Key:natural

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natural
Description
Natural physical landscape features, including those modified or created by humans. Show/edit corresponding data item.
Group: natural
Used on these elements
may be used on nodesmay be used on waysmay be used on areas (and multipolygon relations)should not be used on relations (except multipolygon relations)
Documented values: 90
Status: de facto

The natural key is used to describe a wide variety of physical geography, geological and landcover features, including ones that have been modified or created by humans.

Values

Key Value Element Comment Carto
rendering
Photo

Vegetation

natural fell node area Habitat above the tree line covered with grass, dwarf shrubs and mosses. No, see #545.
natural grassland area Areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses (Poaceae) and other herbaceous (non-woody) plants. For mown/managed grass see landuse=grass, for hay/pasture see landuse=meadow.
natural heath node area A dwarf-shrub habitat, characterised by open, low growing woody vegetation, often dominated by plants of the Ericaceae.
Note. This is not for parks whose name contains the word "heath".
natural moor node area Don't use, see wikipage. Upland areas, characterised by low-growing vegetation on acidic soils. currently not rendered by OSM Carto
natural scrub node area Uncultivated land covered with shrubs, bushes or stunted trees.
natural shrubbery area An area of shrubbery that is actively maintained or pruned by humans. A slightly wilder look is also possible currently not rendered by OSM Carto
natural tree node A single tree.
natural tree_row way A line of trees.
natural tree_stump node A tree stump, the remains of a cut down or broken tree.
natural tundra node area Habitat above tree line in alpine and subpolar regions, principally covered with uncultivated grass, low growing shrubs and mosses and sometimes grazed.
natural wood node area Tree-covered area (a 'forest' or 'wood'). Also see landuse=forest. For more detail, one can use leaf_type=* and leaf_cycle=*.

Water related

natural bay node area An area of water mostly surrounded by land but with a level connection to the ocean or a lake.
natural beach node area landform along a body of water which consists of sand, shingle or other loose material
natural blowhole node area An opening to a sea cave which has grown landwards resulting in blasts of water from the opening due to the wave action
natural cape node A piece of elevated land sticking out into the sea or large lake. Includes capes, heads, headlands and (water) promontories.
natural coastline way The mean high water springs line between the sea and land (with the water on the right side of the way.)
natural crevasse way area A large crack in a glacier
natural geyser node A spring characterized by intermittent discharge of water ejected turbulently and accompanied by steam.
natural glacier node area A permanent body of ice formed naturally from snow that is moving under its own weight.
natural hot_spring node A spring of geothermally heated groundwater
natural isthmus node area A narrow strip of land, bordered by water on both sides and connecting two larger land masses.
natural mud node area Area covered with mud: water saturated fine grained soil without significant plant growth. Also see natural=wetland + wetland=*.
natural peninsula node area A piece of land projecting into water from a larger land mass, nearly surrounded by water
natural reef area A feature (rock, sandbar, coral, etc) lying beneath the surface of the water
natural shingle node area An accumulation of rounded rock fragments on a beach or riverbed
natural shoal node area An area of the sea floor near the sea surface (literally, becomes shallow) and exposed at low tide. See natural=sand as well.
natural spring node A place where ground water flows naturally from the ground (Other languages).
natural strait node area A narrow area of water surrounded by land on two sides and by water on two other sides.
natural water area Any body of water, from natural such as a lake or pond to artificial like moat or canal. Also see waterway=riverbank
natural wetland area A natural area subject to inundation or with waterlogged ground, further specified with wetland=*

Geology related

natural arch node way area A rock arch naturally formed by erosion, with an opening underneath. currently not rendered by OSM Carto
natural arete way An arête, a thin, almost knife-like, ridge of rock which is typically formed when two glaciers erode parallel U-shaped valleys.
natural bare_rock area An area with sparse/no soil or vegetation, so that the bedrock becomes visible.
natural blockfield area A surface covered with boulders or block-sized rocks, usually the result of volcanic activity or associated with alpine and subpolar climates and ice ages. Currently not rendered by OSM Carto
natural cave_entrance node area The entrance to a cave: a natural underground space large enough for a human to enter.
natural cliff node way area A vertical or almost vertical natural drop in terrain, usually with a bare rock surface (leave the lower face to the right of the way).
natural dune node way area A hill of sand formed by wind, covered with no or very little vegetation. See also natural=sand and natural=beach currently not rendered by OSM Carto
natural earth_bank way Large erosion gully or steep earth bank
natural fumarole node A fumarole is an opening in a planet's crust, which emits steam and gases
natural gully way Small scale cut in relief created by water erosion
natural hill node A hill. currently not rendered by OSM Carto
natural peak node The top (summit) of a hill or mountain.
natural ridge way A mountain or hill linear landform with a continuous elevated crest
natural rock node area A notable rock or group of rocks attached to the underlying bedrock. currently not rendered by OSM Carto
natural saddle node The lowest point along a ridge or between two mountain tops
natural sand node area An area covered by sand with no or very little vegetation. See natural=beach and natural=dune as well.
natural scree node area Unconsolidated angular rocks formed by rockfall and weathering from adjacent rockfaces.
natural sinkhole node area A natural depression or hole in the surface topography. currently not rendered by OSM Carto
natural stone node A single notable freestanding rock, which may differ from the composition of the terrain it lies in.; e.g., glacial erratic. currently not rendered by OSM Carto
natural valley node way A natural depression flanked by ridges or ranges of mountains or hills currently not rendered by OSM Carto
natural volcano node An opening exposed on the earth's surface where volcanic material is emitted.
natural user defined node area All commonly used values according to Taginfo

This table is a wiki template with a default description in English. Editable here.

Deprecated values

Please avoid use of:

Possible tagging mistakes

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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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
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