political world. Included are attributes for name and ISO codes, along with notes identifying disputed boundaries and continent information. Particularly useful are the Land_Type and Land_Rank fields which separate polygons based on their areal size. These attributes are useful for rendering at different scales by providing the ability to turn off small islands which may clutter small scale views.LayersWorld_Administrative_Divisions

The mission of the Humanitarian Information Unit (HIU) is to serve as a U.S. Government interagency center to identify, collect, analyze, and disseminate all-source information critical to U.S. Government decision-makers and partners in preparation for and response to humanitarian emergencies worldwide, and to promote innovative technologies and best practices for humanitarian information management.

geodata data package providing geojson polygons for all the world's countries

National Park Service unit boundaries.

Natural Earth is a public domain map dataset available at 1:10, 1:50 and 1:110 million scales. Featuring tightly integrated vector and raster data, with Natural Earth you can make a variety of visually pleasing, well-crafted maps with cartography or GIS software.

The Global Rural-Urban Mapping Project, Version 1 (GRUMPv1): National Administrative Boundaries are derived from the land area grid to show the outlines of pixels (cells) that contain administrative Units in GRUMPv1 on a per-country/territory basis. They are derived from the pixels as polygons and thus have rectilinear boundaries at a large scale. The polygons that outline the countries and territories are not official representations; rather they represent the area covered by the statistical data as provided. This data set is produced by the Columbia University Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN) in collaboration with the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), The World Bank, and Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical (CIAT).

Content

This dataset contains world state and province boundary shapefiles for all countries.

Acknowledgements

The data was provided by Natural Earth.

Inspiration

This dataset was added for use in the Data Science for Good: Kiva Crowdfunding challenge.

World sub-national boundaries with population counts for GIS mapping software are from Caliper Corporation.

The mission of the Humanitarian Information Unit (HIU) is to serve as a U.S. Government interagency center to identify, collect, analyze, and disseminate all-source information critical to U.S. Government decision-makers and partners in preparation for and response to humanitarian emergencies worldwide, and to promote innovative technologies and best practices for humanitarian information management.

United Nations map (known as UNmap) is a worldwide geospatial database consisting of country and geographic name information on a global scale. The data is designed for the production of cartographic documents and maps, including their dissemination via public electronic networks, for the Secretariat of the United Nations.The United Nations maintains the Data as a courtesy to those who may choose to access the Data. The Data is provided “as is”, without warranty of any kind, either express or implied, including, without limitation, warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose and non-infringement.

Disclaimers: - The boundaries and names shown and the designations used on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the United Nations. - The designations employed and the presentation of material on this map do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. - Dotted line represents approximately the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir agreed upon by India and Pakistan. - The final status of Jammu and Kashmir has not yet been agreed upon by the parties. - Final boundary between the Republic of Sudan and the Republic of South Sudan has not yet been determined. - Final status of the Abyei area is not yet determined. - A dispute exists between the Governments of Argentina and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland concerning sovereignty over the Falkland Islands (Malvinas).

Generalization parametrisation for the data is developed based on the work of Douglas and Peucker (1973), Wang (1996) and the Polynomial Approximation with Exponential Kernel algorithm.The adequate generalized data should be used for the intended dissemination scale and not rely on software or platform-automated generalization as some specific geographic features are removed at scales. For instance, the region of Abyei is not included at the scale of 1:25 million but is included at lower scales.

Maps produced using this layer should be featured with the appropriate disclaimer depending on the shown area.

Source: United Nations International and Administrative Boundaries Resources

The Gridded Population of the World, Version 4 (GPWv4): National Identifier Grid, Revision 11 is a raster representation of nation-states in GPWv4 for use in aggregating population data. This data set was produced from the input census Units which were used to create a raster surface where pixels that cover the same census data source (most often a country or territory) have the same value. Note that these data are not official representations of country boundaries; rather, they represent the area covered by the input data. In cases where multiple countries overlapped a given pixel (e.g. on national borders), the pixels were assigned the country code of the input data set which made up the majority of the land area. The data file was produced as a global raster at 30 arc-second (~1 km at the equator) resolution. To enable faster global processing, and in support of research commUnities, the 30 arc-second data were aggregated to 2.5 arc-minute, 15 arc-minute, 30 arc-minute and 1 degree resolutions. Each level of aggregation results in the loss of one or more countries with areas smaller than the cell size of the final raster. Rasters of all resolutions were also converted to polygon shapefiles.