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Interesting, but is there some context for why this is being posted, or was it just a random Wikipedia article that seemed neat?

by imgabe 8y ago

brudgers 8y ago
The eponymous straight is a major seaway. It's Spanish origin challenged my naive model of US historical geography when I was alongside it a few weeks ago -- I generally associate Spanish with the coast further south. At the time my wikipedia connectivity was limited. Yesterday, I mentioned having been there and was reminded of my curiosity. Partly what made the article intellectually interesting to me is the contemporary interest in discrediting Juan de Fuca's account. Partly it is that Juan de Fuca was Greek rather than Spanish. And partly it is the proximity of the straight to Seattle and Vancouver without a well known "Amerigo Vespucci" story of it's name.
- davidw 8y ago
  There were a lot of people cruising around the Pacific coast. In terms of Spanish names, there are also: * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Blanco_(Oregon) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Blanco_(Oregon) * Heceta Head - named for https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruno_de_Heceta https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruno_de_Heceta The Russians had forts as far south as California.
  - lainga 8y ago
    And any resident of BC or northern Washington will be familiar with San Juan, Galiano, Valdes, and Gabriola islands; the Fidalgo, Haro, and Rosario straits; and Spanish Banks off English Bay, where Galiano's expedition met George Vancouver's, and agreed to split the naming of features in the area equally between them (as they were allies against France at the time).
    - davidw 8y ago
      I think one of my favorite "how the ...?!" geography names is the Owyhee River area of south east Oregon. It's a high, dry steppe where nothing much grows except sagebrush, and hardly any one lives. Owyhee, though, is a different spelling of Hawaii, and the river was named for some Hawaiian explorers who set out to explore the area and were never seen again. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Owyhee_River#Naming https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Owyhee_River#Naming

Interesting, but is there some context for why this is being posted, or was it just a random Wikipedia article that seemed neat?

by imgabe 8y ago

Interesting, but is there some context for why this is being posted, or was it just a random Wikipedia article that seemed neat?

brudgers 8y ago

The eponymous straight is a major seaway. It's Spanish origin challenged my naive model of US historical geography when I was alongside it a few weeks ago -- I generally associate Spanish with the coast further south. At the time my wikipedia connectivity was limited. Yesterday, I mentioned having been there and was reminded of my curiosity. Partly what made the article intellectually interesting to me is the contemporary interest in discrediting Juan de Fuca's account. Partly it is that Juan de Fuca was Greek rather than Spanish. And partly it is the proximity of the straight to Seattle and Vancouver without a well known "Amerigo Vespucci" story of it's name.

davidw 8y ago
There were a lot of people cruising around the Pacific coast. In terms of Spanish names, there are also: * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Blanco_(Oregon) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Blanco_(Oregon) * Heceta Head - named for https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruno_de_Heceta https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruno_de_Heceta The Russians had forts as far south as California.
- lainga 8y ago
  And any resident of BC or northern Washington will be familiar with San Juan, Galiano, Valdes, and Gabriola islands; the Fidalgo, Haro, and Rosario straits; and Spanish Banks off English Bay, where Galiano's expedition met George Vancouver's, and agreed to split the naming of features in the area equally between them (as they were allies against France at the time).
  - davidw 8y ago
    I think one of my favorite "how the ...?!" geography names is the Owyhee River area of south east Oregon. It's a high, dry steppe where nothing much grows except sagebrush, and hardly any one lives. Owyhee, though, is a different spelling of Hawaii, and the river was named for some Hawaiian explorers who set out to explore the area and were never seen again. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Owyhee_River#Naming https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Owyhee_River#Naming