Pedro M.V. wrote:
It´s important the user include the coordinates ( degrees North, South, East, West ) of the Cities in wikipedia articles. So, in the future will be more easy see maps of the city using these coordinates. (links to image search machines).
It is also important that users include the *correct* coordinates, and one way is to provide a link to MapQuest. This can be made analogous to the ISBN links. User inputs ISBN/coordinates, Wikipedia converts this to a link to Amazon/MapQuest, user can click the link and see that it leads to the correct item.
For example, San Diego has the center coordinates 32.72° N, 117.12° W (decimal degrees) and the MapQuest URL is http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp?latlongtype=decimal&latitude=32.72&...
where zoom=5 is OK for large cities, and zoom=6 for smaller ones. Note that west of Greenwich is negative.
Analogous to the ISBN: wiki syntax, this could be written as map:32.72:-117.12
If MapQuest shuts down this service, or scrambles its URLs like MapBlast did, the coordinates are still in the Wikipedia pages and the script can be changed to make links to some other service that might exist at that time. Just like ISBN links, multiple links can also be created, to different map vendors. Therefore, the map wiki syntax should not be vendor specific.