[OSM-talk] Persian/Arabian Gulf Tagging

[Ebrahim Nejati]

Today, I saw Persian Gulf's (rel:9326283) rendering is back to Arabian
Gulf. The purpose of this message is not continuing the constant
quarrel that which one is the correct name, but to explain my point of
view.

The `name` tags of this relation had been a translation of "Persian
Gulf" in all languages except in Arabic. This is okay. Since OSM favors
the situations "on the ground", local communities can decide the name of
these regions.

It was all good until recently a vandalist felt that this is wrong and
repeatedly decided to change the `name:ar` from "Arabian Gulf" to
"Persian Gulf". We in OpenStreetMap Iran Telegram group (most active
place among Iranian mappers) discussed this issue and strongly condemned
it.

But now, after the vandalist's changesets has been reverted, the `name`
tag of "Persian Gulf" is changed to "Arabian Gulf" while it is called
"Persian Gulf" in all languages except Arabic. I'm here to ask how OSMF
or Data Working Group decides the `name` tag of such places?

---

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persian_Gulf
- Here is Persian Gulf's Wikipedia's page where it is called Persian
Gulf in all languages but Arabic. You can also read more about this
naming dispute here.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shatt_al-Arab
- Here is Shatt al-Arab wikipedia page, which I think has the opposite
naming convention which it is called Shatt al-Arab in every language but
in Persian, where it is "Arvand Roud"