The US Board on Geographic Names is responsible for ensuring uniform usage of geographic names within the government.

When naming a newly discovered species, it is generally frowned upon for scientists to name it after themselves, their children, or other family members.

Learn about the National Science Board, the advisory body of the National Science Foundation

The apolitical Board's 24 presidentially appointed members, along with the NSF director, establish the agency's operational policies, programs, and awards, and approve its budget. They also advise the President and Congress on matters of science and engineering research and education to fulfill the NSF's goals of promoting scientific progress, advancing national health, prosperity, and welfare, and securing national defense.

Explore how 10,000 different American cities got their name.

The US has 575 federally recognized tribal nations, each a sovereign government.

Local governments coordinate across jurisdictions through regional councils and planning bodies

Many local governments are part of Councils of Governments or Metropolitan Planning Organizations—regional entities that coordinate transportation, land use, and other shared priorities across city and county boundaries. Federal law mandates their establishment in any metro area with a population over 50,000.

How the Trump administration explained the firing of the NSF's National Science Board

The White House argued that the April 24, 2026, decision resulted from the 2021 US v. Arthrex Supreme Court ruling, which "set limits on the powers of executive branch officials who are not Senate-confirmed" and therefore conflicts with the law that created the NSB. As of May 2026, the administration has yet to explain its next steps for the advisory arm of the National Science Foundation, which has lost about a third of its staff since the start of 2025.

US marshals conducted the national census for nearly a century

From 1790 to 1870, US marshals handled the national census, gathering population data from every district. The responsibility was gradually transferred to a separate federal office that would officially become the Census Bureau in 1902.

The US government ran boarding schools designed to erase Native American identity

From the late 19th century into the 20th century, the federal government sent Native children to boarding schools under the philosophy of "kill the Indian, save the man." Children were forbidden from speaking their languages or practicing their cultures, and many endured abuse.

Why the structure of the National Science Board contributes to the NSF's nonpartisan design

After Congressional debates over the merits of having an independent agency versus one accountable to the president and the public, it was decided that the director and Board members would be presidentially appointed but serve staggered six-year terms. By replacing one-third of the Board's members every two years, each could outlast any single administration.

How do maps get their place names in multilingual areas?

In countries with multiple local dialects, cartographers struggle to standardize place names enough to create maps of the region. This process inevitably leads to conflict. Case in point, Switzerland, where in the late 1800s many dialects called the same places by different names, leading one alienated community to demand the return of its local names. Read about this and several other examples of contentious place-naming on maps here.

UNOS oversees the entire US organ donation system

The United Network for Organ Sharing is a private, nonprofit organization that manages much of the US organ donation and transplantation system under a federal contract. Medical urgency, blood type, organ size, and geography of the donor and recipient are all factors determining how someone who needs an organ is matched with someone who donated an organ.

World War I brought attention to US reliance on mineral imports

Domestic stockpiles were inadequate for the extended trade disruptions caused by the four-year war. In response, the US Geological Survey increased its geological mapping to help search for important metals alongside new oil fields for fuel.

Just as landmasses have been divided into distinct nations, the world ocean has been divided into multiple oceans for various geographical, practical, and scientific reasons.

The British Royal Navy—not the US military—enforced the Monroe Doctrine for most of the 19th century

In the early to mid-1800s, the US lacked the ships and military power to prevent European nations from colonizing the Americas. Britain enforced this to protect its commercial interests by keeping rival European powers out of Latin America.

The reservation system gives tribes limited self-governance while keeping them under federal control.

The entire National Park System is located on public lands, but not all public lands are national parks.

The Office of Water protects the nation's rivers, lakes and drinking supplies

The office develops national standards for safe drinking water, regulates wastewater treatment, and enforces the Clean Water Act. It partners with states and tribes to monitor pollution, protect wetlands, and restore aquatic ecosystems across the United States.

In the US, 'organic food' is defined by the USDA

Food products can only be classified as “organic” if they meet the standards defined by the US Department of Agriculture. For crops, that means avoiding prohibited substances and genetic engineering, among other requirements. For livestock, that includes a minimum number of grazing days.

Most popular baby names in the US by year

The Social Security is one of the most authoritative sources for data on baby names each year. Here's the list of last year's top ten baby names among those children born in the US.

How the Navajo nation works

Tribal reservations control over 89,000 square miles of land in the US, roughly 2.5% of all US land. While individual tribes are recognized as sovereigns, they are not viewed as countries by the US government. Learn how the Navajo nation in...

A collaborative map lets anyone rename the entire world in real time

Rename.world is a playful, community-driven project where users discover, claim, and rename locations across a live global map. It's kind of like Wikipedia meets Google Maps, filtered through the internet's love of chaos and whimsy.

View a map of the balancing authorities managing electric systems and costs throughout the continental US

These are made up of utilities, Power Marketing Administrations—hydropower marketers from the Department of Energy—and groups of utilities that have formed regional entities called Regional Transmission Organizations or Independent System Operators. Collectively, balancing authorities ensure supply meets demand and can direct utilities to implement rolling blackouts to prevent permanent damage to electrical equipment.

The National Mediation Board handles labor relations for the airline and railroad industries

Established in 1934, this independent federal agency mediates disputes between airline and railroad carriers and their unions, conducts union representation elections, and helps with disagreements over existing contracts with the goal of keeping work in these industries moving ahead.

Review Congress's 2025 report on the history of US critical mineral policy

For decades, supply chains for critical minerals have grown increasingly vulnerable due to reliance on imports. In 2022, the US Geological Survey expanded the list of critical minerals to 50 to better reflect growing industrial needs, exacerbating this vulnerability.

The president can federalize state National Guard units during national emergencies

While the governor usually commands their state's National Guard, the president can assume control—federalizing the guard—under laws like the Insurrection Act or Title 10. Once federalized, troops operate under the US military chain of command.

The US lacked a national anthem for the first 8 Olympics, with 'The Star-Spangled Banner' technically an unofficial anthem until 1931.

The history of deep-sea mining and its governance by the International Seabed Authority

The British HMS Challenger research vessel identified metal-rich seafloor rocks between Hawaii and Mexico in the 1870s, but rules governing which nations control which parts of the ocean were not established until 1958 by the UN. It later established the ISA to oversee mineral-related operations in international waters.

These famous brands used to have different names

Did you know that Nike used to be called Blue Ribbon Sports? Or that Google was originally named BackRub? Getting a brand's name right is a tough job; there's an entire cottage industry of brand naming agencies to prove it. See which brands got it right the first time—and which ones might be better off with their current names—in this article.

Company names you may have been mispronouncing

Global company names often get Americanized or anglicized to the point where they’re unrecognizable. Here's a helpful explainer on how to say a dozen of them, from Adidas to Huawei.

The geoid depicts what Earth would look like if not for tides and currents, given the planet's rotation and uneven gravitational field.

A simple pictorial explanation of ocean geography

Visualizing ocean geographical features, such as a coastal zone, continental shelf and abyssal plain. This article from the US Geological Survey also provides several links to diverse ocean facts.

The United States is the world's oldest continuously operating federal system under a written constitution

The US pioneered federalism in the late 18th century, and many countries later adopted federal systems to manage conflict and share power. This resource features interactive maps that trace the spread of federal systems worldwide from 1900 to the present.

See how the executive branch of the US government works

The executive branch enforces federal laws and is led by the president, who serves as head of state, commander in chief, and chief diplomat. Supported by the vice president, Cabinet, and around 4 million federal employees, it carries out laws through 15 departments and dozens of agencies.

US Customs and Border Protection traditionally operates at ports of entry and along US borders

CBP manages security at official border crossings and patrols areas between ports of entry to prevent unauthorized crossings. View details of the agency's mission, organizational structure, and approach to managing the United States' physical borders.

The Atlantic Ocean was named after Atlas, who holds up the sky in Greek mythology, while the Pacific Ocean was named by Ferdinand Magellan.

View the past month of earthquakes worldwide with this digital globe, which displays data from the US Geological Survey.

View the ecosystem of global services, organizations, and agencies behind the internet

Through an open, transparent, and collaborative model built on open standards development and shared global ownership, the internet is kept freely accessible amid evolving international policies. Key organizations, such as IANA, which allocates IP addresses and fulfills administrative functions for the Domain Name System, function as non-profit organizations.

How is credit reporting regulated in the US?

While the three main credit bureaus and the credit scoring companies aren't government entities, they are subject to certain US government regulations, such as the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

Learn how the US tax code works and why it's important

First published in 1926, the US Code is the official codification of federal statutes in the US. Title 26 of the US Code, for instance, lists all of the federal tax laws of the United States. A new edition is published every six years.

Ten lesser-known duties of the US president

The president of the United States is one of the most powerful positions in the world, but what exactly do they oversee? In addition to the obvious tasks of commanding the military, signing laws, and shaping national policy, this article highlights the lesser-known responsibilities of the American president. Naming national monuments and managing the White House beehive are just a few of the jobs you may be surprised to learn about.

There are 6 primary governing bodies at the UN

The United Nations is structured around six main bodies: the General Assembly, Security Council, Economic and Social Council, Trusteeship Council, International Court of Justice, and Secretariat. Each plays a distinct role in promoting peace, justice, and cooperation worldwide.

George Washington was an expert in maps and cartography

Trained as a surveyor, Washington routinely studied, annotated, and drew maps throughout his life. He relied on cartography to navigate frontier lands, plan military campaigns across vast distances, and make strategic decisions on borders, settlement, and governance.

Local governments are responsible for more than 148,000 public water systems across the US

From large municipal utilities to small rural systems, local governments are tasked with providing clean water to almost every American community. The US operates over 148,000 public water systems.

President Trump invoked the Monroe Doctrine in 2025, announcing a new 'Trump Corollary'

On Dec. 2, 2025, the 202nd anniversary of the doctrine, President Donald Trump issued a proclamation reaffirming US "dominance" in the Western Hemisphere. His administration's national security strategy officially codified the "Trump Corollary," stating that the US would prevent non-hemispheric powers from gaining strategic influence in the Americas.

The USPS spent $3.97B in 2024, accounting for .058% of the federal budget.

The central bank was designed to operate free of short-term political influence to prevent the Fed from making disastrous policy decisions

Although the Fed Chair and the six other Governors of the Board are appointed by the US president and approved by Congress, the Fed is not funded by congressional appropriation, and its board members are appointed to lengthy 14-year terms.

American local government comes in five distinct forms

Counties, municipalities, townships, special districts, and school districts are each created for a different purpose, operating under different rules, and answerable to the state in different ways. Special districts, the least known of the group, are created for specific purposes, such as transit or fire protection.

National parks, explained

Roughly 83 million acres of the United States are set aside as federal National Parks land, an area large as Germany. From the original Yellowstone Park to small monuments and memorials, learn the essentials on this portion of America dedicated to public enjoyment and recreation with our quick explainer video.

How US currency is issued

Cash in the US is the result of a collaborative process between the Federal Reserve, the Treasury Department, regional banks, and a little-known agency called the Bureau of Engraving and Printing. From design to issuance, learn the steps in currency production in the US with this smart, aesthetic interactive.

Explore landforms that exist across America's national parks

Landforms are not just scenic vistas; they are geological storytellers that shape ecosystems, climates, and our understanding of Earth's history. In this comprehensive look at landforms from the National Park Service, you will learn not only about different types of American landforms, but you will understand how these geological features are shaped by various forces, how they reveal an area's geological history, and how they influence climate and ecology.