4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the geographic data set is a tree structure wherein different positions in the tree structure that share a same level correspond to different geographic locations that share a same geographic region type.
1. A computer-implemented method comprising: receiving a query that includes a first geographic entity name; identifying a candidate substitute term for the first geographic entity name, wherein the candidate substitute term is a second geographic entity name; determining that the geographic entity name and the second geographic entity name have a particular relationship in a geographic data set that includes a plurality of names of geographic entities and respective relationships between pairs of geographic entities; obtaining search results that satisfy the query; and demoting a score of an obtained search result that corresponds to a document that includes the second geographic entity name based at least in part on the determined particular relationship between the first geographic entity and the second geographic entity.