I have already consulted two active members in Algeria, and we agreed that the map should be in Arabic first, then in Amazigh.In addition, I personally correct the place names in my region, the Aurès region, into the official languages that we are proficient in. “No one deals with French in the Aurès in particular.”
في الأحد، 5 أبريل 2026, 7:15 م Tn Warrior <community@noreply.openstreetmap.org> كتب:
Yes, and this truly reflects the reality: all Algerians, without exception, are fluent in Arabic, which is the official, primary, and effective language used in education and by public and private institutions.Yes, and it does indeed reflect the actual situation: all Algerians without exception are proficient in Arabic, which is the official, primary, and actual language in which education is conducted and which is used by public and private institutions. The use of the French language is limited to certain professions such as medicine, engineering, and some other technical specializations. As for expatriates, they are originally from Algeria, and most of them are fluent in either Arabic or Amazigh. It is illogical to make French the language of the entire country just because some tens of thousands do not speak Arabic! And these people can also very simply choose the translated map. Using Arabic and Amazigh is the only logical solution, and it is already being implemented (i.e., the same idea) in many countries, most notably China, for example.
Hi
Perhaps inviting Algeria’s top mappers to this forum would be an interesting step. The OSM messaging service can be used.
Regards & cheers.
I’m sorry but, let me make sure I understand. So you’re from the (beautiful) mountains of Algeria, and you want to dictate how the map in Algiers or Oran is, by unilaterally completely removing French? Is this really happening? I’m sorry to break it to you, but I’m afraid that, it’s not because you don’t speak French, that nobody speaks French in a population of 47 million people, or that French simply doesn’t exist on any sign. I know Algerians, from Algeria, that speak excellent French, better than their Arabic.
Curiously, this is the profile of the top mapper in Algeria, @Superadlen, with whom I had great conversations in the past (in, you guessed it, French). I invited him and others to participate to this discussion, to once and for all stop these unilateral removals/additions of French names in Algeria, be it in the city or in the mountains.
From this article:
Algeria is the second largest Francophone country in the world in terms of speakers.
باختصار، انا اعمل وفق خرائط جزائرية منشورة وكلها باللغة الفرنسية، مما يجعلنا أدرج اولا الاسم الفرنسي (او بالأحرى اللاتيني) وفي حالة معرفتي للاسم العربي اضع الاسم العربي في خانة name:ar
اقتراح اعتقد انه في حالة وجود اسم عربي رسمي يوضع في خانة name وباقي الأسماء حسب اللغة
، في حالة عدم وجود الاسم باللغة العربية او لم يكن متأكده منه نضع الاسم الفرنسي المتعارف عليه
هذا التوجه منطقي جداً ويتماشى مع المعايير الدولية والمحلية لتنظيم البيانات الجغرافية. إليك ملخص للقاعدة التي تقترحها لتنظيم الأسماء:
name): يُوضع فيها الاسم باللغة العربية إذا كان رسمياً ومعروفاً، كونه اللغة الوطنية الرسمية.name:ar): يُكرر فيها نفس الاسم العربي لضمان الفهرسة الصحيحة برمجياً.name:fr أو int_name): يُوضع فيها الاسم كما هو موجود في الخرائط الورقية أو المتداول بالفرنسية.name بصفة مؤقتة (كحالة تعارف عليها المستخدمون) حتى يتم تعريبه أو إيجاد المقابل الرسمي له.هذا الأسلوب سيحل إشكالية “الأسماء المفقودة” ويجعل قاعدة البيانات التي تعمل عليها أكثر مرونة.
1. The “On-the-Ground” Rule In cities like Algiers or Oran, where street signs and landmarks are often displayed in both Arabic and French, it is a technical error to remove either language. Maps are navigation tools first and foremost. Removing a language used by millions—and physically present on signage—can mislead users, especially in historic or urban centers where French terminology remains prevalent.
2. The Globally Accepted Technical Solution To avoid “linguistic replacement” conflicts, mapping systems provide specific tags for different languages. This is the ideal solution:
name: The primary name as it appears on the ground (typically in Arabic in Algeria).name:ar: The name specifically in Arabic.name:fr: The name specifically in French.This ensures that whether a user searches in Arabic or French (from Tizi Ouzou, Algiers, or even abroad), the system will successfully locate the destination.
3. Respecting Algeria’s Linguistic Diversity Algeria possesses a unique linguistic landscape where Arabic, Tamazight, and French coexist. Restricting the map to a single language diminishes its value as a comprehensive reference for all citizens and visitors.
The goal is to enrich the data rather than substitute it. If an entry currently exists only in French, the correct action is to add the Arabic equivalent in the designated field—and vice versa. Deleting accurate data (whether Arabic or French) is technically classified as “Data Loss” and undermines the integrity of the map.
أتفق معك تماما يجب أن يوضع الإسم العربي في خانة name لأن العربية هي اللغة الرسمية وأيضا في خانة name:ar في حالة إختار شخصا ما الخرائط المترجمة باللغة العربية وأن يوضع الإسم الفرنسي في خانة name:fr في حالة إختار شخصا ما الخرائط باللغة الفرنسية، وأيضا في حالة عدم معرفة الإسم بالعربية ومعرفته بالفرنسية فقط يوضع في خانة name مأقتا حتى يضع شخصا ما يعرف الإسم بالعربية.
الإختلاف الوحيد معك هو أن الأمازيغية أيضا تعتبر لغة رسمية إلى جانب العربية ويشكل الأمازيغ بإختلاف مكوناتهم أقلية كبيرة في الجزائر لذلك أرى أنه يجب أن يوضع الإسم الأمازيغية إلى جانب العربية في أسماء المواقع كونها لغة رسمية.
بالنسبة للغة الفرنسية ومع أنها ليست لغة رسمية ولا تعتبر لغة أم لأي جزائري ولاكن يجيدها الكثير من الجزائريين إذ أنها تعتبر اللغة الأكاديمية التي تدرس بها المواد العلمية ويكون بها الخبراء من الأطباء والمهندسين …إلخ لذلك لا أرى مانعا في إستخدامها في الشركات الخاصة أو الممتلكات الخاصة إذا كانت تعرف بالفرنسية، أما المؤسسات العمومية فها كلها تعرف بالعربية
أتفقا تماما فقط في خانة name يجب وضع الإسم بالأمازيغية كذلك كونها لغة رسمية واللغة الأم لعدد كبير جدا من الجزائريين
اعتقد انك وضعت القواعد بما أراه لذا انا موافق تماما معك
صديقي ما اعرفه ان الكتابة لم يتفق عليها رسميا فهل تكتب بالتفيناغ ام باللاتينية (مثل القبايلية حاليا) او بالعربية (مثل المخطوطات القديمة)
Where’s that 
option …
First: No Algerian born and raised in Algeria speaks French as their native language. This claim is completely false. Algeria is a large country with diverse languages and dialects, but no one speaks French as their first language. If anyone does, please tell me which region in Algeria speaks it as their native language. In Algeria, the population speaks the Algerian dialect (Darija), which varies slightly from region to region, but it remains the common language of communication. Furthermore, in some areas, such as the Kabylie region (Djurdjura Mountains), the Chaouia region (Aurès Mountains), the M’zab Oasis (Ghardaïa), the Tuareg region (Ahaggar Mountains, Tassili N’Ajjer Mountains), the M’Bia Oasis, and some scattered communities in the western provinces (Ighremawn) and Tipaza (Mount Chenoua), the inhabitants speak Berber as their native language, although it varies slightly from one area to another.
Secondly, if the map must be in a specific language, it should be Arabic only, as it is the primary official language and the de facto language of the country. It is the language in which education is conducted, institutions and administrations operate, the media is disseminated, and virtually everything else is spoken by the vast majority of the Algerian population.
If we want to add another language, we should include Tamazight (Berber), as it is an official language and the mother tongue of a large minority of Algerians. Furthermore, most of the names of cities and villages in Algeria are of Tamazight origin, as it was the dominant language historically.
As for French, it is unnecessary. Why? Because there is no Algerian who is not fluent in Arabic or Tamazight and also fluent in French, unless they were born and raised in France. We will not make the map in French just for the sake of a few thousand people!
نعم صحيح لم يتفق عليها رسميا ولاكن عمليا تم يستخدم التيفيناغ إذا كنت جزائري فأنت تعلم أن كل المؤسسات العمومية يجب عليها أن تضع إسمها بالعربية والأمازيغية (بالتيفيناغ) في اللافتة الخاصة بها، كما أن التيفيناغ هي الأبجدية الرسمية لكتابة الأمازيغية في كل من المغرب وليبيا
Why do you keep lying to yourself?
Please, take the bus from the mountain to Algiers or Oran, you’ll be shocked.
Saad, I think there is something you don’t understand. OSM is not a tool to map the Algerian constitution. It’s a tool to map what’s on the ground. If someone visits Algiers and looks at OSM then looks at street signs, they need to see exactly the same thing. So when they go to Algiers and see a sign with Aéroport المطار, they need to look at OSM and see Aéroport المطار. In Morocco, French is also not an official language. But we include it everywhere, because it’s everywhere.
So let’s be real for a second. If we want to map what’s on the ground, we can assume that French may indeed be present on signs in big coastal cities, but that might not be the case in the mountains or remote regions. If that’s the case, then the name tags could be decided on a region-to-region basis. Regions with French on signs would include French in the name tag, while other regions without French on signs wouldn’t include French in the name tag. In any case, the on the ground rule is the only rule that matters. If there’s a sign saying Siège de la Wilaya مقر الولاية, then OSM should have name=Siège de la Wilaya مقر الولاية, name:fr=Siège de la Wilaya and name:ar=مقر الولاية.
I think this is a solution that’s fair to everyone. @Superadlen, as the top mapper in Algeria, if you could please actually give your opinion (instead of copy pasting ChatGPT), that would be much appreciated.
First: My friend, I’m not lying. There isn’t a single Algerian born and raised in Algeria whose mother tongue is French. As I said before, if anyone speaks French as their first language, please tell me the region, city, village, or neighborhood where the inhabitants speak it as their native language.
Second: I don’t live in a remote area in the mountains. I live in Khenchela. It’s true that it’s a small city, incomparable to Algiers or Oran, but I’ve visited Algiers several times and Oran once. In fact, I lived in Algiers for a while—specifically, three months—when I was working there. They don’t speak French. The Algiers dialect is one of the purest and most authentic dialects in Algeria. It’s true they prefer to use French for scientific and technical terminology, but they don’t use it for everyday communication.
Thirdly: Elias, yes, I am fully aware that the Open Mapping System (OSM) is not a tool for mapping the Algerian constitution, but rather a tool for mapping reality. In fact, my goal is for the map to reflect the reality that all Algerians speak Arabic, or Arabic and Tamazight.
If we are going to name cities, towns, and villages in French simply because signs display their names in both Arabic and French, then this should apply to all Arab countries, as their signs also use Arabic alongside English. I will include images from Syria, Egypt, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia.
(Unfortunately, I was only able to upload one image due to site restrictions.)
You can search for signs in any Arab country; you will find them in Arabic and English or French. In fact, this isn’t limited to Arab countries; it applies to almost all countries whose alphabets are not Latin, such as India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan…
I picked a random road in Damascus. Way: Shoukri Al Qouwatly Street (30181700) | OpenStreetMap
Named in Arabic and English, with primacy given to the Arabic.
You appear to be arguing that this is not the case in nations speaking Arabic as a primary language.
We DO name cities in other languages, not just Arabic cities. Node: London (107775) | OpenStreetMap
I honestly respect the fact that you live in a town where no one seems to speak French. But you can’t apply this to a population of 47 million. Please, take a moment to do some reading:
You can literally read:
In 2008, 11.2 million Algerians (33%) could read and write in French. Algeria is the second largest Francophone country in the world in terms of speakers.
https://frenchly.us/the-countries-outside-of-france-that-speak-the-most-french/
ONE THIRD of the population speaks French fluently. ONE. THIRD. And you’re claiming nobody speaks French? Seriously? If no one speaks French, explain why these are some Algerian media outlets. Who’s their target market? How do they make money? Who are their readers? French Algerians? I don’t think so.
https://elwatan.dz and https://www.lesoirdalgerie.com
Right, because all Arab countries are the same…
The example you gave is from Syria where a tiny fraction of the population speaks English. Not ONE THIRD of the population. Those English signs next to the airport are for tourists and diplomats. Maybe that’s why they’re next to… the airport?
Once again, there have been tons of people like you in the past. People who wanted only Arabic. People who only wanted French. People who only wanted Tamazight. People who wanted 2 or 3 languages in the name tag. People who wanted to divide the name tags by region. This thread from 11 years ago is the prime example. Edit wars (like what you’re doing) have never stopped. The only logical solution is to discuss amongst the Algerian community and find an agreement.
My opinion is that the best and most accommodating solution is to first, map what’s on the ground signs, and second, for what’s not on signs (e.g. administrative names), to split it up by wilaya. The Algiers and Oran Wilayas can use French and Arabic and Tamazight in their name tag, because French is heavily used. For more remote areas where French is really not used, then it’s fair to only use Arabic and Tamazight in the name tag. I think this is the fairest solution for everyone. This needs to be discussed amongst Algerian mappers from all regions, not only one of them, and then it needs to be properly documented on the wiki.
I will happily oversee this process, but I need actual cooperation from the community, not just more mass-deletions based on personal preferences. I will begin messaging other active Algerian mappers to explain everything, and then I’ll create a formal vote on this forum with all the different tagging options to choose from. Democracy always wins.
Update: it’s time to finally vote. 
First: My friend, you didn’t give me the region, city, village, or neighborhood where the inhabitants speak French as their mother tongue. You only provided the information that 11 million Algerians can read and write in French, and this doesn’t mean that their mother tongue is French and that they can’t read and write in Arabic. There isn’t a single educated Algerian born and raised in Algeria who can’t read and write in Arabic (you can verify this by asking any Algerian).
Second: I don’t live in a town where no one speaks French; I live in a country where no one speaks French as their mother tongue. It’s true, again, that a very large number of educated Algerians are fluent in French, as it is considered an academic language in Algeria, where it is taught in higher education (universities) in some technical fields such as medicine and engineering (and this has started to change in recent years as universities have begun using English instead of French). And guess what? The same applies to most Arab countries, where medicine and engineering are taught in French in countries formerly colonized by France and in English in countries formerly colonized by other countries. Britain.
Also, my friend, you don’t need to read about the language spoken in my country! I live there, and I’m personally interested in the issue of languages in Algeria, whether the Berber dialects and the differences between them, or Arabic and the differences between them.
Thirdly: You said that if no one speaks French as their mother tongue in Algeria, why are there Algerian media outlets in French? The answer is very simple: because we have a large Algerian community living in France.
Fourthly: You said that in Syria, only a few people speak English, then you claimed to have brought a picture of a special place where Arabic was written alongside English as a special case, even though I took a random picture from Google. And is it the road between Damascus and Homs (in an area that was severely damaged by the war and where diplomats don’t travel)? Well, what about Lebanon, where most of the population speaks French and English fluently?
Unfortunately, the site only allowed me to add one image, otherwise I would have added several from different countries.
And now, here’s a picture of a random road in Saudi Arabia (where 100% of the citizens speak Arabic).
Fifth: I agree with you that the solution is discussion and finding a way to resolve this issue, not random editing (which you claimed I was doing). But if you pay attention, my friend, you’ll find that Algerians here agree that the map should be in Arabic. The disagreement is whether it should be in Arabic only or in Arabic and Tamazight, which is what I thought I would be discussing, not French! No one speaks French as their mother tongue in Algeria; everyone is fluent in Arabic, and every Algerian knows this.
