Geography Working Paper Series
Dissemination Geography Unique Identifier: Definition and Structure
Introduction
This document describes the structure of the Dissemination Geography Unique Identifier (DGUID) code. This code is used within Statistics Canada’s Common Output Database Repository (CODR).
The DGUID is a skeleton key for linking geospatial data and statistical data. It facilitates linking every geographic area maintained by Statistics Canada with data tables that use geographic names within CODR.
Principles and assumptions
In developing the structure of the DGUID, the following principles are implemented:
- Language neutral
- Minimal change (re-uses existing geographic structure/codes as much as possible)
- Exhaustive (complete) and accommodating (adaptable)
- Easily understood, intuitive and decodable by internal and external users
- Minimal amount of IT storage space
Structure
The DGUID varies from 10 to 21 characters in length (Figure 1 and Table 1).
The first 9 characters are fixed in composition and length. These characters indicate the vintage, type and schema of geographic boundaries.
The geographic unique identifier that follows varies from 1 to 12 characters in length, which corresponds to the geographic area within a geographic boundary.
The four elements composing the DGUID are as follows:
Description for Figure 1
This figure presents the structure of the DGUID, where the first four digits are the vintage year, the fifth digit is the type of geographic area, digits six to nine are the schema of the geographic area, and from digit 10 to a maximum length of twelve digits are the geography unique identifier.
| Vintage | Type | Schema | Geographic Unique Identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 to 2016 (most recent release) | A – Administrative | 0000 to 0499 | Corresponds to the unique identifier (GEOUID) of each geographic area. |
| S – Statistical | 0500 to 0999 |
Vintage
Vintage is a four digit code (VVVV) indicating the reference year of the geospatial data. Vintage values range from 2001 to the most recent reference year of geospatial data. The reference year varies depending on the maintenance cycle of a given geographic area. The various reference year that could be found are defined in Table 2 below.
| Name | Abbreviation | Cycle | Possible values |
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | CENSUS | Quinquennial | 2001, 2006, 2011, 2016 |
| Federal electoral districts redistribution | FED | Decennial | 2003, 2013 |
| Health region boundary release | HRBR | AnnualTable 2 Note 1 | 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2018 |
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Type
Type is a one character code (T) indicating the type of geographic areas composing the geographic coverage of the statistical data disseminated. Possible values are as follows (Table 3):
| Type | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| A | Administrative | Defined, with a few exceptions, by Canadian federal and provincial/territorial statutes or agencies, and adopted by Statistics Canada for the purpose of data dissemination activities. Examples include: |
| - Country | ||
| - Health Region | ||
| - Province / Territory | ||
| - Forward Sortation Area | ||
| - Federal Electoral District | ||
| - Ecoregion | ||
| S | Statistical | Defined by Statistics Canada to support census and survey dissemination activities. They are created according to a set of rules based on geographic attributes and one or more characteristics of the resident population. Examples include: |
| - Census Agricultural Region | ||
| - Population Centre | ||
| - Economic Region | ||
| - Dissemination Area | ||
| - Census Metropolitan Area | ||
| - Drainage Region |
Schema
Schema is a four digit sequential number (SSSS) assigned to each unique “set” of geographic areas. See Table 4 below for the list of schema codes and their associated geographic areas.
Geographic Unique Identifier
Geographic Unique Identifier is a variable length alpha-numeric code (GGGGGGGGGGG) assigned to each individual geographic area. For more detail see the illustrated glossary on Geographic Code. Geographic Unique Identifiers range from 1 to 12 characters in length.
| English Geography Name | Vintage reference year abbreviation (Table 2) | Type | Schema | Geographic Unique Identifier (GEOUID) | Example | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Field name | Length | ||||||
| Country | CENSUS | A | 0000 | “11124”Table 4 Note 1 | Canada, 2011 | 2011A000011124 | |
| Geographical region of Canada | CENSUS | A | 0001 | PRUIDTable 4 Note 2 | 1 | Prairies, 2016 | 2016A00014 |
| Province or territory | CENSUS | A | 0002 | PRUID | 2 | Quebec, 2011 | 2011A000224 |
| Census division | CENSUS | A | 0003 | CDUID | 4 | Toronto, 2011 | 2011A00033520 |
| Federal electoral district | FED | A | 0004 | FEDUID | 5 | Orléans, 2013 | 2013A000435076 |
| Census subdivision | CENSUS | A | 0005 | CSDUID | 7 | Toronto, City, 2011 | 2011A00053520005 |
| Designated place | CENSUS | A | 0006 | DPLUID | 6 | Lanark, 2016 | 2016A0006350045 |
| Health region | HRBR | A | 0007 | HR_UID | 4 | Edmonton Zone, 2013 | 2013A00074834 |
| Local health integration network | HRBR | A | 0008 | HR_UID | 4 | South West, 2015 | 2015A00083502 |
| Forward sortation area | CENSUS | A | 0011 | CFSAUID | 3 | K1J, 2011 | 2011A0011K1J |
| Economic region | CENSUS | S | 0500 | ERUID | 4 | Toronto, 2011 | 2011S05003530 |
| Census agricultural region | CENSUS | S | 0501 | CARUID | 4 | Cariboo, 2011 | 2011S05015905 |
| Census consolidated subdivision | CENSUS | S | 0502 | CCSUID | 7 | Rossburn, 2016 | 2016S05024616005 |
| Census metropolitan area | CENSUS | S | 0503 | CMAUID | 3 | Toronto, 2011 | 2011S0503535 |
| Census agglomeration | CENSUS | S | 0504 | CMAUID | 3 | Cobourg, 2016 | 2016S0504527 |
| Census metropolitan area part | CENSUS | S | 0505 | CMAPUID | 5 | Ottawa - Gatineau (Ont. part), 2016 | 2016S050535505 |
| Census agglomeration part | CENSUS | S | 0506 | CMAPUID | 5 | Campbellton (Que. part), 2016 | 2016S050624330 |
| Census tract | CENSUS | S | 0507 | CTUID | 10 | 0002.00 – Moncton, City / Cité, 2011 | 2011S05073050002.00 |
| Population centre | CENSUS | S | 0510 | PCUID | 4 | Toronto, 2011 | 2011S05100944 |
| Population centre part | CENSUS | S | 0511 | PCPUID | 6 | Lloydminster (Sask. part), 2016 | 2016S0511470478 |
| Dissemination area | CENSUS | S | 0512 | DAUID | 8 | 13070226, 2016 | 2016S051213070226 |
| Dissemination block | CENSUS | S | 0513 | DBUID | 11 | 13070226019, 2016 | 2016S051313070226019 |
| Aggregate Dissemination Area | CENSUSTable 4 Note 3 | S | 0516 | ADAUID | 8 | 24230047, 2016 | 2016S051624230047 |
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Correspondence files
Correspondence files containing the DGUID values for all disseminated geographic boundaries are available upon request. If you require a copy of one or more DGUID correspondence files, please contact us.
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