Placenames of the World

<p> A placename is often much more than just a label. A name may bespeak the history of a nation the culture of a people or the hopes of an individual. Such connections are revealed in this very large reference work on placenames of the world which offers an in-depth look at the origins of each.</p><p>First published in 1997 this 2006 edition contains 6000+ entries--natural features such as mountains rivers and lakes and human entities such as cities and countries. Each entry includes the name of the feature; a brief description and its geographical location; and the origin of the name with relevant historical biographical and topographical details. Appendices give the meanings of common elements of non-English placenames (e.g. Abu as in Abu Dhabi means father of); major placenames in European languages (e.g. Pays-Bas and Paesi Bassi are the French and Italian names respectively for what English speakers call the Netherlands); and transcribed Chinese-language equivalents for the names of the world's countries and capitals.</p>