How to add cities to a map by their geographical coordinates?

[Heresson]

Hi

Sorry to bother you all.

So I am translating a historical book. I think the knowledge of geography is essential for the knowledge of history, so I think I need a map. I created a map by hand, but it doesn't look professional. Instead, I decided to create (should that be possible) a computer-made map.

Obviously I'd rather have a map that would show coastline, rivers, elevation, borders etc (but without city, region, country places and names), but if that's not possible even a blank map with just coastline, major rivers and borders would do.

But the thing is that I want to add cities and other places to it not manually, but by posting their precise coordinates (according to google maps results), and would like the computer to find this localisation on the map and add it... I mean, to assure that I place the city correctly, not a bit to the right or to the left. I'd like to type in the coordinates...

Is it possible? How can I do it? Is it hard?

I am very sorry to disturb you and ask for your help, but it's fairly important for me, and I have no idea how to do it. I've seen some pages offer customised map, it's good, but not with adding your own locations to it by their geographical coordinates. So I don't know if it's possible. But it has to be, it can't be that hard

Thank you very much for your help.

I actually need a couple of maps like this, for different regions of the Middle East and nothern Africa.

[Francissimo]

If you want to add geotag data (the exact coordinates of a point) to a map, you'll need to move to GIS (geographic information system) tools. The cool thing with GIS is that you can download tons of existing data (coastlines, cities, relief ect..) or even import points you mark in google earth right into your GIS app so no need to reenter the coordinates. GIS are very usefull tools and some of them are free (i use QGIS professionally and it's free) but if it's only for one map, the time you'll spend to learn how to use the tool may not worth it and you can stay to a classic "approximative" photoshop approach. If you intend to do more than one map you may want to try GIS, i advise you to start with QGIS, it's quite easy to use, you can import data from google earth ect and can draw geotag data (things you draw will have coordinates)

[Heresson]

Hi. Thank you. I downloaded QGIS, but it won't start. It asks me if I agree for changes to my disk, and after I click yes, nothing happens