Unusual geographical names. Unusual place names The largest city in the world

Sometimes geographical features have names that are too long or too short, extremely funny or hard to pronounce. Sometimes they are so ridiculous that you have to wonder how someone could think of this? So, see for yourself.

The longest place names in the world

An example would be a small lake in the US state of Massachusetts. The name of this reservoir consists of more than 40 letters and it is almost impossible to pronounce it without stopping and the first time. The name of this lake is Chargoggagoggmanchauggagoggchaubunagungamaugg. This abracadabra, translated from the Indian language of the area, means: “I will fish on this side, you will fish on the other side, and in the middle no one catches anything.” This is exactly how the two Indian tribes who once lived along the different sides. Thus, the lake received such a long name.

A small station near Wales in the UK has an even longer name. Railway tickets starting or ending point, of which this station is, are listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest Railway tickets. Their length is 15 cm in length. The name of the station consists of 54 letters and sounds like: Llanfairpoolguillgogericutridrobullaantisiliogogok, for ease of pronunciation and writing the name was shortened to Llanfair. The name of the station, translated from the Welsh dialect, means: “a church in a lowland overgrown with white hazel trees, located near a river with a whirlpool not far from a cave.” The translation of the name reliably accurately describes the geographical area in which it is located old station. Old-timers say that this is the name of the once old and not known to anyone famous station came up with one local joker who wanted to remain in the shadows. He did this in order to glorify his unremarkable little-known village. Since then, tourists began to flock to the small town, attracted by its unusual name. There is a known case of the theft of a sign with the full name of the city from a station building; apparently it was stolen by some collector.

"The place where Tamatea, the man with very long legs, a famous person he who devours mountains, who moved them, climbed mountains to play the flute for his beloved.” This is exactly how the even longer name of the village located in the northern part of the island is translated New Zealand. The name itself consists of 83 letters and is pronounced: Taumatavhakatangihangakkoautkupokaiwhenuakitanatahu.

The well-known capital of Thailand, the city of Bangkok has the longest name in the world written in Thai. It is officially listed in the Guinness Book of Records. It consists of 147 characters and is very difficult to read. The translation of the name describes the location of the city in the style of the eastern sages and means: “The great city, the city of angels, which contains the treasures of the gods, the great land that no one can conquer, the kingdom that will always prosper, this is the place where the palace of the gods is located, in which there live gods who can transform into spirits, a wonderful land given by the gods.”

The shortest place names in the world

For example, names that are represented on maps in the form of the letter A are found in many parts of the planet. For example, a river in Germany or a place on the Lofot Islands, as well as small villages in France and Sweden.

The letter I as the name is used by two small towns located in the north and west of France and the coast of Finland, respectively.

A unique French town located in the south is called Haux, which reads like O.

In the territories of Sweden and France there are cities with the name Yu. The river in northern Russia has the same name.

The letter E denotes the name of one small town in Belgium, and a port with a similar name is located near Burma.

U is a geographical name given to cities in South Korea and on Caroline Islands located in the Pacific Ocean. The same name belongs to the left tributary of the Mekong River, located in Asia.

The funniest place names in the world

Cockroach is the name of a small island and city ​​of the same name at eastern shores Indonesian island of Kalimantan.

Penyok is a village in the Novosibirsk region.

Kalach is a city in the Volgograd region

Sapozhok is a city in the Ryazan region.

Dno is a village in the Pskov region

Zheludok is a village in the Grodno region of Belarus.

The strangest place names in the world

The village of Nothing in Arizona, USA.

Swastika town in Ontario, Canada - pretty strange place. In fact, this is not a Nazi haven at all - the city was founded almost 30 years before Adolf Hitler began using the swastika. The name of the city was chosen in honor of the ancient Indian sign of prosperity and fertility.

There are cities and geographic places on Earth named after hell. For example, two cities in the United States (in the states of Vermont and Massachusetts) are called the Kingdom of Satan.

There are cities named North Pole in the states of Alaska and New York. New York's North Pole has theme park with live reindeer and Santa Claus.

Nameless is a small town in Colorado, which got its name when a highway was planned to be built in this place with a turn to a city that does not yet exist. During the construction of the road, a temporary sign with the inscription “Unnamed” was installed at the bend. As a result, the name stuck.

Northwest of Pittsburgh there is a town called Luna, which was probably so named because it is located in a crescent-shaped bend of the river.

Tourists have recently often visited the city of Mars in Pennsylvania. Not only is there a non-working former spaceship installed in the city, but you can also say that you visited the Martians (that’s what they call local residents).

In the 1770s, the town of Casualty was built in Western Maryland. Two surveyors marked out the ground, randomly choosing the same oak tree as a reference point. It was on that spot that the city was founded.

10 chosen

There are so many amazing cities in the world! Some are famous for their craftsmen, others for their historical sights, others attract guests with fun carnivals or festivals, and others – for their names. When people settle in a new place and establish a settlement, they come up with a name for this place. It can be associated with a legend, with the name of a hero, with the area where it is located or with some event. But sometimes the name causes complete bewilderment - why? Why was this place called that?

Cities of the world

This is exactly what the town in the state of Arizona (USA) is called - Why (why). Either its first settlers themselves were surprised why it occurred to them to stay here, or perhaps because of the transcription of the letter Y, as they say official version and looks from above the intersection of roads on which it stands Why.

In Germany, in the state of Bavaria, a city is thriving Kissing. A city with such a name cannot fail to flourish. I wonder if there is some special tradition associated with kissing here, or if the city has glorified some famous kiss?

If you haven't succeeded in something in life, try going to South Africa. This is where the city is located for the most persistent - Try Again and... try again!

Rafting lovers have their own paradise for their hobby - a city named Slime (Dirt). For romantics in England there is a very nice place - the city Roseberry Topping). But where you wouldn’t want to go is a town in the Cayman Islands called Hell). Yes, the place is gloomy, located among the rocks. Here anyone can exclaim: “I live in Hell!” But tourists really like to send postcards from here to their friends - straight from Hell.

Sometimes a city with the most ordinary name changes it to a more original one. This happened with resort town Hot Springs, whose residents decided to change his name to Truth or Consequences giving in to temptation. The organizers of the game show of the same name promised to move production to a city that would be named after the program.

The city with the most long name also worthy to be mentioned among the unusual - Taumatahuakatangiangakoauauotamateapokanuenuakitanatahu. It is located in New Zealand and means the following - "The summit where Tamatea Pokai Whenua played the flute for his beloved." Beautiful, isn't it? In contrast, there is a city that is just an empty place, which is how the name of the town Noodle sounds in Texas slang. But what about living in cities called Spot, Monkey's Eyebrow, or even worse, Idiotville? I can't even imagine what the residents of these cities and towns answer when asked where they come from?

And we have?

On the sidewalk

Seven men came together:

Seven temporarily obliged,

A tightened province,

Terpigoreva County,

Empty parish,

From adjacent villages:

Zaplatova, Dyryaeva,

Razutova, Znobishina,

Gorelova, Neelova -

Bad harvest too...

There are many cities around the world with strange names. And our country is no exception! If you have had a chance to travel by car across the expanses of our vast homeland, then you have also come across funny, amusing and even such original names that do not withstand censorship... But what people thought when they called the place they were going to live that way! Although, maybe this is all the tricks of the neighbors?

Judge for yourself: Bolshiye Pupsy (a village in the Tver region), Cheshevki (a village in the Kaluga region), Takoe (a village on Sakhalin), Bolshoye Struikino (a village in the Novgorod region), Ovnishche (a village in the Tver region), Dno ( a town near Pskov), Trusovo (a village in the Komi Republic), Kosyakovka (a village in Bashkiria), Krutiye Khutora (a village in the Lipetsk region), Novopozornovo (a village in the Kemerovo region), Bolotnaya Rogavka (a village in the Novgorod region), Starye Chervi (a village in the Kemerovo region), Verkhnee Zachatiye (a village in the Chekhov region), Durakovo (a village in the Kaluga region), Zayachiy Bubble (a river in the Kemerovo region), Kozyavkino (a village in the Kemerovo region), Tsatsa (Volgograd region) region), Zveronozhka (a river in the Moscow region), Mukhodoevo (a village in the Belgorod region), Da-da (a village in the Khabarovsk region), Bolshoye Bukhalovo (a village in the Vologda region), Zhabino (a village in Mordovia), Chuvaki (a village in the Perm region), Musorka (a village in the Ulyanovsk region), Bezvodovka (a village in the Ulyanovsk region) and even Good Bees (in the Ryazan region)!

Great pleasure is experienced by people who travel on own car. Vivid impressions they receive not only from contemplating the beauty of the surrounding area, but also from the names settlements, rivers, lakes.

If you plan to drive your car a significant distance, then take a pen and notepad with you to write down the names of cities, towns, villages and rivers you encounter along the way. In the future, you will not only be guaranteed victory in the game “Cities,” but you will also be able to amuse your friends and family with funny and unusual place names.

As a starter, I would like to bring to your attention the following interesting names of real geographical objects:

• Cocaine Mountains - a river in the Perm region;
• Lysaya Balda is a river in the Ukrainian village of Zaryanoye;
• Dno is the name of a city not far from Pskov;
• The Hare Bubble is a river in the Kemerovo region;
• In the Ulyanovsk region - the village of Musorka;
• Krasnaya Mogila is a village in Donetsk region;
• Chuvaki - a village in the Perm region;
• Tukhlyanka - a river on Sakhalin;
• Bolshiye Pupsy is a village in the Tver region;
• Machekhin Konets is a village in the Tver region;
• Krutiye Khutora is a village in the Lipetsk region;
• Tsatsa is a village in the Volgograd region;
• The village of Kurilovka in the Saratov region;
• Yes, yes - a village in the Khabarovsk Territory;
• This is a village on Sakhalin Island;
• Kuyoknolo is a village in the Tver region.

If you are traveling to Omsk, then you will meet on your way:

the rivers Bernyazhka, Nyukhalovka, Byzovka, Ingaly, Avlukha;

the villages of Pochekuevo, Shchuevoz, Takmyk, Kurnosovo, Bolshiye Murly, Chebakly, Uvalnaya Bitiya and others.

These are some interesting geographical names! Each such name, of course, has its own origin story. What seems funny to us now had a completely different meaning in ancient times. You can ask local residents where the name of their village, village, or river came from. Old people will tell you a lot of interesting things, however, there are fewer and fewer of them every day.

It’s a pity that our history flows like a river into oblivion.

It’s a pity that we are ready to laugh at an unusual name without asking about the history of its origin.

Fortunately, there are enthusiasts who collect bits and pieces of this information and save it. After all, a people who does not know their history, their roots, is weak and vulnerable. Esotericists, clairvoyants and healers say that strength is given to living people by their ancestors, the so-called family tree or family egregor.

Don't forget to take a notepad and pen with you when traveling!

There are geographical names that we use in everyday life with a different meaning. There are many such words that came into our language from maps and geography textbooks. Let's look at the most interesting of them.

From the name of the city of Basra in Iraq comes the name of alabaster, which is valuable building material. Translated from Arabic, the word “al-basra” means “soft” and is associated with the characteristics of the local soil. The word “kaolin” is associated with the Kaolian area in China, where white clay was first mined for the purpose of making porcelain. The name of the city of Faenza in Italy is associated with the word “faience”. The rock is intended as a facing material during the construction process and during the construction of monuments. The rock is called labradorite from the name of the peninsula of the same name. North America.

If we turn to the periodic table of chemical elements D.I. Mendeleev, you can see a large number of names that are attested to certain parts of the world, for example, americium, europium, and certain countries, gallium ( ancient name France), ruthenium, translated from Latin meaning Russia, francium, polonium, meaning Poland. The element lutetium (from the Latin “lutetia”) is named in honor of Paris, and the element magnesium is named in honor of the Greek city of Magnesium. Chemical elements such as californium and scandium also indicate the geographical name of the same name.

The names of the four chemical elements - ytterbium, yttrium, erbium and terbium - come from small town Ytterby, which is located on the Swedish island of Ruslagen. In 1787, in the vicinity of this city, an unusual heavy mineral containing these rare earth elements was found. The town of Ytterby became famous thanks to this miracle of nature.

An example of a chemical named after a city is veronal (from the Italian city of Verona); cologne, which means "water from Cologne". In 1972, cologne was first produced in Cologne. Cologne today is the largest industrial centre Germany, where various kinds of machine tools, cars, television and radio equipment are produced. However, Cologne is known throughout the world for “Cologne water.”

The name of the valuable topaz stone comes from the island of the same name in the Red Sea.

What about the names of the fabrics? Not everyone knows that the name tulle fabric comes from the French city where it was first made. In the state of northwestern India, the name of fine woolen fabric - cashmere - was born, from the name of the state of Kashmir. Madepolam fabric is also of Indian origin. It got its name from a small town of the same name.

A city in Scotland is Cheviot, the name of the ridge in the Pennine Mountains of Great Britain duplicates Covercott. Jersey fabric owes its name to the English island of Jersey from the group of Channel Islands near France. The city of the same name in the USA is the birthplace of Boston wool fabric. The name Waltz-Boston comes from here. Translated from French, the name of the silk fabric crepe de Chine means “Chinese crepe.” Crepe Moroccan means “Moroccan crepe”. In the 60-60s. In the Italian city of Bologna, raincoats made of synthetic material, which received the same name, first appeared. The name of the breed of indoor dogs has the same origin. In the old spelling, the capital of Turkey sounds like Angora, hence the origin of Angora cats.

From the name of the city of Bruges, in a slightly modified pronunciation, came the word trousers. IN this city A special “Bruggish” fabric was produced for sewing trousers. The city of Bruges itself comes from the ancient Norwegian language of the Normans and is translated as bridge (“brygia”).

The origin of the word jeans also has a connection with geography. The appearance of the first jeans dates back to the 50s. last century, and San Francisco (USA) is their homeland. Jeans in those days were made only for laborers. The material was tarpaulin. The country that supplied the fabric for sewing was Italian city Genoa. The names were somewhat distorted by the Americans, so the end result was the emergence of the word jeans.

From the name of the city of Fez, which is located in Morocco, the name of the men's fez hat was formed, made of red felt in the shape of a truncated cone with a tassel, until recently common in the countries of North America and the Middle East. The name of a hat with a feather - Tyrolean - comes from the Austrian province of Tyrol.

Geographical sound is also inherent in a large number of food products. In the city of Mayon on the island of Menorca, part of the Spanish Balearic Islands, mayonnaise, widely known today, was made for the first time.

The name of the ice cream variety - ice cream - was derived from the French city of Plombieres. The name Torto, which flows on the island of Sicily, is derived from the river Torto.

The same name French city Roquefort cheese owes its name. The names of such cheeses as Dutch, Poshekhonsky, Uglich, Kostroma, Swiss have a similar origin. And also sausages: Hamburg, Odessa, Krakow, Lviv, Moscow, Odessa, Minsk, etc.

Buckwheat came from Greece, and peach came from Persia. Orange means “Chinese apple”.

In the names of refrigerator brands, mineral waters, motorcycles, televisions, cars, there are also a large number of geographical names. For example, the horse-drawn carriage of a landau got its name from the Bavarian city of Landau. It was there that it was first manufactured.

To this day, the name landau has come down to the name of the body of a passenger car with a convertible top. The closed body of a high-class passenger car received its name from the historical French province of Limousin.

WITH geographical point vision will also interesting name US dollar. Name of this monetary unit is not of American origin and is not at all associated with English language. In the small German town of Joachimsthal (present-day Czech Republic), they minted a large silver coin called the Joachimsthaler. The name was later shortened to "thaler", which later became "dollar" in English pronunciation. The village of Dollar is located in Great Britain.

For the most part, place names have a meaning that corresponds to them.

But there are a large number of them that appeared on the geographical map by accident and were the result of errors and misunderstandings.

Incredible facts

Planet Earth is full of amazing geographical and geological mysteries and paradoxes. In fact, there are so many of them that we are unlikely to be able to reveal all the secrets that nature hides. Here are the most unusual and sometimes strange facts related to geography, geology and earth.

1.The shortest name of the area

The most short name terrain is " Å " - the name of a small village, which is located in both Sweden and Norway. In the Scandinavian language " Å " means "river".

2. The most Big City in the world

The largest city in the world, based on surface area, is the city Hulun Buir in the Inner Mongolia region of China, which covers an area of ​​263,953 square meters. km.

3. Countries completely surrounded by one country

Lesotho, Vatican City and San Marino are the only countries completely surrounded by one country. Lesotho is completely surrounded by South Africa, and the Vatican City and San Marino are completely surrounded by Italy.

4. Second Longest Place Name

The second longest place name in the world has been recognized as " Taumatawhakatangihangak oauauotamateaturipukaka pikimaungahoronukupokaiwhe nua kitanatahu", consisting of 84 letters, which belongs to a hill in New Zealand and in the Maori language means " the place where Tamatea, the man with big knees who slipped, rose and swallowed mountains, being known as the eater of mountains, played his flute for his beloved".

This was the longest geographical name for some time (and remains so in the Guinness Book of Records), until it was supplanted by the name " Krung thep mahanakhon bovorn ratanakosin mahintharayutthaya mahadilok pop noparatratatchathani burirom udomratchanivetmahasathan amornpiman avatarnsathit sakkathattiya visnukarmprasit", consisting of 163 letters and meaning the poetic name of Bangkok in Thailand.

5. The coldest and warmest sea

The water temperature in the White Sea in Russia is the lowest and is only -2 °C. Persian Gulf is the most warm sea. In summer, the water temperature here reaches 35.6 °C.

6. The world's oldest constitutional republic

San Marino is considered the oldest constitutional republic in the world. It was founded in 301 by a Christian mason who was fleeing persecution by Emperor Diocletian. The Constitution of San Marino, which was adopted in 1600, is considered the oldest written constitution in the world.

The deepest hole drilled by man is Kola superdeep well in Russia. It reached 12,262 m and was drilled for scientific exploration, during which a number of unexpected discoveries were made, such as a huge hydrogen deposit that was so massive that the mud that came out of the hole was literally boiling.

Due to the bulge of the Earth at the equator, the top of the volcano Chimborazo in Ecuador, whose altitude is 6310 m, is the most distant point from the center of the Earth, claiming the title " highest point on Earth", despite the fact that Everest is highest peak above sea level. Chimborazo is an extinct volcano and is located 1 degree south of the equator.

Mariana Trench is the most deep part the world's oceans with the lowest surface heights earth's crust. Today it is believed that its depth is 10,971 m. It is located in the western part Pacific Ocean east of the Mariana Islands.

Mid-Atlantic Ridge is the longest mountain range on Earth, amounting to 40 thousand km. It is located in the center Atlantic Ocean. Iceland is the only part of this mountain range that is above sea level.

The Andes form the longest surface mountain range, amounting to 7000 km.

10. Place name consisting of only vowels

Mountain Circeo on west coast Italy was once called Aeaea(5 vowels in a row and not a single consonant). According to mythology, the sorceress Circe lived here. Two other geographical areas that have only vowels in their names are Aiea(Aiea) in Hawaii and Eiao(Eiao), one of the Marquesas Islands.

11. The northernmost, eastern and western state in America

Alaska is the northernmost, eastern and western state in America. It is the only state that is part of the eastern hemisphere, making it the easternmost and westernmost state.

12. Sea without coast

The Sargasso Sea is an area in the center of the North Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by ocean currents, and is the only sea without a coastline. In the west it is limited by the Gulf Stream, in the north by the North Atlantic Current, in the east by the Canary Current and in the south by the North Equatorial Current. This current system forms the North Atlantic Subtropical Gyre.

13. Lake in an ancient impact crater formed as a result of a meteorite fall

Lake Bosumtwi, located in an ancient impact crater formed as a result of a meteorite fall, whose diameter is 8 km, is the only natural lake in Ghana. It is located 30 km southwest of Kumasi city and is a popular recreation area. There are about 30 villages near the lake, with a total population of 70,000 people.

14. Unusual river flow

There is only one river in the world that originates near the equator and from there flows into the temperate zone and that is the Nile River. For some unknown reason, most rivers flow in the opposite direction.

15. Lack of land at the North Pole

There is no land at the North Pole - only ice over the water surface. Northern Arctic Ocean, which has an area of ​​12 million square kilometers of floating ice, has the lowest winter temperature, -34°C.