Global Main Populated Places

WFP has created a copy of the geonames database that is synchronizing with the geonames server twice a day. However, as the amount of points is significantly big, WFP had to create a classification used for mapping at a country scale and display only relevant towns/villages.

The geonames settlements have been classified using population within each country independently. The population data in Geonames is not complete so another source of information for population has been used: http://www.citypopulation.de/. It contains census data with population for cities and districts.

Having done this, additional columns have been added to add WFP points of interest, using partly other WFP global datasets such as airports and ports (also available on the WFP geonode).

Data and Resources

Field Value
access_constraints []
bbox-east-long 179.73333
bbox-north-lat 78.22334
bbox-south-lat -54.93355
bbox-west-long -179.98333
contact-email thierry.crevoisier@wfp.org
coupled-resource []
dataset-reference-date [{"type": "publication", "value": "2017-04-04T13:28:00Z"}]
frequency-of-update continual
graphic-preview-description Thumbnail for 'Global Main Populated Places'
graphic-preview-file https://geonode.wfp.org/uploaded/thumbs/layer-75ca6564-aeec-4184-baf1-191cabc070ec-thumb.png
graphic-preview-type image/png
guid 75ca6564-aeec-4184-baf1-191cabc070ec
licence []
metadata-date 2018-04-13T06:39:21Z
progress completed
resource-type dataset
responsible-party [{"name": "WFP OMEP", "roles": ["pointOfContact"]}]
spatial {"type": "Polygon", "coordinates": [[[-179.98333, -54.93355], [179.73333, -54.93355], [179.73333, 78.22334], [-179.98333, 78.22334], [-179.98333, -54.93355]]]}
spatial-reference-system 4326
spatial_harvester true
Tags
  • AfriGEOSS
  • AmeriGEO
  • AmeriGEOSS
  • EuroGEOSS
  • Food Security
  • GEO
  • GEOSS
  • GIS
  • GeoNode
  • Geospatial
  • Global
  • United Nations
  • WFP
  • World Food Program
  • global
  • populated places
  • settlements
  • towns
isopen False
metadata_created 2025-09-30T20:45:30.467802
metadata_modified 2025-09-30T20:45:30.467810
notes WFP has created a copy of the geonames database that is synchronizing with the geonames server twice a day. However, as the amount of points is significantly big, WFP had to create a classification used for mapping at a country scale and display only relevant towns/villages. The geonames settlements have been classified using population within each country independently. The population data in Geonames is not complete so another source of information for population has been used: http://www.citypopulation.de/. It contains census data with population for cities and districts. Having done this, additional columns have been added to add WFP points of interest, using partly other WFP global datasets such as airports and ports (also available on the WFP geonode).
num_resources 18
num_tags 18
title Global Main Populated Places