The Place Names Information Service is an integrated platform consolidating Taiwan's geographic nomenclature databases, developed by the Ministry of the Interior between 2000 and 2008. This interactive system provides comprehensive access to Taiwan's place name records, offering map-based tools and query functions for researchers and the public.
The platform features multiple functionalities: place name searches by keyword, administrative district, or category; map overlay capabilities integrating the National Land Surveying and Mapping Center's electronic maps, orthoimagery, and Academia Sinica's Japanese-era Taiwan Fort Maps (1904); and data export options in KML and SHP formats. The system documents place name meanings, historical evolution, and standardized romanization using Hanyu Pinyin in accordance with the National Spatial Planning Act.
Users can conduct spatial searches, perform digitization and measurement operations, and compare historical transformations through multi-temporal map overlays. This resource serves administrative, educational, and cartographic applications, with all datasets available through Taiwan's Government Open Data Platform, facilitating research on Taiwan's geographical and cultural history.