Short for
Geography Markup Language, an
XML-based language for encoding geographic information in order to be stored and transported over the
Internet. Developed by the OpenGIS Consortium, GML defines both the geometry and properties of objects that comprise geographic information. GML is a practical application for transferring cartographic information over the Web. Instead of transmitting a
GIF or
JPG map, GML allows the data to be controlled on the
browser end by the user who receives geometries and geographic features and customizes how the data is to be displayed. Geographic data in GML can be sent to any device with an XML interface.