10. Use of names for non-cartographic purposes

• Etymology:

An example:

 Netherlands = Lowlands = Nederland

In the Netherlands lived two tribes in Roman times (50 AD), the Batavi and the Belgae. Around 1600 the federation of northern provinces were called in Latin: Belgium Foederatum. Around 1800 AD the Northern part of the Netherlands was called Batavian Republic, its main headquarter overseas was called Batavia; when the Southern part of the Netherlands became independent in 1830 it called itself after the other tribe, Belgium.

 

• Descriptive names

 

• Use of geographical names as brand names

Different types of wine, chees or liquor are called after the region where they are produced:

 

• Use of names as symbols

• Rome = empire

• Bonn, Pankow = cold war

• Stalingrad, Vietnam = batles

• Trianon, Saint Germain = traumatic peace treaties

• Bali = tropical paradise

• Paris = city of light, city of style

• Venice = water-city

• Siberia = inaccessible

The name Bali is the symbol for a tourist paradise. Because of a bomb attack, it refers now to a threatened paradise.

• Use of names for educational purposes

Educational names are used in order to explain topography and not for reference purposes:

 

• Use of names for traffic/transportation

Dictionnaire des bureaux de poste:

All the post offices in the world are listed in their proper spelling.

 

• Use of names as a symbol for sovereignty

 

 

Decolonisation of African place names: red names are former colonial names.