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It is a 21st century, so people wach maps worldwide, and logically is to all maps we can read on English (instead of local alphabet names). For example, I know where is Egypt on map, but when I want to saw where is Cairo, I only read (القاهرة), you can add nearby a name "Cairo", to people who did not know Arabic languages can read which town is. I didn't know that you programmers don't think about that, it is a main thing that is important if you want to have a "readable" maps for everyone. But, maybe your/or my logic is different. I hope you will update maps, so people can use them all around the world normally. Have a nice day! And good luck!

asked 26 Jun '22, 13:53

Vlada88's gravatar image

Vlada88
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This request comes up all the time, there are numerous answers on this site, please search for them. The main OSM website offers at least 2 maps with names in a latin script, so it's not even that we dont.

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answered 26 Jun '22, 14:16

SK53's gravatar image

SK53 ♦
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accept rate: 22%

"Our logic" is that people in many places in the world would prefer not to have English names scrawled across their map when they don't use, or perhaps even can't read, the letters. Every English label we add makes a map less usable (leaves less room for other important info) for them. So what you are essentially saying is we should care less for them than for you. Is this the spirit of the 21st century?

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answered 26 Jun '22, 14:34

Frederik%20Ramm's gravatar image

Frederik Ramm ♦
82.5k927201273
accept rate: 23%

The main standard layer at osm.org is made for mappers - mappers best map locally in their local language.

If you need a map with English labels globally, use either one of the other layers (Transort Map or Cycle Map have English labels) or just use www.osmap.uk where you get English labels for e.g. Cairo and many more places.

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answered 26 Jun '22, 16:25

Spiekerooger's gravatar image

Spiekerooger
3.1k22356
accept rate: 16%

edited 26 Jun '22, 16:29

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question asked: 26 Jun '22, 13:53

question was seen: 1,072 times

last updated: 27 Jun '22, 14:57

NOTICE: help.openstreetmap.org is no longer in use from 1st March 2024. Please use the OpenStreetMap Community Forum