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google-mapsgeo

How to get localized names from Google Maps API?


I am trying to obtain from the Google Maps API the city in the right language, but it doesn't work. For example:

http://maps.google.com/maps/geo?hl=es&output=json&oe=utf8&q=paris

-> "LocalityName" : "París" - > this is ok.

but why it is not working for Japanese for example:

http://maps.google.com/maps/geo?hl=jp&output=json&oe=utf8&q=paris

Has any one any idea where I can get city names in different languages? Is there another service where I can ask?

Thanks Nik


Solution

  • Use ja rather than jp for Japan - see the spreadsheet of supported languages here for the codes.

    Requesting http://maps.google.com/maps/geo?hl=ja&output=json&oe=utf8&q=paris should give you

    {
      "name": "paris",
      "Status": {
        "code": 200,
        "request": "geocode"
      },
      "Placemark": [ {
        "id": "p1",
        "address": "パリ, フランス",
        "AddressDetails": {
       "Accuracy" : 4,
       "Country" : {
          "AdministrativeArea" : {
             "AdministrativeAreaName" : "イル・ド・フランス",
             "SubAdministrativeArea" : {
                "Locality" : {
                   "LocalityName" : "パリ"
                },
                "SubAdministrativeAreaName" : "パリ"
             }
          },
          "CountryName" : "フランス",
          "CountryNameCode" : "FR"
       }
    },
        "ExtendedData": {
          "LatLonBox": {
            "north": 48.9153630,
            "south": 48.7979015,
            "east": 2.4790465,
            "west": 2.2229277
          }
        },
        "Point": {
          "coordinates": [ 2.3509871, 48.8566667, 0 ]
        }
      } ]
    }