Public Services and Procurement Canada
Symbol of the Government of Canada

Institutional Links

 

Important notice

The Canadian Style has been archived and won’t be updated before it is permanently deleted.

For the most up-to-date content, please consult Writing Tips Plus, which combines content from Writing Tips and The Canadian Style. And don’t forget to update your bookmarks!

Search Canada.ca

9.47 Geographical names

Alphabetize geographical names according to the main noun (Ontario, Lake; Robson, Mt.), except where the generic noun is part of the title (Lake of the Woods). Alphabetize non-English names under the article if there is one (La Prairie; La Tuque; Los Angeles), but list English names with articles under the main noun (Eastern Townships, The; Pas, The).

List items under the names most commonly or officially used or most recently adopted, with a cross-reference from the alternative or former title:

  • Dahomey. See Bénin
  • Moldavian S.S.R. See Moldova
  • Rhodesia. See Zambia; Zimbabwe

For information about the official versions of Canadian place names, see Chapter 15 Geographical Names.

The English version of a French or foreign place name should be used. When there are two non-English names for the same place, use the one more commonly found in written English, e.g. Bruges, not Brugge.

In the English-speaking world the same name is used for many geographical entities. Use modifiers in parentheses when necessary:

  • Hull (Quebec)
  • Paris (Ontario)

The same word may be listed several times:

  • Québec (city)
  • Quebec (government)
  • Quebec (province)

When listing the numbers of the pages where reference to a place is made, remember that it may also be referred to by its generic noun alone—the lake, the mountain, etc.—and that such references should be included in the index entry.