Spanish Place Names
Albuquerque, New Mexico is named after Alburquerque, Badajoz, Spain.Some Spanish placenames in the USA include:
- Arizona - from zona árida, "Arid zone".
- California - The state was named for a mythical land described in a popular Spanish novel from around 1500, Las sergas de Esplandián (The exploits of Esplandián) by Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo.
- Alcatraz Island "Pelican Island, Los Angeles "City of Angels", Sacramento "City of the Sacrament", Santa Cruz "City of the Holy Cross"
- Florida - "Flowery".
- Boca Raton - "Mouth of the Mouse", Key West - Anglicisation of "Cayo Hueso" ("Bone Island")
- New Mexico
- Santa Fe - "Holy Faith", Las Cruces - "The Crosses", Madrid - although pronounced "MAD-rid" the city was named for the capital of Spain
- Colorado - "Reddish".
- Pueblo - "Town", Alamosa - "Cottonwood"
- Montana - "Montaña", "Mountain".
- Texas "Tejas" in Spanish language and "slates" in English.
- El Paso "The Pass", Amarillo "Yellow", San Antonio "St. Anthony",
- Nevada - "Snowfall".
- Las Vegas " The Meadows".
- Oregon - "Orejón", "big ear" or could come from "Aragón".
Read more about this topic: Spanish American
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