How do you translate an OGC GeoPackage dataset, localize map features and explain a portable GIS file without moving the places it represents? GeoPackage is a standard for storing geospatial information inside a SQLite database. It can contain vector features, map tiles, ordinary attributes and metadata. The names that people see may be localizable, but the database structure, geometry, coordinate reference systems and linkages between tables must remain coherent.
People searching for a GeoPackage translation guide often encounter gpkg_contents, gpkg_spatial_ref_sys, geometry columns, spatial reference system IDs, tile matrix tables, SQLite queries and extension records. These are not simply English expressions that can be replaced with words in another language. An interface that translates a street label while preserving its geometry is helpful; an export that renames required database tables can make a perfectly good map unreadable to standard GIS tools.
This longform guide is for international GIS teams, cartographers, urban planners, field researchers, translation professionals and educators. It explains the GeoPackage 1.4 model and demonstrates practical decisions about multilingual attributes, metadata, tile sets, identifiers and quality assurance. The governing distinction is between language presented to readers and spatial or structural information interpreted by software. If a project deliberately transforms coordinates or restructures a database, describe that work as a transformation or migration rather than a simple translation.
The sixty-second answer
A GeoPackage is a structured SQLite container governed by the OGC GeoPackage standard. Translate descriptions, user guidance and appropriate text attributes, while leaving required table names, geometry data, spatial reference identifiers, numeric coordinates, schema relationships and tile indexing rules intact unless a separately reviewed migration is intended. A correct localized map still returns the same features at the same positions. Validate the database with a GeoPackage-aware reader and compare spatial queries, not just the visible map.
1. Why a GeoPackage is not an image file
A GeoPackage can store vector geometry, feature attributes, tiled maps and other tabular content. A JPEG or ordinary PNG does not automatically carry the same relational structure, query capabilities or spatial-reference information. Calling the entire GeoPackage a map image may mislead a reader about what they can inspect and reuse. Explain that one file can contain several related datasets and that visible map rendering is only one way of interpreting them. A localized guide should help users distinguish data content from the application used to view it. Test by listing the tables and supported content types rather than relying on a preview that may display only the first map layer.
2. SQLite is the underlying container
GeoPackage uses SQLite, a database format that stores tables and indexes in a portable file. The GeoPackage standard adds particular schema and content rules so GIS software can identify spatial data consistently. Not every SQLite database is a valid GeoPackage, and not every GeoPackage is equivalent to an arbitrary spatial database. A translation should preserve this distinction. A user may be able to open the file with a generic SQLite viewer, but that does not establish that the viewer can interpret GeoPackage geometry correctly. To verify a localization workflow, inspect both database integrity and GeoPackage-specific conformance rather than assuming successful SQL access proves semantic validity.
3. File extensions and identity
GeoPackage files commonly use the .gpkg extension. This is a technical cue for software and users, not a word to translate into a different-language filename suffix. Renaming a file without changing its contents does not convert it into GeoJSON, Shapefile or GeoTIFF. Conversely, a GeoPackage can hold related information that those formats represent differently. A multilingual download page should identify the actual container and avoid marketing a preview image as a full data export. Before distributing a file, confirm the intended extension, document version and supported reader applications. Include an accessible text description so the audience knows what the dataset contains before opening it.
4. GeoPackage 1.4 is a specific standard
The OGC GeoPackage 1.4.0 Encoding Standard provides requirements for the database container, spatial reference systems, feature and tile content and various other mechanisms. A translator should state the version of the standard being described when implementation differences matter. Standards evolve; a guide written for a newer version may mention constructs absent in older readers. Avoid asserting that all GeoPackage-aware software supports every optional extension. If a local-language interface reports an unsupported capability, explain the feature and software limitation instead of claiming the data are necessarily damaged. Compatibility is tested against the actual file and application, not inferred from the marketing word open.
5. gpkg_contents is a catalogue
The gpkg_contents table identifies user data tables and describes their content type and other relevant properties. It is not a free-form article index that can be renamed for each language. The table’s required name and column structure allow standard readers to find available data. A localized user interface may show friendly titles for its layers, but the actual data_table_name values and table names must remain consistent. For testing, inspect the catalogue and check that every referenced user table exists with the expected type. A map displaying one layer successfully does not prove that the entire catalogue is complete or that hidden datasets remain accessible.
6. Feature tables hold spatial records
A feature table stores records with attributes and a geometry column. The geometry may represent points, lines, polygons or other supported types, depending on the dataset and its specification. A translator working with place names or land-use categories should understand that each row contains more than text. Editing a descriptive attribute can be legitimate; changing the geometry’s bytes or its coordinate reference without a spatial transformation changes where the feature is. A practical example is a city park polygon with a name, category and area. Localize the name or category when authorized, but preserve the geometry and measured area semantics, checking both against the source.
7. Attributes are not all equivalent
Feature attributes may include free-text labels, stable identifiers, dates, measurements, coded classifications or foreign keys. A translation plan should classify each column before deciding what to change. A column named description might contain ordinary prose, while another column called class might contain codes used in queries. It is dangerous to translate everything stored as text just because the database type is TEXT. Even a text-looking identifier may link to another table. Write a column inventory with data type, purpose, constraints and consumers. This supports targeted localization and prevents accidental schema breaks. The same principle applies to nonspatial attribute tables inside the GeoPackage.
8. Geometry is a spatial object, not a caption
GeoPackage geometry encodes coordinates and additional information according to its format rules. It is fundamentally different from a label placed beside a feature on a map. A map label can read city centre in one language and an equivalent phrase in another while pointing to the same geometry. If a translation workflow alters coordinate order, precision or binary geometry representation, it has crossed into data transformation. The first quality check is simple: select a few reference features and compare geometry type, coordinate reference and positions between the original and localized release. If the geometries are intended to be unchanged, discrepancies should be treated as defects, not cosmetic variation.
9. Geometry columns are declared explicitly
The gpkg_geometry_columns table identifies geometry columns and their associated feature tables, geometry types and spatial reference system IDs. Those references help readers interpret each feature table correctly. Translating the table or column identifiers in place can break the relationships that applications expect. A help page can explain what a geometry column means and why a table may have an ordinary feature identifier plus a geometry value, but the stored schema should remain stable. Validate that every declared geometry column actually exists and that its declared reference system is used consistently. A reader-friendly translation that obscures these relationships leaves GIS analysts with less trustworthy data.
10. Feature IDs need continuity
Feature tables commonly have unique identifiers used to reference individual records. These identifiers are not place names and should not be localized like prose. Reassigning IDs during translation can break external links, cached selections or related tables even when the map looks unchanged. For example, a field-inspection record may refer to a particular road segment by its feature ID; if the IDs shift, notes may attach to another segment. Preserve those values wherever continuity is part of the data contract. A good test compares a sample of IDs and their corresponding geometry and attributes. If a migration genuinely changes identifiers, publish a complete documented crosswalk rather than hiding the change.
11. gpkg_spatial_ref_sys defines reference systems
The gpkg_spatial_ref_sys table stores information needed to identify spatial reference systems used in the GeoPackage. A spatial reference system explains how coordinates relate to positions on the Earth or another applicable reference frame. Its name may have a human-facing component, but its identifiers and formal definitions are not arbitrary prose. Do not replace the SRS ID or authority code with a translated title. A reader can see a localized explanation of a coordinate system while the dataset retains its canonical representation. Test by opening the file in a second GIS application and checking that a known location appears in the expected place.
12. SRS IDs are not translation keys
An integer spatial reference system ID is used by GeoPackage tables and geometries to establish which coordinate system applies. It is not an index into a language dictionary. Replacing it because a locale requires a different numeric code would cause references to point to another definition or become invalid. A map label may say projected metres or geographical coordinates in the reader’s language, but the link to the declared reference system must stay the same. Check the gpkg_spatial_ref_sys entries and each referencing feature or tile table. A comparison of one map screenshot is insufficient because coordinate errors may vary across the geographic extent.
13. EPSG codes have formal identities
Many geospatial datasets use EPSG identifiers to refer to coordinate reference systems. These identifiers are not translations of place names; they refer to documented geodetic definitions and parameters. When an international team publishes a translated map, it should preserve the relevant EPSG code where one is used and explain it in accessible language. Avoid guessing a code from a country’s name. A region may be mapped in several projections, and a superficially familiar datum can have multiple realizations or related systems. Verify the actual source definition, reference frame and axis conventions. A glossary should help readers understand the CRS rather than pretend that renaming it changes the geometry correctly.
14. Axis order and coordinate meaning
Coordinate pairs can be reported in different axis conventions depending on the reference system and software context. A translator who sees two numbers cannot assume that the first is always longitude and the second latitude. Similarly, projected coordinates expressed in metres are not the same as geographic degrees. State the coordinate system and its intended axis meaning when explaining an example. A quality check chooses a recognizable real-world point with asymmetric coordinate values and confirms its location in two readers. This exposes accidental axis swaps, which may otherwise remain hidden if an example lies near the origin or uses similar numeric magnitudes.
15. A datum is not a country
A geodetic datum or reference frame is a technical description of positions, not a political border or the informal name of a region. A translated educational page might refer to WGS 84 or a national grid, but it should explain what these terms establish and preserve their formal identifiers. Avoid saying that a country’s map must use only one projection. Spatial datasets may use a coordinate system chosen for analysis, legacy reasons or operational requirements. When comparing two layers, check whether transformation is necessary before overlay. Merely giving them matching translated labels does not place them in the same geometric space.
16. Coordinate reprojection is real processing
Changing a coordinate reference system requires a defined transformation of geometry or coordinate values, possibly involving grid files, datum transformations or other parameters. That is not accomplished by translating a CRS name. A user interface may have a button that transforms a layer into another system, and its label can be localized. The computation behind the button must remain the same in every language. If a project intentionally exports reprojected data, document the source and target CRS, transformation method and expected accuracy. Test representative points across the dataset’s geographical extent. Otherwise preserve the original coordinates and label their meaning correctly.
17. Spatial extents are more than nice numbers
The gpkg_contents catalogue can include bounds for spatial data. These may support indexing and map previews, but should not be treated as a substitute for validating every geometry. A translated caption that gives west, east, south and north must express those directions consistently with the coordinate system and source values. Do not reorder numeric bounds merely to match the grammar of a sentence. A dataset crossing the antimeridian or using projected coordinates may not fit an intuitive longitude-latitude rectangle without additional explanation. Compare the reported extent with actual feature positions and a trusted reader, especially when the dataset contains separated geographic regions.
18. Geometry types constrain interpretation
Points, lines, polygons and multi-geometries answer different questions. A line representing a road centreline is not the same as a polygon representing the road’s physical footprint. Translating every feature type as area can mislead planners calculating land coverage. Inspect the geometry type declared for a table and the actual geometry values. In a local-language legend, explain what a drawn symbol represents instead of inferring its spatial dimension from its colour or width on screen. A useful check compares a point feature, a line and a polygon with known attributes. The right translation preserves what can be measured or inferred from each geometry.
19. Measurement units need geographic context
A geometry’s coordinates may be in angular units, while a derived length or area may be expressed in metres or square metres after appropriate calculations. A translator should not attach metre labels to raw longitude values or describe a degree difference as a fixed ground distance everywhere. Similarly, a stored field named area might be calculated using a particular projection or geodesic method. Before localizing a measurement, identify its unit, method and source. A strong quality check recomputes a simple known quantity using the documented method and compares it against the displayed value. Clarity about units is essential for decisions involving property, infrastructure and environmental boundaries.
20. Tile tables represent map images
GeoPackage can store tiled imagery and raster map tiles at multiple zoom or resolution levels. These are not the same as vector feature tables, even though both can be drawn on the same map. A translated guide should describe whether the user can select individual geometries or only view an image representation. A tile may show roads and place labels but contain no individually editable road geometry. Do not promise that an image tile contains the feature attributes visible in an overlaid vector layer. Test the dataset by inspecting its declared tile contents and by opening a zoom level in an application aware of the tile structure.
21. gpkg_tile_matrix_set defines a tiled area
A tile matrix set describes the spatial domain over which tiled map data are organized. It provides context for the arrangement of tile grids. Localizing the phrase tile matrix set for readers is appropriate, but changing the formal table name or its relationships is not. A user may be confused when a map shows blank space outside the tiled extent; that may reflect available coverage rather than a translation error. Explain coverage clearly and avoid presenting the maximum displayed map canvas as the full dataset footprint. A technical check compares the source extent and grid definition with the localized product so that tiles remain anchored to the expected region.
22. gpkg_tile_matrix defines zoom-level structure
The gpkg_tile_matrix table records matrix dimensions and pixel sizes for the defined zoom or tile levels. Its numeric values control how tile rows and columns map to the covered area. A translator who changes the word zoom without preserving the indexed level and measurements can make a help article confusing, but rewriting the matrix itself is worse: it can place imagery at the wrong scale. Keep the machine fields intact and explain their relationships in approachable language. A quality test inspects at least two distinct levels and checks their map extents and resolutions against a reference reader. This reveals problems invisible in a single default zoom view.
23. Tile row and tile column are indexes
A stored tile row or column identifies an image piece within a tile matrix. It does not directly mean a geographical latitude or longitude. Displaying a row number in a localized debugging panel should not imply it is a coordinate in degrees. When teaching tile addressing, distinguish grid indexes, the tile matrix and physical map positions. Users can then understand why one missing tile appears as a rectangular gap without thinking that a whole district has vanished from the source world. A reliable verification uses a known tile index and level, retrieves the image and confirms that it covers the expected geographic area after any language-layer changes.
24. Pixel size is a map-scale measurement
The pixel size recorded for a tile level relates raster sampling to the spatial units and geometry of the tile matrix. It is not the physical size of a pixel on a user’s screen. A translated legend should not claim that a 0.5-metre ground pixel is displayed at precisely half a metre on every monitor. Zoom controls, device resolution and scaling can affect visual size. Explain the difference between ground sampling, source resolution and display zoom. A QA case checks the declared pixel size for two matrix levels and calculates the covered width of a tile using its dimensions. The numbers should remain coherent after localization.
25. Tile images can contain embedded labels
Map tiles may already contain place names, road labels or legends as baked-in pixels. Translating the web interface around those tiles does not automatically translate the words inside the images. A multilingual map publisher must decide whether to provide separate localized tile sets, dynamic vector labels or an additional text layer. If the publisher generates new raster tiles with translated labels, that is a rendering or content-production operation, not a metadata-only translation. Make the difference clear to users and preserve the original geographic alignment. Test a recognizable location at multiple zoom levels to verify that all tile sets use compatible matrix definitions and consistent geographic coverage.
26. Vector labels can be localized separately
For vector features, place names or category descriptions may be stored as text attributes. A better multilingual design often stores distinct language variants in dedicated fields or associated tables rather than overwriting the authoritative local name. For example, a neighbourhood could have an official name and a display translation. The system should preserve which one is an official designation, a common alternative name or a descriptive explanation. Avoid transliterating administrative identifiers as though they were decorative words. A quality check selects several places with culturally or linguistically sensitive names and confirms that display language changes do not alter the feature identifier or location.
27. Unicode in text attributes
SQLite can store Unicode text, making multilingual attributes possible, but correct encoding is only part of the job. Diacritics, combining marks, right-to-left scripts and punctuation can affect display and search behaviour. A translator should test how the consuming GIS application renders each script and whether the map label layout remains legible. Do not rewrite a database collation or index configuration without understanding the consequences. A search for a place name may need language-aware matching rules while the source data preserve exact canonical spellings. Test sample names containing accents and non-Latin characters, and confirm that every result resolves to the correct feature rather than a similarly named location.
28. Official names versus helpful descriptions
A geographic feature can have an official legal name, a locally preferred name, alternative spellings and a descriptive label for visitors. These roles must not be collapsed in translation. For example, calling a protected area by an informal tourist nickname may be useful in a travel guide but unsuitable for a planning dataset or formal gazetteer. Keep original official names when they are authoritative, and provide additional localized explanations clearly identified as such. Reviewers should consult the dataset’s naming authority rather than assume the translator can make that decision. In quality assurance, check both the source name and the displayed label alongside the same feature ID.
29. Coded categories need a stable dictionary
Land use, road class, infrastructure status and habitat types are often represented by code values. Those values can be integers or short strings that link to a controlled category dictionary. Translating a code directly inside the source column can break queries, symbology and joins. The preferable pattern is to keep the code stable and localize its explanatory name. A multilingual map can then show a category such as public park in the user’s language while the database continues to store its documented class code. Test every defined category, including unknown, unclassified and retired codes. These exceptional values are often where loose translations produce false claims of certainty.
30. Null, zero and unknown must stay distinct
An attribute with a null value may represent absent or unknown information, depending on the data contract. It is not automatically equivalent to a numeric zero or an empty string. This matters when a translated interface displays land-area measurements, inspection counts or project status. Writing none for an unknown area can misleadingly suggest the area is zero. Use display phrases that accurately convey the source state, and preserve data types in the underlying table. For testing, select records with null, zero and ordinary positive values, then check each language. A technically correct map should remain usable for calculations even when the display vocabulary is different.
31. Dates and times in feature attributes
A GeoPackage can store date and time values or strings representing temporal information in feature attributes. Translating date labels does not give permission to change the actual event time, interval or timezone. A maintenance record completed at 23:30 in one timezone can fall on a different civil date elsewhere. If a map interface shows local times, it should specify which timezone conversion occurred. Do not assume that every date field is a timestamp; some represent a date without a clock time. Test examples near midnight, daylight-saving transitions where applicable, and an unknown timestamp. Preserve source values for audit and avoid using an attractive local date format that loses essential precision.
32. Nonspatial attributes belong in the model
GeoPackage can also contain tabular data without geometry. Such tables may hold lookup values, observations or other records related to spatial layers. A localized guide should not claim that every table is a set of geographic features. Inspect the gpkg_contents type and actual schema to understand each table’s purpose. Some relationships may depend on stable identifiers even where no geometry column exists. Translating column descriptions or display labels is useful; renaming join keys without updating every dependent table is risky. A test should run a representative join in the original and translated environments and compare the resulting record count and selected values.
33. Relations and foreign keys preserve meaning
Spatial data may relate roads to inspections, sites to measurements or administrative areas to population tables. A reader may see these as ordinary lines in a report, but the database connections depend on keys and reference values. If localization changes one side of the relationship and not the other, an application may display incomplete or wrong information. Preserve relationship identifiers, and make display labels a separate concern. A simple QA exercise joins two tables using the documented key, counts the resulting records and checks a few known examples. Fluent translations cannot compensate for a broken join that attaches an environmental measurement to the wrong sampling site.
34. Metadata can have multiple layers
GeoPackage metadata mechanisms can describe the overall package, a dataset, a table or other resources, depending on the implemented extension and conventions. Some descriptive metadata can be localized, while identifiers, dates, format declarations, reference links and constraints must remain accurate. A translator should know which metadata describe human purpose and which metadata control machine interpretation or provenance. When a localized catalogue summarizes a dataset, retain access to the original descriptive record and identify any translation version. A good audit follows at least one metadata reference from the package catalogue to the correct target resource. The aim is to help a reader find reliable information, not simply populate more language fields.
35. gpkg_extensions identifies optional capabilities
The GeoPackage extension mechanism allows files to declare certain additional capabilities beyond the core content. These may affect geometry support, spatial indexing, metadata or specialized raster representations. A translated documentation page must not describe every extension as part of the mandatory base format. Readers should know when a particular tool may not support an optional feature. Preserve extension identifiers and scope values; translating those into prose can break detection. Before publication, inventory extensions present in the actual file and test the consuming application’s behaviour. A portable file may still require a reader with the relevant extension support, so compatibility claims should be evidence-based.
36. RTree indexes are about search performance
Spatial indexing can help a GIS application find features within a geographic region efficiently. A GeoPackage may use an RTree-based spatial index extension for relevant feature tables. This index is not the geometry itself and should not be confused with a map’s printed grid lines. Translating a sidebar that says spatial index exists is reasonable, but rewriting index structures or triggers without understanding the schema can damage performance or consistency. If an update changes feature geometry, associated spatial index maintenance matters. In a localization-only process, geometry and spatial indexes should remain untouched. Verify representative bounding-box queries and confirm they return the same features before and after the change.
37. SQL queries require stable identifiers
An analyst might query a feature table by name, class code or geometry reference. SQL identifiers such as table and column names are part of the operational interface. Replacing them with translated headings in the physical database can break scripts and applications. Better documentation shows the canonical SQL field and a localized description beside it. If a team deliberately redesigns the schema to use different names, it must update all queries, views, triggers and dependencies as a separate migration. A simple test records several reference queries and their expected results, including counts and selected IDs. The translated application should not change their outcomes unless the data themselves were intentionally changed.
38. Search and filters may be locale-aware
Text search can benefit from language-aware normalization, stemming or collation, especially when people search for place names in different scripts. That improvement should not silently modify spatial geometry or rewrite canonical names. A user who searches a translated category must still retrieve the correct underlying code and feature set. Implement display filters as explicit mappings from localized phrases to stable query predicates. Test cases should include accents, plural forms, homonyms and category names that are similar but not equivalent. Always verify returned feature IDs, not just the number of matches, since two different selections can happen to contain the same count.
39. Mapping symbols versus underlying data
A vector layer’s colour, line width, icon or legend text often belongs to a map style rather than to the GeoPackage itself. Translation can change legend wording while preserving a feature’s code and geometry. But if categories are sorted differently in a translated interface, an implementation bug might assign colours to the wrong classes. Bind style rules to stable identifiers, not translated list positions. A reliable test selects a known feature for each category and checks its label, colour, geometry and code across languages. The map should remain interpretable to colour-blind readers as well, with readable textual descriptions that do not depend solely on hue.
40. A worked example: a city planning map
A municipality publishes a GeoPackage containing parks, schools, roads and district boundaries. A localization team translates layer titles and some descriptive attributes. The exported database then fails to open in a GIS application because gpkg_contents was renamed to a local-language phrase. The right fix is to restore the required schema name and put translated titles in a presentation layer. In review, open the file with a standard reader, enumerate all layers and compare sample feature IDs and locations. Translate the explanation of why a boundary exists, but do not move that boundary to make a caption fit the local map style.
41. A worked example: mistaken coordinate order
A field researcher records sampling locations as points in a geographic coordinate system. A translated table reverses the coordinate labels because the editor assumes that left-to-right presentation determines axis order. The values are unchanged, but the displayed locations become nonsensical. Before editing, inspect the declared CRS and how the actual application interprets coordinates. Then verify several sample points on a map and compare the stored geometry with the reference file. The translation should explain the appropriate coordinate order rather than swap the scientific data. A second case near the equator or a coordinate origin is insufficient; use distinct nonzero values to expose errors.
42. A worked example: a tile map with missing levels
A mobile application opens a localized GeoPackage and displays its default zoom level correctly. When a user zooms in, several tiles are missing. The team assumes a language font caused the problem, but the actual issue is a damaged tile matrix association after a file rewrite. The right investigation checks gpkg_tile_matrix_set, gpkg_tile_matrix and the affected tile table. Compare the level numbers, matrix dimensions, pixel sizes and row-column combinations with the source. A translation-only release should not alter those relationships. A complete QA process therefore tests multiple zoom levels and known locations instead of approving a single attractive screenshot.
43. A worked example: names and land-use codes
A community map contains a coded land-use column and an official place-name column. The translation team replaces both with local-language words, then a planning query expecting the original land-use code returns no matching parks. The correct design preserves the code and official names where required while adding localized display labels through a stable mapping. Readers can see accessible descriptions, and analysts can still reproduce the original calculations. Check both a filtered map view and the raw SQL query on a representative set of features. The success criterion is not merely that the map looks natural; it is that every interpretation refers to the same place and class.
44. A professional GeoPackage release workflow
Start with a read-only copy of the original package. Inventory required GeoPackage system tables, user feature and tile tables, SRS definitions, extensions and metadata. Classify candidate localization strings as human prose, official names, coded values or structural identifiers. Translate only the appropriate layer, retaining the source text or mapping. Run SQLite integrity checks and GeoPackage-aware conformance checks, then compare schema, feature IDs, geometries, coordinates, tile levels, relevant SQL results and metadata references. Test each target language’s display and search. Document any intentional conversions or database changes separately, with explicit evidence and rollback options. The final handover should enable another GIS analyst to repeat the checks.
45. Questions readers frequently ask
Can I rename gpkg_contents in another language? No; it is a required structural table. Can I translate park names? You can add appropriate localized display names while preserving official and canonical information. Is a GeoPackage an image? Not necessarily; it may contain features, tiles and ordinary attributes. Does changing a CRS label reproject a map? No; reprojection is a computational transformation. Can a valid SQLite file still violate GeoPackage rules? Yes. Do all readers support every extension? No; verify compatibility. How do I know the translation is accurate? Compare geometry, spatial reference systems, identifiers, relationships, queries and displayed language together.
46. Authoritative references and further reading
The Open Geospatial Consortium publishes its GeoPackage overview at https://www.ogc.org/standards/geopackage/ and the detailed GeoPackage 1.4.0 Encoding Standard at https://docs.ogc.org/is/12-128r19/12-128r19.html. Those documents define the required structures, spatial content and extension framework. For underlying SQLite behaviour, consult the official SQLite documentation at https://www.sqlite.org/docs.html. Use the actual GeoPackage conformance requirements and test-suite guidance for implementation decisions, and record the exact standard version claimed by the dataset. This educational article helps translate the concepts into ordinary language; it does not replace formal validation against the standard.
Closing perspective
A map becomes easier to use across languages when its labels explain the same locations and categories clearly to new readers. A GeoPackage allows that accessibility to coexist with durable coordinates, feature identities and database relationships. The professional task is to keep those layers separate: explain the geography more clearly, but do not silently rewrite the geography. Good localization should help someone find the right place without changing where that place is.