> **Documentation Index:** Fetch the complete configuration index at https://yandex.ru/dev/maps/ymapsml/doc/en/llms.txt

# Geographical objects and collections

To describe geographical objects in YMapsML, we use the [ymaps:GeoObject](https://yandex.ru/dev/maps/ymapsml/doc/en/ref/reference/ymaps-GeoObject.md) element. A population of geographical objects can be put together in a collection, using the [ymaps:GeoObjectCollection](https://yandex.ru/dev/maps/ymapsml/doc/en/ref/reference/ymaps-GeoObjectCollection.md)element to describe it.

To provide compatibility with the GML standard, each of these elements is wrapped in one of the container elements — [gml:featureMember](https://yandex.ru/dev/maps/ymapsml/doc/en/ref/reference/gml-featureMember.md) or [gml:featureMembers](https://yandex.ru/dev/maps/ymapsml/doc/en/ref/reference/gml-featureMembers.md). The only exception is the [ymaps:GeoObjectCollection](https://yandex.ru/dev/maps/ymapsml/doc/en/ref/reference/ymaps-GeoObjectCollection.md)element, which is located in the [ymaps:ymaps](https://yandex.ru/dev/maps/ymapsml/doc/en/ref/reference/ymaps-ymaps.md)root element.

The difference between these containers consists of the following. The [gml:featureMember](https://yandex.ru/dev/maps/ymapsml/doc/en/ref/reference/gml-featureMember.md)element can contain either a single object description ([ymaps:GeoObject](https://yandex.ru/dev/maps/ymapsml/doc/en/ref/reference/ymaps-GeoObject.md)), or a single collection description ([ymaps:GeoObjectCollection](https://yandex.ru/dev/maps/ymapsml/doc/en/ref/reference/ymaps-GeoObjectCollection.md)). The [gml:featureMembers](https://yandex.ru/dev/maps/ymapsml/doc/en/ref/reference/gml-featureMembers.md)element can contain any number of descriptions of geographical objects or collections.

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|| ![](../_images/featureMember.png) | ![](../_images/featureMembers.png) ||
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The structure of a [ymaps:GeoObject](https://yandex.ru/dev/maps/ymapsml/doc/en/ref/reference/ymaps-GeoObject.md)element containing a description of a geographical object appears as follows.

![](../_images/geoObject.png)

The geographical object can be matched to the following data:
1. [Metadata](https://yandex.ru/dev/maps/ymapsml/doc/en/guide/concepts/metadata.md).
1. [Geometric and geographical data](https://yandex.ru/dev/maps/ymapsml/doc/en/guide/concepts/geodata.md).
1. [Information about the visual representation of a geographical object](https://yandex.ru/dev/maps/ymapsml/doc/en/guide/concepts/styling.md).
1. [Information about who provided data about an organization](https://yandex.ru/dev/maps/ymapsml/doc/en/ref/reference/ymaps-attribution.md).

Collections can be used to group together both geographical objects and collections themselves. Considering the information above that [ymaps:GeoObject ](https://yandex.ru/dev/maps/ymapsml/doc/en/ref/reference/ymaps-GeoObject.md) and [ymaps:GeoObjectCollection](https://yandex.ru/dev/maps/ymapsml/doc/en/ref/reference/ymaps-GeoObjectCollection.md) elements are enclosed in [gml:featureMember](https://yandex.ru/dev/maps/ymapsml/doc/en/ref/reference/gml-featureMember.md) and [gml:featureMembers](https://yandex.ru/dev/maps/ymapsml/doc/en/ref/reference/gml-featureMembers.md) containers, the structure of the [ymaps:GeoObjectCollection](https://yandex.ru/dev/maps/ymapsml/doc/en/ref/reference/ymaps-GeoObjectCollection.md) element will look rather predictable.

![](../_images/geoObjectCollection.png)