[U.S. Government Printing Office Style Manual]
[Chapter 18 - Geologic Terms and Geographic Divisions]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]


Geologic terms 
For capitalization, compounding, and use of quotations in geologic 
terms, copy is to be followed. Geologic terms quoted verbatim from 
published material should be left as the original author used them; 
however, it should be made clear that the usage is that of the original
author. 

Formal geologic terms are capitalized: Proterozoic Eon, Cambrian 
Period. Structural terms such as arch, anticline, or uplift are 
capitalized when preceded by a name: Cincinnati Arch, Cedar Creek 
Anticline, Ozark Uplift . See Chapter 4 geographic terms for more 
information. 

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Physiographic regions 
Physiographic regions are based on terrain texture, rock type, and 
geologic structure and history. Th e classification system has three 
tiers: divisions, which are broken into provinces, and some provinces 
break further into sections. All names are capitalized, not the class; 
for graphic see http://tapestry.usgs.gov/physiogr/physio.html. 

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Geographic divisions
  The Public Land Survey System has a hierarchy of lines. 
Principal meridians and base lines and their related townships, 
sections, and subdivisions of sections are incorporated in the 
description of land conveyed by the Federal Government and others. 

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States, capitals, and counties 
The following includes parishes, boroughs, census divisions, districts,
islands, municipalities, and "municipios" of the 50 States, U.S. 
possessions, and territories. County totals include city counties as 
defined by the National Association of Counties. See www.naco.org for 
more information. 

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Common misspellings 
Geographers and cartographers omit the possessive apostrophe in place-
names; however, apostrophes appearing in legally constituted names of 
counties should not be changed. 

The names of the following counties are often misspelled and/or 
confused: 

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