A gazetteer essentially is an alphabetical list of geographic names that are currently applied or have been applied to places and features of the landscape. They can also cover feature names on ocean bottoms, as well as on planetary bodies and the moon. Varying in scope, depth, and quality, they are an invaluable resource for locating innumerable place and feature names that are now in use or have fallen out of use. Often employed in conjunction with historical maps, gazetteers enable researchers to identify sites of particular interest.
World gazetteers are often a useful resource, especially for the larger and more well-established communities in Europe. In addition to a location's name and geographic coordinates, they can include relevant historical and geographical information.