MultiPolygon
Overview
MultiPolygon is a spatial feature in a GIS that consists of multiple polygons grouped together as a single entity, often used to represent complex geographic features such as archipelagos or administrative regions with non-contiguous areas.
Key Concepts
Component polygons are the individual polygons making up the collection. Non-contiguous means polygons do not need to touch or overlap. Single feature is the MultiPolygon treated as one record with shared attributes. Validity requires each component polygon to be valid and non-overlapping.
Representations
| Format | Example |
|---|---|
| WKT | MULTIPOLYGON(((...)),((...)),((...))) |
| GeoJSON | {"type": "MultiPolygon", "coordinates": [[[[...]]]]} |
Use Cases
- Hawaii (non-contiguous state)
- Island nations (Indonesia, Philippines)
- Exclaves/enclaves (political boundaries)
- Fragmented land parcels
- Multi-part zoning districts
Appendix
Created: 2025-12-13 | Modified: 2025-12-13