Sometimes famous travelers discovered new places and gave them names themselves, in other cases, the discoverers decided to perpetuate the rest in a geographical name. One way or another, there are a lot of similar names on the map. It is very interesting and even useful to study them, especially if you are planning a vacation and want to choose the most original route.
Mount Cook
The history of the geographic discoveries of this sailor is quite tragic - he died in one of his voyages. His memory is preserved by the mountain of the same name, which is also known as Aoraki. It is located on the western side of the island in New Zealand, in places so well studied by the English traveler. The origin of the names of geographical objects is often directly related to their discoverer, a similar case here - James Cook did visit this mountain. This is the highest point of the Southern Alps with a height of 3754 meters, covered with glaciers and snow and having the shape of saddles and steep slopes. Since 1953, the area around is considered a National Park, preserving protected species of vegetation and a unique landscape. Here you can find unique kea, alpine parrots, as well as skates and wagtails.
Strait of Magellan
Geographic features named after travelers can also be found in South Patagonia. The Strait that separates South America from the Tierra del Fuego archipelago is called Magellanic. Its length is five hundred seventy-five kilometers, and the smallest depth is twenty meters. The strait is named for the traveler who crossed it the first of the Europeans during his journey around the world. This happened in 1520. What is interesting: great geographical discoveries are also associated with this area (Grade 7 studies this historical period, it is known to almost everyone), and it was here that Magellan discovered the cape of St. Ursula. He gave the strait a name in honor of the feast of All Saints, but the Spanish king renamed it in honor of the discoverer and his feat, accomplished in October 1520.
The Drake Strait
Geographical objects named after travelers are connected with the most important events in world history. For example, the Drake Channel connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. It is the widest in the world, amounting to more than eight hundred kilometers in the narrowest places. The West Winds are flowing along the strait, due to which strong storms constantly occur here with waves up to fifteen meters high. You can also see drifting ice. In addition, the strait is the southernmost point of mainland South America, the legendary Cape Horn. It is named after the English navigator Francis Drake, who first passed here in 1578. Great geographical discoveries (their 7th grade is being held as part of the main program) were made before the advent of this traveler, but his contribution can not be appreciated anyway.
City Livingston
There are various geographic features named after travelers, but all of them are usually rivers, seas, or straits. There are few cities of this kind, and Livingston is one of them. It is located in Zambia, near the famous Victoria Falls. The history of the geographical discoveries of the scientist David Livingston is small, he made a greater contribution to the study of the morals of local residents, having arrived in Africa as a missionary. Until 1935, the city was the capital of the country, and now it is simply popular with tourists who are attracted by the nearby Mosi-ao-Tunya National Park. Livingston has many interesting attractions: from ATVs to elephant safaris. In addition, there are many amazing museums that also attract a considerable number of tourists.
Laptevih sea
Geographical objects named after travelers are also associated with Russian researchers. For example, the Laptev Sea, located in the north of Siberia, near the Taimyr Peninsula. He was named after the Russian explorers of the North Pole, who were cousins. Prior to receiving the name commemorating the Laptevs, the sea was known by the name of Nordenskjöld. This area is distinguished by a cold climate with an almost constant temperature below zero. The sea has low salinity, nine months a year it is hidden by ice. Almost no people live on the shores, and flora and fauna are extremely scarce. In ancient times, tribes of Yukagirs, Evens and Evenks lived there, who lived due to fishing and reindeer husbandry. Mastering by Russian travelers was begun in the seventeenth century. In the Laptev Sea, there are dozens of islands untouched by man. On some, the remains of mammoths were discovered. The largest settlement on the territory is Tiksi.
Bering Strait
Geographical features named after travelers are most often water features. So the Bering Strait, going from the Arctic Ocean to the Pacific, is just that. It separates Asia from North America, namely the cape - Dezhnev from the Prince of Wales. The smallest depth of the strait is thirty-six meters, and the minimum width is eighty-six kilometers. The name is associated with Bering, a native of Denmark, who passed here in 1728. Before him, the territory was studied by Semyon Dezhnev, after whom the Chukchi cape, the easternmost point of Asia, was named. In the center of the strait are the islands of Diomede, there are two of them. The first is large, Ratmanova. The second, the island of Kruzenshtern, is smaller. The first is the property of the Russian Federation, and the second is the United States of America; it is separated by about four kilometers. In addition, there is a time zone boundary and a date line between them .
From time to time, the government discusses the possibility of building a tunnel or bridge that would connect Alaska and Chukotka, but plans never go to the implementation stage due to various reasons, both economic and technical. However, it is likely that in the future such a project will nevertheless be implemented with the cooperation of specialists from Russia and the USA.