Generating random locations around a location

Handy.

def generateLocation(startlat, startlon, maxdist):

 # converting them radians
 startlat *= pi / 180
 startlon *= pi / 180
 rand1 = random.random()
 rand2 = random.random()

 maxdist = maxdist / earthradius
 dist = acos(rand1*(cos(maxdist) - 1) + 1)
 brg = 2*pi*rand2

 lat = asin(sin(startlat)*cos(dist) + cos(startlat)*sin(dist)*cos(brg))
 lon = startlon + atan2(sin(brg)*sin(dist)*cos(startlat), cos(dist)-sin(startlat)*sin(lat))

 if lon < -pi:
  lon = lon + 2 * pi

 if lon > pi:
  lon = lon - 2 * pi

 lat *= 180 / pi
 lon *= 180 / pi

 return [lat, lon]

Latitude and longitude of cities

http://www.getlatlon.com

 cities = [
  { 'name': 'Tokyo', 'lat': 35.6894875, 'lon': 139.6917064 },
  { 'name': 'Seoul', 'lat': 37.566535, 'lon': 126.9779692 },
  { 'name': 'Beijing', 'lat': 39.904214, 'lon': 116.407413 },
  { 'name': 'New Delhi', 'lat': 28.635308, 'lon': 77.22496 },
  { 'name': 'Moscow', 'lat': 55.755786, 'lon': 37.617633 },
  { 'name': 'Kiev', 'lat': 50.45, 'lon': 30.5233333 },
  { 'name': 'Budapest', 'lat': 47.4984056, 'lon': 19.0407578 },
  { 'name': 'Berlin', 'lat': 52.5234051, 'lon': 13.4113999 },

  { 'name': 'Paris', 'lat': 48.8566667, 'lon': 2.3509871 },
  { 'name': 'Madrid', 'lat': 40.4166909, 'lon': -3.7003454 },
  { 'name': 'New York', 'lat': 40.7143528, 'lon': -74.0059731 },

  { 'name': 'Mexico City', 'lat': 19.4270499, 'lon': -99.1275711 },
  { 'name': 'Honolulu', 'lat': 21.3069444, 'lon': -157.8583333 },

  { 'name': 'Sydney', 'lat': -33.8599722, 'lon': 151.2111111 },
  { 'name': 'Taipei', 'lat': 25.091075, 'lon': 121.5598345 }
 ]