# MCP Government API Server Design
## Overview
An MCP server that wraps free government and open data APIs, providing Claude with access to weather, census, space, economics, and open government data.
## APIs Included
| Name | URL | Category | Key Required |
|------|-----|----------|--------------|
| NOAA | weather.gov | Weather | No |
| OpenWeather | openweathermap.org | Weather | Yes |
| Census API | census.gov | Demographics | No |
| NASA | api.nasa.gov | Space | Optional (higher limits) |
| World Bank | worldbank.org | Economics | No |
| Data.gov | data.gov | US Government | No |
| European Open Data | data.europa.eu | EU Government | No |
## Architecture
```
mcp-govt-api-free/
├── src/
│ └── mcp_govt_api/
│ ├── __init__.py
│ ├── server.py # MCP server entry point
│ ├── tools/
│ │ ├── __init__.py
│ │ ├── weather.py # NOAA + OpenWeather tools
│ │ ├── census.py # Census API tools
│ │ ├── nasa.py # NASA API tools
│ │ ├── economics.py # World Bank tools
│ │ ├── datagov.py # Data.gov tools
│ │ └── eu_data.py # European Open Data tools
│ └── utils/
│ ├── __init__.py
│ ├── http.py # Shared HTTP client
│ └── config.py # API key management
├── pyproject.toml
└── README.md
```
## Tools
### Granular Tools (16 total)
**Weather** (`weather.py`)
- `get_weather_forecast` - Current conditions and forecast for a US location (NOAA)
- `get_weather_alerts` - Active weather alerts by state/zone (NOAA)
- `get_global_weather` - Weather for any worldwide location (OpenWeather, requires key)
**Census** (`census.py`)
- `get_population` - Population data by state, county, or city
- `get_demographics` - Age, race, income breakdown for an area
- `get_housing_stats` - Housing data (median home value, rent, vacancy rates)
**NASA** (`nasa.py`)
- `get_astronomy_photo` - Astronomy Picture of the Day (with optional date)
- `get_mars_rover_photos` - Photos from Curiosity/Perseverance by date or sol
- `search_nasa_images` - Search NASA's image/video library
**Economics** (`economics.py`)
- `get_country_indicators` - GDP, population, poverty rate for any country
- `compare_countries` - Compare indicators across multiple countries
**Data.gov** (`datagov.py`)
- `search_datasets` - Search available datasets by keyword
- `get_dataset_info` - Metadata and download links for a specific dataset
**EU Data** (`eu_data.py`)
- `search_eu_datasets` - Search European open datasets
- `get_eu_dataset_info` - Metadata for EU datasets
### General Query Tools (7 total)
- `query_noaa` - Raw NOAA API access
- `query_census` - Raw Census API access
- `query_nasa` - Raw NASA API access
- `query_worldbank` - Raw World Bank API access
- `query_datagov` - Raw Data.gov CKAN API access
- `query_eu_data` - Raw EU Open Data Portal API access
- `query_openweather` - Raw OpenWeather API access (requires key)
## API Key Handling
Environment variables:
- `OPENWEATHER_API_KEY` - Required for OpenWeather tools
- `NASA_API_KEY` - Optional, increases rate limits
Graceful degradation: Server works without any keys. Tools requiring missing keys return clear error messages.
## Error Handling
- HTTP errors: Clear messages with status code and API name
- Rate limits: Suggest waiting, note limits
- Invalid parameters: Caught early with helpful messages
- Timeouts: 30 second default, configurable via `API_TIMEOUT`
## Installation
```bash
pip install mcp-govt-api-free
```
Claude Desktop config:
```json
{
"mcpServers": {
"govt-api": {
"command": "python",
"args": ["-m", "mcp_govt_api"],
"env": {
"OPENWEATHER_API_KEY": "your-key-here",
"NASA_API_KEY": "your-key-here"
}
}
}
}
```
