Examples of different types of geographical names:

1. Names of harmonious pronunciation:

- the city of Valparaiso (South America) - the paradise valley;

- the islands of Hawaii (Oceania) - paradise on earth;

- the island of Socotra (at the coast of Africa in waters of the Indian Ocean) - the island of expectation of good luck, happiness.

2. The geographical terms which have become names:

- the Parana river (South America) - river, high water;

- the Orinoco river (South America) - river, high water;

- the lake Chad (Africa) - high water, lake;

- the Iguazu waterfall (South America) - high water;

- mountains Serra do Mar (South America) - the ridge by the sea.

3. Names with identical etymological sense:

- volcano Cotopaxi (South America) – the shining, sparkling mountain;

- volcano Kilimanjaro (Africa) – the shining, sparkling mountain;

- volcano Mauna Kea (Hawaii) - the sparkling mountain.

4. Names - landmarks:

- the city of Cusco (South America) - the center,

- the country of Ecuador (South America) – the equator;

- the continent Australia – southern.

5. Religious and cult names:

- the city of Buenos Aires (South America) - good air (spirit);

- the city of Asuncion (South America) - Assumption of the Mother of God;

- Christmas island (Oceania) – Christmas;

- the province Natal (Republic of South Africa) – Christmas;

- the current of El Niño (South America) - the baby (Jesus's Christmas);

- Easter Island (Oceania) - Easter.

6. Zootoponyms:

- the island of Galápagos (South America) – turtle;

- the Uruguay river (South America) - a bird's tail;

- Point Gallinas (South America) – chicken, hen;

- Azores islands (The Atlantic Ocean) – hawk.

- the islands of Samoa (Oceania) - the earth of bird Moa;

- Swanland (Australia) - the earth of swans;

- Sierra Leone (Africa) - lion's mountains.

Toponymy of the continents

The name Africa has appeared in the 2nd century BC, but then it wasn't the name of huge continent yet. In 146 year BC Romans have occupied the earth of Carthage in the territory of modern Tunisia. They have founded a colony there, named it Africa by the name of the tribe of afrig (afrik, afarig) that lived in the extensive territory. The word "afrigus" presumably means "without frost", "not knowing cold". Other parts of this continent up to the 16th century were called Libya. In the 16th century the Arabic scientist Muhammad al-Vazan wrote that the name Africa, in Arabic Ifrikiya, comes from the Arabic word "faraka" that means to divide, to separate. It is possible that this sense was established in the name Africa. After all, the Red Sea separates it from Asia.

The name of the continent Australia is connected with a hypothesis of existence of the unknown southern earth - Terra incognita australis (Latin of australis - southern). On a twist of fate Dutch Tasman has seen this continent, without knowing about his opening it. One of large islands near Australia - Tasmania is called after the name of the seafarer. At the end of the 18th century Australia has been discovered by the English traveler James Cook. The English researcher Mathew Flinders who has floated around not yet studied continent in 1814 has suggested to call it Australia.

Though the discovery of America is attributed to Columbus, the name of the continent is given in honor to Amerigo Vespucci. We have acquired this statement from a school bench. Subsequently the name America has excited many disputes which don't stop even today. Many scientists prove that it comes from a name of Marok (the Supreme deity of the ancient people living in the territory of South America). Others claim that before this land was described by A. Vespucci the continent already carried the name America, and firm their version by the fact that natives have words America, Amerikapana, Ameriokapana long time before. There is also such a legend that when Columbus has reached the Nicaraguan coast, he communicated with locals and asked them where they got gold from and, the Indians, showing to the west, answered: "Americos", meaning the local tribe amerrik living at the lake Nikaragua. That’s how the legend of America appeared, the legend about "country of gold", and, having quickly flown around Europe, perhaps, has named the opened continent. Other direction of disputes is connected with the thought why the continent is called by name, but not surname of the Florentine - America, but not Vespucci. But the answer to this question isn't received yet as well.

The last unknown continent in the south of the planet Earth has been opened by the Russian seafarers in 1820. But it was named much later. As the sixth continent was on the opposite side of the globe in relation to the Arctic, it was called Antarctic (Antarctica) that in translation from Greek means "opposite to the Arctic". And the name Arctic comes from Ancient Greek arktos too - a bear. Long since the constellation of Big Dipper was guiding Greek seafarers and indicated them to the North. Therefore all northern space of Earth started to be called the Arctic.

The name Europe stands in a unique line. According to the standard explanation, this toponym comes from a Phoenician "ereb" - gloom, the West. For Phoenicians the sun set right there. In Greek it looked as Europue. In homeric times Europe was quite often identified with Central Greece and opposed to Peloponnese, i.e. the southern part of the Balkan Peninsula. It is explained, probably, by the fact that the name Europe (Europium, Evrop) was often met in different areas of Ancient Greece in those days. Subsequently it has passed from certain Greek settlements and small territories to the well known then continent Europe.

The name of such a large continent as Asia (Greek Asiya), is connected with the name of the ancient state in Asia Minor – Asevua which is believed to come from the Phoenician or Assyrian word "asu" - the East. In the Greek language the East is called "anatole". Quite naturally that the name of a part of modern Asian Turkey of Anatoly has arisen from Greeks as a designation of the territory located to the East from Greece. Hence the man's name Anatoly which means “eastern”.