УПРАВЛЕНИЕ И ОБРАЗОВАНИЕ MANAGEMENT AND EDUCATION TOM IX (4) 2013 VOL. IX (4) 2013 A STUDY ON THE SOURCES OF COUNTRY, ARCHIPELAGO AND ISLAND NAMES IN OCEANIA Alaattin Kizilçaoğlu ПРОУЧВАНЕ НА ПРОИЗХОДА НА ИМЕНАТА НА СТРАНИТЕ, АРХИПЕЛАЗИТЕ И ОСТРОВИТЕ В ОКЕАНИЯ Алаатин Кизилчаоолу ABSTRACT: Oceania Continent is substantially comprised of archipelagos and islands in the Pacific Ocean. Sources of the names of these islands are compiled in this study with the help of related work. Investiga- tion of the sources of the island names has made it possible to obtain information about the geographical char- acteristics of the countries and islands, important geographical discoveries and native people and colony move- ments. The countries and islands in Oceania were generally named by European explorers who organized expe- ditions to these areas, by colonists or by the natives of the islands. Names of many countries and islands in Oce- ania carry the trace of colonialism since the majority of the islands were named after the explorers, the home- lands of the explorers, European statesmen or exploration ships. Key words: World Regional Geography, Oceania, Place names, Geography Introduction about the geographical characteristics of the countries and islands, important geographical Sources of place names are included among discoveries and native people and colony move- the research topics of the science of geography ments. because place names are important to obtain information about the geographical characteris- Pacific Ocean, Countries, Archipelagos and tics of locations (Alagöz, 1984). An interesting Islands in the Continent of Oceania topic related to place names is the investigation of the sources of country names. Güner Pacific Ocean, the largest ocean in the world, (2001;23) states that sources of country names lies between the east of Asia and the west of are based on ethnic elements, historical process- America Continents. Pacific Ocean is different es, legends, religious elements, economic re- from the other oceans in terms of geographical sources and geographical elements. Güner goes formations. Although there are many islands in on to say that etymological research is crucial in the Indian and Atlas oceans, their surface areas obtaining information regarding the historical are not very large (Özey, 2001; 111). However, development of political organizations, ethnic Pacific Ocean hosts rather large land masses situations, religious characteristics and the geog- such as Australia, New Guinea and New Zealand raphy of the area. Current study presents the and also consists of more than 300.000 large and sources of the names of countries, archipelagos small islands (Map 1). Their total surface area is and islands in Oceania. There are 14 independent about 8,9 million km2 (Güner-Ertürk, 2006; 375). countries, many overseas territories and archipel- Surface area of the Pacific Ocean is 170,8 mil- agos and islands under colony status. Meanings lion km2. Therefore, this ocean has a total surface of the country and islands names in Oceania have area of 179,7 million km2 along with its islands been compiled by using various works (Room, (Özey, 2001; 112). Portuguese sailor Ferdinand 2006; Özey, 2001; Güner, 2001; Appleton- Macellan called the ocean “Mar Pacifico” which Appleton, 1992; Everett-Heath, 2000; Matthews, meant the calm sea since he did not observe any 1972; Mills, 2003; Pawley et.al., 2007; Watts storms in his voyage from Tierra Del Fuego to 2004). Investigation of the sources of the island Philippines in 1520. Later, this name was names has made it possible to obtain information changed to Pacific Ocean 14 (Room, 2006:284). Sailors such as Guillaume oceans in terms of surface area (Özey, 2001; Delisse and Buache called the Pacific Ocean 118). “The Big Ocean” since it is the largest of the Map 1. Countries, Archipelagos and Islands in the Continent of Oceania (Source: http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/au.htm ) Oceania is the common name for the seas and Melanesia Islands (Papua New Guinea, Solo- the islands in the Pacific. The term was first used mon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji), 5 are in Micronesia in 1812 by Dutch geographer Conrad Malte- Islands (Palau, Federated States of Micronesia, Brun. The name Oceania comes from Oceanus, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Kiribati) and 3 are in one of the Greek Titan Gods (Room, 2006; 276). Polynesia Islands (Tuvalu, Tonga and West Sa- Oceania is called Australia in some sources but moa) (Güner-Ertürk, 2006:400). There are Australia is only one of the islands in this conti- archipelagos and islands in Oceania which are nent albeit the biggest one. Many of the experts dependent on USA, New Zealand, Australia, in geography accept Oceania or Austral- United Kingdom and France. ia/Oceania instead of Australia Continent. The The continent of Oceania consists of continent is called Oceania since it does not con- thousands of volcanic islands and coral atolls in stitute only a land mass but forms a unity with the South Pacific Ocean that includes Melanesia the Pacific Ocean which includes many islands. and Polynesia groups. Oceania also consists of Oceania is the name of all the large and small Micronesia that are the island groups scattered in islands that are distributed throughout the Pacific a wide area alongside the north and south sides Ocean (Özey, 2001; 112). Oceania consists of of the Ecuador. the islands in the west, south and central of the The group of islands in the southwest of Oce- Pacific Ocean. The archipelagos that are in close ania and in east of Australia between New Guin- proximity to America and Asia can’t be held ea and New Zealand are called Melanesia. The separate from these continents. Therefore, Kuril, Greek words “black” and “nesoi-islands” were Philippines and Indonesia archipelagos are ac- combined to mean “black islands” (Room, 2006, cepted in connection with Asia and Galapagos 244). The island is called black islands since the and Aleut Islands are regarded as American. skin of the natives that live in these islands are Hawaii, Midway Islands and Johnston Atoll is much darker compare to the inhabitants in the considered outside Oceania. other islands (Özey, 2001; Güner-Ertürk, 2006). There are 14 independent states in Oceania. The main islands in Melanasia are Papua New Out of these 12 continent countries excluding Guinea, Fiji, New Caledonia, Vanuatu (New Australia and New Zealand, 4 are located in Hebrides) and Solomon Islands. 15 There are island chains called Micronesia were called pua-pua in the Malay language (small islands) between the International Date which means curly (Room, 2006; 287). Line and Japan and in the east of Melanesia Is- 4-Fiji: It is a country of islands that consists lands. Most of the Micronesia islands are coral of 330 islands in the southernmost part of Mela- islands (Güner, 2001; 43). The main islands of nesia Islands in the South Pacific. It was previ- Micronesia are Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Tuva- ously known as the Cannibal Islands since barba- lu, Nauru, Palau, Caroline Islands, Wake Island, rous natives used to live there (Web-2). It was Northern Mariana Islands, Saipan, Guam and first discovered in 1643 by Dutch explorer Abel Micronesia. Tasman but he did not attempt to get on the is- Polynesia islands are located in the central land due to the existence of the cannibals (Web- Pacific and in the east of Oceania. They are the 3). Fiji was named after the native people of the island groups scattered in a wider area in the east islands, the Fijians (Güner, 2001; 43). The term of the line from New Zealand to Hawaii through Fiji was officially used by James Cook first and Western Samoa Islands (Özey, 2001; 113). The was accepted in time (Web-3). word Polynesia comes from the Greek “polus 5-Kiribati: It is a country of islands located nesoi” which meant many islands (Güner-Ertürk, between Hawaii and Australia. It has islands on 2006; 376, Room, 2006; 298). The main islands the sides of both the Ecuador and the prime me- in Polinesia are West Samoa, Tonga, French ridian. The island was discovered by English Polynesia, American Samoa, Cook Islands, Admiral John Byron in 1765. Captain Thomas Pitcairn Islands, Tokelau Islands, Niue Islands, Gilbert reached the island in 1788 after he re- Phoenix (Kiribati), Line Islands (Kiribati) and leased the inmates in Australia. The islands were Pascalia Islands. started to be called Gilbert Islands in 1820s. The name was changed to Kiribati after the island Sources of Names of Independent Coun- obtained independence in 1979. The name origi- tries in Oceania nates form native dialect (Gilbertese) (Room, 1-Australia: The name of Australia originates 2006; 197). from Latin “terra australis incognita” which 6-Micronesia: Micronesia is the group of is- means “unknown Southern country”. This name lands in the north of Ecuador in the Western was given to the continent because in the old Pacific. The name Micronesia was given to the world maps, Australia and Antarctica was con- island in the beginning of 19th century. The fused and mixed with each other. While the meaning of Micronesia originating from Greek western part of Australia has been known as “mikros nesoi” is “small islands” (Room, 2006; “New Holland” since the 17th century, the eastern 248). It is formed of smaller islands compared to coastline was named as “New South Wales” by the Melanesia Islands. Micronesia gained inde- James Cook (1770). When it was understood that pendence from USA in 1991. the two sections were really the parts of a whole, 7-Marshall Islands: It is a group of islands the name “Australia” was started to be used” between Hawaii and Australia in the Western (Güner, 2001; 42). Pacific. The islands were discovered in 1788 by 2-New Zealand: It is the country of islands in English Captain John Marshall and Thomas Gil- the southwestern Pacific.