Bharatpedia:Notability (geographic features)

Notability on Bharatpedia is an inclusion criterion based on the encyclopedic suitability of an article topic. Geographical features meeting Bharatpedia's General notability guideline (GNG) are presumed, but not guaranteed, to be notable. Therefore, the notability of some geographical features (places, roadways, objects, etc.) may be called into question.

This guideline summarizes the existing overall consensus for geographical feature notability and provides guidance on inclusion of information about geographic features into Bharatpedia.

Scope

For the purpose of this guideline, a geographical feature is any reasonably permanent or historic feature of the Earth, whether natural or artificial.

This guideline does not apply to geographical features in fictional works or to the features of other astronomical objects.

Micronations are not covered by this guideline and are subject to the general notability guideline, even if they are geography-based.

Sources

This guideline specifically excludes maps and tables from consideration when establishing topic notability, because these sources often establish little except the existence of the subject. Still, they do contribute to the satisfaction of the requirement of verifiability.

On the other hand, sources that describe the subject instead of simply mentioning it do establish notability.

Unreliable sources such as Facebook and most blogs or YouTube videos should be avoided when establishing the verifiability or notability of a geographical feature.

Geographic regions, areas and places

• Populated, legally recognized places are typically presumed to be notable, even if their population is very low. Even abandoned places can be notable, because notability encompasses their entire history. One exception is that census tracts are usually not considered notable. BP:GNIS and GEONet Names Server do not satisfy the "legal recognition" requirement and are unreliable for "populated place" designation.
• Populated places without legal recognition are considered on a case-by-case basis in accordance with the GNG. Examples may include subdivisions, business parks, housing developments, informal regions of a state, unofficial neighborhoods, etc. – any of which could be considered notable on a case-by-case basis, given non-trivial coverage in multiple, independent reliable sources. If a Bharatpedia article cannot be developed using known sources, information on the informal place should be included in the more general article on the legally recognized populated place or administrative subdivision that contains it.
• Disputed regions are generally considered case-by-case. Their notability for Bharatpedia is independent of the validity of their claims. Sometimes it may be more appropriate to merge these articles into ones on a broader conflict or political movement, or to merge articles on multiple disputed names for the same region into one article.
• Named natural features are often notable, provided information beyond statistics and coordinates is known to exist. This includes mountains, lakes, streams, islands, etc. The number of known sources should be considered to ensure there is enough verifiable content for an encyclopedic article. If a Bharatpedia article cannot be developed using known sources, information on the feature can instead be included in a more general article on local geography. For example, a river island with no information available except name and location should probably be described in an article on the river.

Buildings and objects

Many artificial geographical features may be mentioned in plenty of reliable sources, but they may not necessarily be notable. The inclusion of a man-made geographical feature on maps or in directories is insufficient to establish topic notability.

• Artificial geographical features that are officially assigned the status of cultural heritage or national heritage, or of any other protected status on a national level and for which verifiable information beyond simple statistics is available, are presumed to be notable.
• Buildings, including private residences and commercial developments, may be notable as a result of their historic, social, economic, or architectural importance, but they require significant in-depth coverage by reliable, third-party sources to establish notability.
• Artificial features related to infrastructure (for example, bridges and dams) can be notable under Bharatpedia's GNG. Where their notability is unclear, they generally redirect to more general articles or to a named natural feature that prompted their creation, e.g., to an article about the notable road it carries or the notable obstacle it spans.

Roadways

See also: Bharatpedia:Notability (highways)

International road networks (such as the International E-road network), Interstate, national, state and provincial highways are typically notable. Topic notability for county roads, regional roads (such as Ireland's regional roads), local roads, streets and motorway service areas may vary, and are presumed to be notable if they have been the subject of multiple published secondary sources which contain significant coverage and are reliable and independent of the subject.

No inherited notability

Geographical features must be notable on their own merits. They cannot inherit the notability of organizations, people, or events.

See also

• Common AfD outcomes – Geography and astronomy articles – an explanatory supplement to Bharatpedia:Deletion policy
• Bharatpedia:WikiProject U.S. Roads/Precedents – listings of AfD outcomes from WikiProject U.S. Roads
• Bharatpedia:WikiProject U.S. Roads/Notability – an essay about the notability of U.S. roads
• Bharatpedia:Notability (highways) – an essay
• Bharatpedia:Places of local interest – an essay
• Bharatpedia:Run-of-the-mill – an essay that discusses very common types of buildings and places
• Bharatpedia:Naming conventions (geographic names) – a naming convention
• Bharatpedia:Notability (astronomical objects) – a guideline for celestial bodies
• Bharatpedia:Notability – a guideline for topic notability
• Bharatpedia:What Bharatpedia is not – a policy