Geographic reference file (GRF) A generic term for a file that contains geographic information such as area names, geographic codes, and selected x,y coordinate values (entity centroid or internal point). Geographic reference files may be used for determining the name of a particular geographic entity when only its code is known (or vice versa), and for control of geographic operations, computer mapping, and entity name placement, depending on the information contained in the specific file. See also Economic Geographic Information Reference Tape, Economic Geographic Reference File, Geographic Identification Code Scheme, Geographic Reference File (Codes), Geographic Reference File (Names).
Geographic Reference File (Codes) (GRF-C) A Census Bureau computer file listing all geographic codes associated with a census block record.
Geographic Reference File (Names) (GRF-N) A Census Bureau computer file listing the names of each geographic entity and their associated attributes.
Geographic Support System (GSS) The TIGER System, plus all other activities undertaken by the Geography division to support the census and survey activities of the Census Bureau. This includes all decennial census geographic products—maps, TIGER/Line files™, other TIGER extract products, and related computer systems; all economic and agriculture censuses geographic products—the Address Reference File (ARF), City Reference File (CRF), Economic Geographic Reference File (EGRF), and related computer systems. Also includes geographic activities related to the Master Address File (MAF), the special census program, the current sample survey program, all future census research and development activities, the operations that use the boundary change information collected in the BAS, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) quadrangles and other reference/map source files, and the congressional district referral service. See also TIGER data base, TIGER System.
GICS See Geographic Identification Code Scheme.
Gore A type of nonfunctioning MCD found in Maine and Vermont.
GlossaryG-27