Cartographic Guidance Bulletins
The guidance bulletins linked below are issued by the Office of the Geographer and Global Issues at the U.S. Department of State to inform Federal cartographers of changes in mapping policy, mostly with regard to international boundary and sovereignty issues. These policies are intended only for the United States Federal Government. Users should take care to access the most recent bulletin for a particular country or area, as some of the bulletins are superseded by others.
Geographic names used in the Cartographic Guidance Bulletins are those standardized by the Foreign Names Committee of the United States Board on Geographic Names at the time of publication. Geographic entity codes are from the Geopolitical Entities, Names, and Codes (GENC) Edition 3, Update 17.
| № 39 | Cartographic Guidance: Cook Islands and Niue | September 25, 2023 |
| Signed by Lee R. Schwartz, The Geographer | ||
| COK, NIU |
| № 38 | Morocco-Western Sahara: Mapping Guidance | December 16, 2020 |
| Signed by Lee R. Schwartz, The Geographer | ||
| MAR |
| № 37 | Taiwan – Cartographic Treatment | April 16, 2020 |
| Signed by Lee R. Schwartz, The Geographer | ||
| CHN, TWN |
| № 36 | Golan Heights: Mapping Guidance | April 5, 2019 |
| Signed by Lee R. Schwartz, The Geographer | ||
| ISR |
| № 35 | Jerusalem: Mapping Guidance | August 20, 2018 |
| Signed by Lee R. Schwartz, The Geographer | ||
| ISR, XWB |
| № 34 | Guidance on Sovereignty of Tiran and Sanafir Islands | June 25, 2018 |
| Signed by Lee R. Schwartz, The Geographer | ||
| EGY, SAU |
| № 33 | Guidance on the Depiction of the Macau Special Administrative Region | August 16, 2017 |
| Signed by Lee R. Schwartz, The Geographer | Supersedes № 25 Guidance on the Depiction of the Macau Special Administrative Region. | |
| CHN, MAC |
| № 32 | Japan – Northern Islands | July 18, 2013 |
| Signed by Lee R. Schwartz, The Geographer | ||
| JPN, RUS |
| № 31 | International Dateline: Updated Cartographic Depiction | October 1, 2012 |
| Signed by Lee R. Schwartz, The Geographer | ||
| WSM, KIR, TKL |
| № 30 | South Sudan – Sudan Boundaries | July 20, 2011 |
| Signed by Lee R. Schwartz, The Geographer | Supersedes № 29 South Sudan Boundaries. | |
| SSD, SDN |
| № 29 | South Sudan Boundaries | June 29, 2011 |
| Signed by Lee R. Schwartz, The Geographer | Superseded by № 30 South Sudan – Sudan Boundaries. | |
| SSD |
| № 28 | Bosnia and Herzegovina: Cartographic Depiction of Administrative Areas | February 7, 2011 |
| Signed by Lee R. Schwartz, The Geographer | ||
| BIH |
| № 27 | Guidance on the Depiction of the Boundaries for France (French Guiana), Guyana and Suriname | March 23, 2007 |
| Signed by The Geographer | ||
| FRA, GUF, GUY, SUR |
| № 26 | Guidance on the Depiction of the Bhutan-China Boundary | February 1, 2007 |
| Signed by The Geographer | ||
| BTN, CHN |
| № 25 | Guidance on the Depiction of the Macau Special Administrative Region | December 14, 2006 |
| Signed by Lee R. Schwartz (Acting), The Geographer | Superseded by № 33 Guidance on the Depiction of the Macau Special Administrative Region. | |
| CHN, MAC |
| № 24 | Iraq/Syria: Euphrates Salient | February 2, 2006 |
| Signed by Lee R. Schwartz (Acting), The Geographer | ||
| IRQ, SYR |
| № 23 | Kashmir Region: Cartographic Depiction | September 30, 2003 |
| Signed by William B. Wood, The Geographer | ||
| CHN, IND, PAK, XSQ |
| № 22 | Eritrea/Ethiopia Boundary | August 26, 2003 |
| Signed by William B. Wood, The Geographer | ||
| ERI, ETH |
| № 21 | Saudi Arabia/Yemen Boundary | February 5, 2001 |
| Signed by William B. Wood, The Geographer | ||
| SAU, YEM |
| № 20 | India/Pakistan and India/China Boundaries | June 28, 1999 |
| Signed by William B. Wood, The Geographer | ||
| CHN, IND, PAK, XSQ, XQO |
| № 19 | Revised Guidance on Depiction of Hong Kong S.A.R. | August 7, 1997 |
| Signed by William B. Wood, The Geographer | Supersedes № 18 Guidance on Depiction of Hong Kong S.A.R.. | |
| CHN, HKG |
| № 18 | Guidance on Depiction of Hong Kong S.A.R. | July 1, 1997 |
| Signed by William B. Wood, The Geographer | Superseded by № 19 Revised Guidance on Depiction of Hong Kong S.A.R.. | |
| CHN, HKG |
| № 17 | Israel/Jordan/West Bank/Gaza Strip | August 1, 1996 |
| Signed by William B. Wood, The Geographer | Supersedes № 15 Guidance on Depiction of Gaza Strip and West Bank. | |
| ISR, JOR, XGZ, XWB |
| № 16 | Guidance on Depiction of Republic of Palau | November 1, 1994 |
| Signed by William B. Wood, The Geographer | ||
| PLW |
| № 15 | Guidance on Depiction of Gaza Strip and West Bank | June 19, 1994 |
| Signed by William B. Wood, The Geographer | Superseded by № 17 Israel/Jordan/West Bank/Gaza Strip. | |
| ISR, XGZ, XWB |
| № 14 | Change of Status of Walvis Bay | June 18, 1994 |
| Signed by William B. Wood, The Geographer | ||
| NAM |
| № 13 | Iraq/Kuwait Boundary | June 13, 1994 |
| Signed by William B. Wood, The Geographer | ||
| IRQ, KWT |
| № 12 | Guidance on Depiction of The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia | February 18, 1994 |
| Signed by William B. Wood, The Geographer | Supersedes № 6 Guidance on the Depiction of Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia. | |
| MKD |
| № 11 | Revised Guidance on Depiction of the Baltic States in US Government Maps | September 17, 1993 |
| Signed by Bradford L. Thomas for William B. Wood, The Geographer | Supersedes № 3 Depiction of the Former Soviet Union in US Government Maps. | |
| EST, LVA, LTU, RUS |
| № 10 | Guidance on Depiction of Eritrea | July 12, 1993 |
| Signed by William B. Wood, The Geographer | ||
| ERI, ETH |
| № 9 | Oman/Suadi Arabia Boundary and Oman/Yemen Boundary | April 2, 1993 |
| Signed by William B. Wood, The Geographer | ||
| OMN, SAU, YEM |
| № 8 | Guidance on Depiction of Czech Republic and Slovak Republic | January 12, 1993 |
| Signed by William B. Wood, The Geographer | ||
| CZE, SVK |
| № 7 | Revised Boundary Guidance: Saudi Arabia/United Arab Emirates, Iraq/Jordan | November 13, 1992 |
| Signed by William B. Wood, The Geographer | ||
| SAU, ARE, IRQ, JOR |
| № 6 | Guidance on the Depiction of Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia | July 14, 1992 |
| Signed by William B. Wood, The Geographer | Supersedes № 5 Guidance on the Depiction of Bosnia and Hercegovina, Croatia, Slovenia, and Yugoslavia. Superseded by № 12 Guidance on Depiction of The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. | |
| MKD, MNE, SRB |
| № 5 | Guidance on the Depiction of Bosnia and Hercegovina, Croatia, Slovenia, and Yugoslavia | April 23, 1992 |
| Signed by William B. Wood, The Geographer | Superseded by № 6 Guidance on the Depiction of Macedonia, Montenegro, and Serbia. | |
| BIH, HRV, SVN |
| № 4 | Revised Guidance on the Iraq/Saudi Arabia Boundary | March 30, 1992 |
| Signed by The Geographer | ||
| IRQ, SAU |
| № 3 | Depiction of the Former Soviet Union in US Government Maps | January 2, 1992 |
| Signed by The Geographer | ||
| ARM, AZE, BLR, GEO, KAZ, KGZ, MDA, RUS, TJK, TKM, UKR, UZB |
| № 2 | Revised Guidance on Depiction of the Baltic States in US Government Maps | September 16, 1991 |
| Signed by The Geographer | Superseded by № 11 Revised Guidance on Depiction of the Baltic States in US Government Maps. | |
| EST, LVA, LTU, RUS |
| № 1 | Revised Guidance on Depiction of Germany in US Government Maps | August 6, 1991 |
| Signed by The Geographer | ||
| DEU |