What is In a Name? South America e:\geog\south\south.nam

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1 What is In a Name? South America e:\geog\south\south.nam 1. Argentina Argentina. Republic in south of South America. In 1526 English explorer Sebastian Cabot, leading Spanish expedition, named the river where he bartered with the Indians for silver Rio de la plate = "river of silver, not knowing that the silver was not got locally. When country achieved independence in 1826 name became Argentina, from Latin argentina = "silvery." (See also Plate, River.). Adrian Room, Place-Names Of the World: A Dictionary of their Origins and Backgrounds (London, England: Angus & Robertson Publishers, 1987), 30. Argentina reflected the early Spanish explorers hope to find silver in the region. The name is derived from the Latin "argentum, meaning silver. Thomas J. Baerwald, Celeste Fraser, World Geography (Needham, Massachusetts: Prentice Hall, 1992), 182. Buenos Aires. Capital of Argentina, South America. Founded by Spanish settlers in 1536 with full name of Ciudad da la Santisima Trinidad y puerto de nuestra senora la virgen Maria de los buenos aires = "City of the Most Holy Trinity and port of Our Lady the Virgin Mary of Good Winds." Name has nothing to do with the climate: 1st half of name was given because city was founded on Trinity Sunday; 2nd half because Virgin Mary was patron saint of sailors (who prayed that she would send favorable winds for their ships). By 19th century only last two words remained as name, and these are today often shortened even further to Baires. Adrian Room, 56. La Plata. City on estuary of River Plate, Argentina, South America. From Spanish name of river-rio de la Plata (see Argentina). Adrian Room, 136. Plate, River. Estuary of River Parana and River Uruguay, South America, flowing south-east between Uruguay and Argentina into Atlantic. Spanish name, Rio de la Plata = "river of silver, was given by Sebastian Cabot in 1526 when he discovered it and bartered here with natives for silver. (See Argentina.) Earlier, the Spanish navigator Juan Diaz de Solis had named the estuary Mar Dulce = "freshwater sea, and for a while, 1

2 after his death, it was also called Rio de Solis in his honor. Adrian Room, 188. Patagonia. Part of Argentina and Chile. Name comes from native inhabitants, called Patagones by Spanish explorers in 16th century. Story goes that Magellan, first European to explore coast here, coined name after Patagon, dog-headed monster of Spanish 16th century romance "Amadis de Gaula," since natives wore thick furs and had bushy hair and painted faces. Adrian Room, 184. Patagonia comes from the Spanish word "Patagon" meaning "big foot." The first Spanish explorers in the region notices large tracks in the snow and thought the inhabitants must have had unusually large feet. In reality the tracks had been made by snowshoes. Thomas J. Baerwald, Bolivia Bolivia. Republic in central South America. Before 1825, when a Spanish colony, was known as Upper Peru. Liberated from Spain in this year by Simon Bolivar ( ) in South American War of Independence, and renamed after him. Adrian Room, 50. Bolivia was named in honor of the South American freedom fighter, Simon Bolivar (1783). Thomas J. Baerwald, Celeste Fraser, World Geography (Needham, Massachusetts: Prentice Hall, 1992). La Paz. Capital of Bolivia, South America. Full name, given by Spanish in 1548 to mark peace concluded between two warring factions, was Pueblo Nuevo de Nuestra Senora de la Paz = "new town of Our Lady of Peace." Adrian Room, Place-Names Of the World: A Dictionary of their Origins and Backgrounds (London, England: Angus & Robertson Publishers, 1987), 136. The Spanish word altiplano means "high plain." Richard G. Boehm, James L. Swanson, World Geography (Mission Hills, California: Glencoe/ McGraw Hill, 1969), 141. Santa Cruz. City in central Bolivia, South America. Spanish = "holy cross." City was founded by Spanish missionaries on Holy Cross Day (14 September)

3 Adrian Room, Brazil. Brazil. Republic in South America. Named after red dye (in Portuguese braze, from brassa = "heat, coals") got from brazil-wood. Word itself is probably corruption of some eastern word, as Latin brasilium referred to red dyewood brought from the East. Brazil was discovered by Portuguese navigator Cabral in Original name of newly discovered land was Vera Cruz, Portuguese = "true cross." Adrian Room, Place-Names Of the World: A Dictionary of their Origins and Backgrounds (London, England: Angus & Robertson Publishers, 1987), 53. Brasilia. Capital of Brazil. Named after country, Portuguese for which is Brasil, + suffix -ia. Before 1960 capital was Rio de Janeiro. Adrian Room, 53. Rio de Janeiro. Chief seaport and former capital of Brazil, South America, on South Atlantic. Portuguese members of expedition of Italian navigator Amerigo Vespucci sighted bay on which town is now situated on 1 January 1502 and took it for the estuary of a large river. They therefore named it Rio de Janeiro = "January river." Town was founded in 1566 and took this name. Name is commonly shortened to Rio. Adrian Room, 200. Rio de Janeiro comes from the early Portuguese meaning "Rivers of January." Thomas J. Baerwald, Celeste Fraser, World Geography (Needham, Massachusetts: Prentice Hall, 1992), 226. Amazon, River. One of the world's longest rivers, in South America. Probably from Indian (Tepiguarani) amazunu, amassunu = "big wave," with reference to famous bore (the pororoca) in lower reaches; name was taken by Spanish explorers of 16th century to be derived from Amazons, female warriors of Greek legend, since Indian women of the Tepua tribe fought alongside the men (though Spaniards may have mistaken long-haired men for women). Adrian Room, 24. To the Greeks, the Amazons were a race of brave female warriors who cut off one of their breasts in order 3

4 to be able to carry their shields or to draw their bows with greater ease; their name derives from the Greek word for breastless. Kenneth C. Davis, Don't Know Much About Geography: Everything You Need to Know About the World but Never Learned (New York: William Morrow and Company: 1992), 124. Parana. River and state in south Brazil, South America. State and city of Parana, formerly Bajada de Santa Fe (= "hill of the Holy Faith")-named after river, in turn derived from Indian pare = "water." Adrian Room, 183. Sao Paulo. State and its capital in south-east Brazil, South America. Portuguese = "St Paul." City was founded by Jesuit monks in 1554 who celebrated first mass here on St Paul s Day (25 January). Adrian Room, Chile. Chile. Republic on west coast of South America. Probably from Indian (Araucanian) chili = "cold, winter" (not connected with English "chilly," however). Explanation of name is that Peruvian Incas, who conquered part of country, found climate cool compared to their native equatorial land. Adrian Room, Place-Names Of the World: A Dictionary of their Origins and Backgrounds (London, England: Angus & Robertson Publishers, 1987), 68. Chile was named by Indians meaning the "end of the land." Thomas J. Baerwald, Celeste Fraser, World Geography (Needham, Massachusetts: Prentice Hall, 1992), 240. Santiago. Capital of Chile, South America. City was founded in 1541 by Spanish conqueror Pedro de Valdivia and named in honor of St James (Spanish San Jago), saint of special significance to the Spanish people as, according to tradition, it is said that he visited Spain and preached the gospel there, and that after his martyrdom his body was brought to Spain from Jerusalem. It is still venerated in the shrine of Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, once one of the chief places, with 4

5 Jerusalem and Rome, of European Christian pilgrimage. Official full name was originally Santiago del Nuevo Extremo = "Santiago of the new frontier." Adrian Room, 211. Andes. Mountain range in South America, running down west coast. Perhaps from Indian or Inca ante = "copper" (found as a deposit in mountains), or from Indian (Quechua) anti = "east" (i.e. in relation to Cusco, ancient capital of Incas). Adrian Room, 24. Horn, Cape. Rocky headland in extreme south of South America. First rounded in 1616 by Dutch navigator Willem Schouten, who named it after his native town in the Netherlands, Hoorn (in province of North Holland). Adrian Room, 115. Valparaiso. City and seaport in Chile, South America, north-west of Santiago. Founded by Spanish explorer Juan de Saavedra in 1536 with name = "valley of paradise" (Spanish valle paraiso), because of beauty and fertility of region. Adrian Room, 239. Concepcion. City in south Chile; city in Paraguay, South America. Spanish = "Conception": both cities were founded on 8 December, Feast of Immaculate Conception (1st city in 1550 by Pedro de Valvivia on a site 11 km (7 miles) north-east of present city). Adrian Room, Colombia. Colombia. Republic in north-west of South America. Coast here said to have been visited by Columbus in 1502, after whom country was named in Spanish settlers of 16th century had called it New Granada. Adrian Room, Place-Names Of the World: A Dictionary of their Origins and Backgrounds (London, England: Angus & Robertson Publishers, 1987), 71. Bogota. Capital of Colombia, South America. Founded by Spanish explorer Gonzalo Jimenez de Quesada in 1538 on 6 August, feast-day of Transfiguration (Spanish Santa Fe, literally = "holy 5

6 faith"), with name Santa Fe de Bogota. Santa Fe was also Quesada s birthplace in Spain. Main part of name is rendering of Indian Bacata, which was probably name of tribal chief here. Adrian Room, Ecuador. Ecuador. Republic on north-west coast of South America. Before 1830 name was Quito, that of present capital. Since then called Ecuador-Spanish = "equator" (which crosses it). Adrian Room, Place-Names Of the World: A Dictionary of their Origins and Backgrounds (London, England: Angus & Robertson Publishers, 1987), 88. Ecuador is a country in South America, which got its name because it sits on the Equator. Thomas J. Baerwald, Celeste Fraser, World Geography (Needham, Massachusetts: Prentice Hall, 1992). Quito. Capital of Ecuador, South America. Was name of whole country until 1830; city was named Quito by Spanish explorers in 1533 after Indian Quitu tribe who inhabited territory (but who were extinct by end of Spanish rule in 1822). Adrian Room, 196. Galapago is the Spanish word for tortoise. An island province of Ecuador, the Galapagos Islands (officially known as the Archipelago de Colon) are a combined 3,075-square-mile island group located in the Pacific about 600 miles (970 km) west of mainland South America. The group includes six main islands, smaller island with an airport, and eleven uninhabited islands. The unique animal life of the Galapagos Islands, cut off from contact with other animals, inspired much of Charles Darwin's revolutionary thinking. Kenneth C. Davis, Don t Know Much About Geography: Everything You Need to Know About the World but Never Learned (New York: William Morrow and Company: 1992), 164. Galapagos Islands. In Pacific, on equator west of Ecuador, South America From Old Spanish 6

7 galapago = "tortoise"; Spanish explorers who discovered islands in 1535 were impressed by large numbers of giant tortoises (Testudo elephantosus), which have since become almost extinct. Adrian Room, 100. Chimborazo, Mount. Inactive volcano in Andes, Ecuador, South America. Named after River Chimbo + Peruvian rasu = "snow": volcano is permanently snow-capped. Adrian Room, 68. Cotopaxi, Mount. Highest active volcano in world, in Andes, Ecuador, South America. From Indian (Quechua) cotto = "mass, mountain" + pacsi = "shine, brilliance, i.e. "shining mountain" (though this may be attempt to explain older name of unknown meaning). Adrian Room, Guiana. Guiana. Name of various countries in north-east of South America: 1. British Guiana (now Guyana); 2. Dutch Guiana (now Surinam); 3. French Guiana. Discovered by Columbus in 1498 and explored in 1499 by Vespucci and Hojeda, latter naming territory after people, the Guaizas, whose own name = "respected" (i.e. "we who must be respected"). Adrian Room, Place-Names Of the World: A Dictionary of their Origins and Backgrounds (London, England: Angus & Robertson Publishers, 1987), 108. Cayenne. Capital of French Guiana, north of South America. French form of Guiana (Guyana), from Indian word probably = "respected" (i.e. "we who demand respect"). Adrian Room, 66. Guyana. Republic in north-west of South America. Same word as Guiana; until 1966 was British. Adrian Room, 109. Georgetown. Capital of Guyana, South America. Founded by British in 1781 and named after George III. Under Dutch occupation ( ) was called by the Stabroek = "standing pool." British then regained control and renamed town Georgetown. Adrian Room,

8 Paramaribo. Capital and chief seaport of Surinam, north-east South America. From Indian pare = "water, sea" + maribo = "dwellers, inhabitants." Adrian Room, South America Islands. Ascension Island. In South Atlantic, midway between Brazil and Angola. Discovered by Portuguese navigator Jono da Nova Castella on Ascension Day, 1501, and named after this feast. Adrian Room, Place-Names Of the World: A Dictionary of their Origins and Backgrounds (London, England: Angus & Robertson Publishers, 1987), 31. Easter Island. In South Pacific, west of Chile. Discovered by Dutch navigator Jacob Roggeveen on Easter Sunday (or possibly Monday) 1722 (although English pirate Edward Davis claimed to have landed here in 1695). Adrian Room, 88. Falkland Islands. In South Atlantic, east of Magellan Strait. Originally Davis Land (discovered by Captain John Davis in 1592), then named Hawkins Maidenland in 1594 by Sir Richard Hawkins in honor of English queen Elizabeth I (the "Maiden queen). Finally named by Captain John Strong in 1690 after Viscount Falkland, chief minister of state of Charles I, who had financed Strong's expedition. Adrian Room, 94. Tierra del Fuego. Group of islands at south extremity of South America, divided between Chile and Argentina. Spanish = "land of fire." On his 1st journey round the world in 1520 Magellan sighted fires here, either bonfires or on moving boats, and so named islands thus. Or, more prosaically, name refers to many volcanoes here. Adrian Room,

9 9. Paraguay. Paraguay. Republic in central South America. Named after River Paraguay, in turn after native Indian tribe, Paragua, with name derived from Indian pare = "water." Adrian Room, Place-Names Of the World: A Dictionary of their Origins and Backgrounds (London, England: Angus & Robertson Publishers, 1987), 183. The Paraguay River and other rivers play a vital role in the nation's economic life by providing the country with access to the distant Atlantic Ocean and with sites for hydroelectric plants. The name of the country, Paraguay, is derived from an Indian word that means "place with a great river." Joyce Davis, Geography Teacher, Grace Church School in NYC, Why Greenland is an Island, Australia is not - and Japan Is Up for Grabs (New York: William Morrow, 1994), 99. Asuncion. Capital of Paraguay, South America. Spanish explorers built fort here on 15 August, feast-day of Assumption, 1536, giving it full name Nuestra Senora de la Asuncion = "Our Lady of the Assumption." Last word gives present name. Adrian Room, Peru. Peru. Republic in west of South America. Name was given in 16th century by Spanish settlers, after River Biru, where they landed after sailing here from Panama isthmus. Name of river probably derives either from Indian word = "river" or from name of Indian chief. Incas, encountered here by Spanish explorers, called their country Tahuantin-sayn = "four provinces." Adrian Room, Place-Names Of the World: A Dictionary of their 9

10 Origins and Backgrounds (London, England: Angus & Robertson Publishers, 1987), 186. Peru is located on the South Pacific coast just to the north of Chile. The capital is Lima. The nation's name is derived from a Quechua Indian word meaning "land of abundance," a reference to the highly organized and fruitful Inca civilization that ruled the region from the twelfth to the sixteenth centuries. The remains of this empire centered at Cuzco included the fabled stone fortress of Machu Picchu. Joyce Davis, Geography Teacher, Grace Church School in NYC, Why Greenland is an Island, Australia is not - and Japan Is Up for Grabs (New York: William Morrow, 1994), 100. Lima. Capital of Peru, South America. Founded in 1535 by Spanish explorer Francisco Pizarro who named it Cindad de los Reyes = "city of the kings" (town was founded on 6 January, Feast of Epiphany). With time, however, city acquired name derived from that of River Rimac (named after god with name = "he who speaks"), on which it stands. Adrian Room, 141. Titicaca, Lake. Largest lake in South America, divided between Peru and Bolivia. Name derives from island on lake, whose name has been variously explained as "sunny island," "crag of lead" or "rock of the puma. Adrian Room, 228. Atacama. Desert in South America, largely in Peru and Chile. From an Indian word = "desert land." Adrian Room, 32. Machu Picchu, whose name means, "lost city of the Incas," is about 50 miles northwest of the Cuzco in the Andes Mountain. Richard G. Boehm, James L. Swanson, World Geography (Mission Hills, California: Glencoe/McGraw Hill, 1969), 149. Inca (in the Quechua language "inka" means "king" or "prince"), name applied by the Spanish to a Quechuan-speaking Native American people who established an extensive Andean empire in South America shortly before the conquest of the New World by Europeans. Microsoft Encarta, "Inca," Inca architects raised fine buildings in the capital city of Cuzco, which meant "navel" in the Quechua language of the Incas. Kenneth C. Davis, Don't Know Much About Geography: Everything You 10

11 Need to Know About the World but Never Learned (New York: William Morrow and Company, 1992), Uruguay. Uruguay. Republic in South America. Named after River Uruguay (tributary of River Plate) with origin perhaps in Indian guay = "tail" + uru = "bird," referring to species of bird with remarkable tail living in forests here. Or perhaps connected with guay = "river" common element in South American names. Adrian Room, Place-Names Of the World: A Dictionary of their Origins and Backgrounds (London, England: Angus & Robertson Publishers, 1987), 237. Uruguay means "river of the painted bird" to the Indians who first dwelt there. The name probably comes from the brightly colored tropical birds found along the Rio de la Plata river. Thomas J. Baerwald, Celeste Fraser, World Geography (Needham, Massachusetts: Prentice Hall, 1992), 246. Montevideo. Capital of Uruguay, South America. Name probably given by Magellan in 1520 to mountain here of which there was a good view, from Portuguese monte vidi eo = "I saw the mountain" (perhaps a cry from one of the sailors who sighted it). Or possibly from Portuguese map-maker's note on mountain with words monte VI de O = "sixth mountain from the west," Roman figure VI being read as syllable -vi- and "O" the Portuguese abbreviation for oeste = "west." Adrian Room, Venezuela. 11

12 Venezuela. Republic in South America, on Caribbean Sea. Spanish explorers discovered here in 1499, on shores of Lake Maracaibo, an Indian village built on poles. This reminded them of Venice, so they named it Venezuela = "little Venice." Name subsequently spread to surrounding territory and in 1830 became official name of country. Adrian Room, Place-Names Of the World: A Dictionary of their Origins and Backgrounds (London, England: Angus & Robertson Publishers, 1987), 240. Venezuela means "Little Venice" in Spanish. When the Spanish arrived they found Indians living on canals similar to those in Venice, Italy. Thomas J. Baerwald, Celeste Fraser, World Geography (Needham, Massachusetts: Prentice Hall, 1992), 237. Caracas. Capital of Venezuela, South America. Founded by Spanish explorers in 1567 and named after warlike Indian tribe Caracas, with full name of town Santiago de Leon de Caracas. "Santiago" is Spanish for "Saint James," i.e. in honor of the apostle, who is the patron saint of Spain; Leon is in honor of Don Pedro Ponce de Leon who was the provincial governor. Adrian Room, 63. Maracaibo. Lake and city in north-west Venezuela, South America. Name given to town in 1499 by Spanish explorer Alfonso de Hojeda after lake, in turn named after local Indian chief (cacique). Adrian Room, 153. Orinoco, River. In Venezuela, South America. Name is believed to derive from indigenous (Guarauno) words meaning i.e. place to paddle," i.e. river that is navigable in small boats. Adrian Room, 178. Among its other geographical wonders, South America is also home of the world's highest waterfall, Angel Falls (Salto Angel), in southeast Venezuela. Almost totally inaccessible, Angel Falls can be seen fully only from the air. Which is how it was first seen and then got its name. The falls are actually named for an American flier and prospector, Jimmy Angel, who discovered them in 1935 and crashed his plane nearby in Kenneth C. Davis,