The "Country Names With Meaning" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Talking with our traveling friends Jere and Just Sue about where we may want to visit the next time we travel together.  We have traveled to Hawaii a few times as well as to quite a few islands in the Caribbean.  We have also taken a few cruises, one being a trip through the Panama Canal which was really interesting and fun.  So, do we want to revisit a favorite spot from the past or try some place new?  I grabbed my scrapbooks and began looking through them and Googled a few of the locations to see what we might have missed on a first or second visit to an island or location.  We traveled to Jamaica years ago.  Would another trip be as much fun and what else could we visit if we went back to Jamaica?  

Rafting on the Martha Brae River in Jamaica. Click on images to enlarge them.

Climbing up Dunn's River Falls, Rafting on the Martha Brae River and seeing where James Bond battled evil Dr. No were events we have already accomplished while on the island.  As I read I found that Jamaica was home to the Taínos who were indigenous Arawak people who lived on quite a few of the Caribbean islands.  When Columbus traveled to the island in 1494, his second time to the island, he found the island was called by its Taíno name, Xaymaca, "the land of wood and water."  Thus, it became known to visitors as something similar.  Made me think about how many other locations we have traveled to whose name really meant something.  The Caribbean gem known as Barbados is the birthplace of rum and has over 80 white sand beaches.  

Bottom Bay Beach in Barbados.

One of my all-time favorite beaches, Bottom Bay Beach, is on Barbados and we have been there both times we have visited Barbados.  This island's name comes from the bearded fig tree.  The Portuguese sighted Barbados in 1536 on their way to Brazil and called it Los Barbados which meant "the bearded ones" in reference to the bearded fig trees that grow on the island.  We also made a few stops at small towns and islands on or close to Mexico.  Found out that the Aztecs believed in many gods, including Mexitli, the god of war.  His name came from two words: metzli and xicdli; moon and naval.  Together, with the suffix ...co, which means "the place where", Mexico means "the place in the naval of the moon.  

The "Land of the Rising Sun"

Have you ever heard Japan called "Land of the Rising Sun"?  In the seventh century a Japanese envoy changed the name to Nippon which is a translation of "origin of the sun."  Since the sun is central to Japanese mythology the name highlighted that importance.  But, how the name Nippon turned to Japan is questionable.  The final "island" that has a special meaning to it's name is Italy.  

A one day side trip during our visit to Italy was to Venice.

Carol and I visited Italy with our church many years ago.  One of the neatest experiences we have ever had!  Originally it was called Vitalia, a word rooted in Latin which means "Land of Cattle."  When the Greeks took over the area they changed the name to Italoi which is the Greek word for Vitulus (calf).  Later the Romans extended the name to cover the entire peninsula.  Many more locations thorughout out the world have names with a meaning.  You may be able to name a few.  But, our final choice for our next trip is Antigua which is part of the nation of Antigua and Barbuda.   Their name means "Land of 365 Beaches."  We have visited Antigua once before and never found those 365 beaches.  So...why not try to do so!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.