geopackage

GeoPackage is an open, standards-based container for geospatial data defined by the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC). It uses a single portable SQLite database file with a .gpkg extension to store vector features, raster tiles, and associated metadata. As a self-describing format, it is designed for offline use and easy data exchange across platforms.

The GeoPackage specification defines a core schema, including gpkg_contents to describe datasets, gpkg_spatial_ref_sys for spatial reference definitions, and gpkg_geometry_columns for vector layers. Vector data are stored in user-created feature tables with geometry encoded as Well-Known Binary. Raster data are provided as tiled coverages described by gpkg_tile_matrix_set, gpkg_tile_matrix, and related structures that define tile pyramids and tile matrices.

A single GeoPackage file can contain multiple feature and tile tables, enabling many layers within one container. The format supports indexing and constraints to improve query performance, and extensions can add new capabilities while remaining backward compatible.

Adoption and usage: GeoPackage is widely supported by GIS software and libraries, including QGIS, ArcGIS, and GDAL/OGR, as well as mobile and web applications. It is commonly used for data interchange, offline mapping, and packaging complete datasets for distribution, thanks to its portability, transactional integrity, and built-in tiling and SRID support.