Geography Markup Language (GML)

Geography Markup Language (GML) is an open-source encoding based on the eXtensible Markup Language (XML), and suitable for the representation of geographical objects. Organized as a hierarchy of features, collections, and geometries, among other structures, GML objects are modeled after real-world entities characterized by properties and state. In addition, GML has been defined as an information exchange and storage format with which disparate systems can share common geographic data. GML schemas establish a standard blueprint of how geographic objects can be defined by one system and understood by others in a vendor-independent manner.