As discussed in Chapter 1, Learning about Geospatial Analysis with Python, metadata is any data that describes the associated dataset. Common examples of metadata include basic elements such as the footprint of the dataset on the Earth, as well as more detailed information such as spatial projection and information describing how the dataset was created.
Most data formats contain the footprint or bounding box of the data on the Earth. Detailed metadata is typically stored in a separate location in a standard format, such as the US Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC), Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata (CSDGM), ISO, or the newer European Union initiative, which includes metadata requirements, and is called the Infrastructure for Spatial Information in the European Community (INSPIRE).