The Natural Area Code (or Universal Address) is a proprietary[1]geocode system for identifying an area anywhere on the Earth, or a volume of space anywhere around the Earth. The use of thirty alphanumeric characters instead of only ten digits makes a NAC shorter than its numerical latitude/longitude equivalent.
Instead of numerical longitudes and latitudes, a grid with 30 rows and 30 columns - each cell denoted by the numbers 0-9 and the twenty consonants of the Latin alphabet - is laid over the flattened globe. A NAC cell (or block) can be subdivided repeatedly into smaller NAC grids to yield an arbitrarily small area, subject to the ±1 m limitations of the World Geodetic System (WGS) data of 1984.
A NAC represents an area on the earth—the longer the NAC, the smaller the area (and thereby, location) represented. A ten-character NAC can uniquely specify any building, house, or fixed object in the world. An eight-character NAC specifies an area no larger than 25 metres by 50 metres, while a ten-character NAC cell is no larger than 0.8 metres by 1.6 metres.
Using a base 30 positional numeral system, NAC uses an alternate method which excludes vowels and avoids potential confusion between "0" (zero) and "O" (capital "o"), and "1" (one) and "I" (capital "i"):
Decimal
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
Base 30
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
B
C
D
F
G
Decimal
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
Base 30
H
J
K
L
M
N
P
Q
R
S
T
V
W
X
Z
For example, the ten-character NAC for the centre of the city of Brussels is HBV6R RG77T.
Extension to three dimensions
The full NAC system provides a third coordinate: altitude. This coordinate is the arctangent of the altitude, relative to the Earth's radius, and scaled so that the zero point (000...) is at the centre of the Earth, the midpoint (H00...) is the local radius of the geoid, i.e. the Earth's surface, and the endpoint (ZZZ...) is at infinity.
For example, the three-dimensional NAC for the centre of Brussels, at ground level, is HBV6R RG77T H0000.
^"Legal and Licensing". www.nacgeo.com. Retrieved 2020-03-23.
Further reading
Rwerekane, Valentin; Ndashimye, Maurice (2017). "Natural Area Coding Based Postcode Scheme" (PDF). International Journal of Computer and Communication Engineering. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
Addressing geographic objects of unique location areas(PDF). FernUniversitaet in Hagen. p. 7. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
Kemp, Randall B. (24 October 2008). "Revising place-code schemes for humanitarian relief". Proceedings of the American Society for Information Science and Technology. 44 (1): 1–7.
External links
NAC Geographic Products
Use the Global Postal Code System Now
January 19, 2023
natural, area, code, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, jstor, januar. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Natural Area Code news newspapers books scholar JSTOR January 2020 Learn how and when to remove this template message The Natural Area Code or Universal Address is a proprietary 1 geocode system for identifying an area anywhere on the Earth or a volume of space anywhere around the Earth The use of thirty alphanumeric characters instead of only ten digits makes a NAC shorter than its numerical latitude longitude equivalent Contents 1 Two dimensional system 2 Extension to three dimensions 3 See also 4 References 4 1 Further reading 5 External linksTwo dimensional system EditInstead of numerical longitudes and latitudes a grid with 30 rows and 30 columns each cell denoted by the numbers 0 9 and the twenty consonants of the Latin alphabet is laid over the flattened globe A NAC cell or block can be subdivided repeatedly into smaller NAC grids to yield an arbitrarily small area subject to the 1 m limitations of the World Geodetic System WGS data of 1984 A NAC represents an area on the earth the longer the NAC the smaller the area and thereby location represented A ten character NAC can uniquely specify any building house or fixed object in the world An eight character NAC specifies an area no larger than 25 metres by 50 metres while a ten character NAC cell is no larger than 0 8 metres by 1 6 metres Using a base 30 positional numeral system NAC uses an alternate method which excludes vowels and avoids potential confusion between 0 zero and O capital o and 1 one and I capital i Decimal 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14Base 30 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 B C D F G Decimal 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29Base 30 H J K L M N P Q R S T V W X ZFor example the ten character NAC for the centre of the city of Brussels is HBV6R RG77T Extension to three dimensions EditThe full NAC system provides a third coordinate altitude This coordinate is the arctangent of the altitude relative to the Earth s radius and scaled so that the zero point 000 is at the centre of the Earth the midpoint H00 is the local radius of the geoid i e the Earth s surface and the endpoint ZZZ is at infinity For example the three dimensional NAC for the centre of Brussels at ground level is HBV6R RG77T H0000 See also EditMilitary Grid Reference System Universal Transverse Mercator coordinate system Quadtree GeohashReferences Edit Legal and Licensing www nacgeo com Retrieved 2020 03 23 Further reading Edit Rwerekane Valentin Ndashimye Maurice 2017 Natural Area Coding Based Postcode Scheme PDF International Journal of Computer and Communication Engineering Retrieved 25 August 2022 Addressing geographic objects of unique location areas PDF FernUniversitaet in Hagen p 7 Retrieved 25 August 2022 Kemp Randall B 24 October 2008 Revising place code schemes for humanitarian relief Proceedings of the American Society for Information Science and Technology 44 1 1 7 External links EditNAC Geographic Products Use the Global Postal Code System Now Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Natural Area Code amp oldid 1111966224, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
