Tag:bay=fjord

A  fjord is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created by a glacier.

Note: Fjords can exist both in the sea and in freshwater/lakes.

How to map

The following options are sometimes used:

1: Areas

• large fjords (such as the 179 km long Hardangerfjorden on Wikipedia) are sometimes mapped as an "area" with a closed way or multipolygon, following the coastline or using a simplified geometry.
• smaller fjords are sometimes mapped as area, either a closed coinciding with the coastline or as a multipolygon using the coastline directly.

2: Linear ways

• Many fjords area mapped as linear ways, particularly narrow fjords without branches.
• branches with a separate names may have a separate way connected to the main branch/trunk of the fjord.
• branches are sometimes collected in a relation, together with the main branch/trunk of the fjord, in order to indicate separate names for each branch but still indicate which fjord they belong to.

3: Nodes

• Small fjords may be mapped using a single node.
• Nodes may also be used when the extent of the fjord is not certain

Pros and cons:

• Using an area with "simplified geometry" of large fjords mapped as areas may generate redundancy (since the more detailed coastline is already there).
• Using "simplified geometry" may make it harder to maintain the coastline and the shape of the fjord.
• Using ways is faster and easier than making a separate area or multi-polygon.
• Using area instead of a linear way makes it easier to calculate the area of the fjord.
• Using area instead of a linear way makes it easier to determine whether an island or other feature is within or next to a specific fjord.

Additional tags

• name=* - name of  fjord

Common Tagging Mistakes

natural=fjord

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More details at taginfo

• natural=fjord

If you know places with this tag, verify if it could be tagged with another tag.
Automated edits are strongly discouraged unless you really know what you are doing!

See also

• natural=bay
• natural=strait
• Github issue discussing the rendering of fjords