A Gazetteer is a dictionary of places. It consists of an alphabetical listing of such political units as nations, states or provinces, counties, and cities. It also lists such geographical features as mountains, rivers, and lakes. An entry on a city, for example, would include information on its population and industries and on its political identification, that is, the county, state, and nation whiting which it is located. An old gazetteer is a good source of information about places as they were in the past.
Originally, the term gazetteer was applied to the writer of a gazette or newspaper and did not come into its present usage until 1704 when Lawrence Echard published the
Gazetteer's or Newsman's Interpreter, an encyclopedia of the features of the earth. The gazetteer developed in the 19th century when a handy geographical reference was greatly needed, and several attempts were made to publish complete information.
