National Geographic Map Policy
Place-Names
National Geographic recognizes several types of place-names, using names that are most appropriate for a given type of map. Names may be shown in English, in the native language if that language uses a Latin-based alphabet (e.g., Spanish, Turkish, Romanian), and in transliterated form if the native language does not use a Latin-based alphabet (e.g., Arabic, Chinese, Ethiopian).
Most places have a single name that appears on all maps. Examples: New York; Nairobi; Shanghai.
Some places have a single name that has both an official form and a common English form. Examples: Lisboa and Lisbon; København and Copenhagen; Al Qāhirah and Cairo; Krung Thep and Bangkok.
Some places have multiple official names, usually because that country or region recognizes multiple official languages. Examples: Dublin and Baile Átha Cliath in Ireland; Bruxelles, Brussel, and Brüssel in Belgium; Aoraki and Mt. Cook in New Zealand.
National Geographic Map Policy. (2022). National Geographic. https://www.nationalgeographic.org/society/national-geographic-map-policy/