What was columbia named after

The country was named after famous English explorer Captain James Cook. Between and , Cook visited the islands and named them the Hervey Island. The great voyager Vasco de Gama was the first person to put Seychelles on the map, naming it and the surrounding landmasses the Admiral islands. In , French Captain Corneille Nicholas Morphey arrived at the islands and officially declared them a French territory.

He named them after Jean Moreau de Sechelles — a finance minister in France at the time. The name given by the Dutch remained throughout the different periods of colonisation. He helped colonies in South America overthrow the Spanish rule in the region over a period of 16 years. In , after the Bolivian War of Independence ended, Bolivia was named after its liberator.

Bolivar even helped the new country draft its constitution. He wanted to unite different parts of Arabian Peninsula into one country. Today the al-Saud family consists of about 25, members, of which are princes. Due to the discovery of oil in , Saudi Arabia is one of the richest countries in the world. And yes, they are as adorable as you might imagine. The Dreher Shoals Dam popularly known as the Lake Murray Dam , a few miles upriver from Columbia, was the largest earthen dam in the world when it was built in During the great flood of , water behind the dam rose to above flood stage.

Every single flood gate in the dam was opened and even the hydroelectric power plant at the base was sacrificed to prevent a breach. The old earthen dam held, possibly saving thousands of lives.

Columbia is home to one of only a handful of dedicated puppet theaters in the nation. The Columbia Marionette Theater was built specifically for this unusual art form, and a show there is like no other puppet show you've seen.

Assembly Street in downtown Columbia is remarkably wide for a city street of anytime, but it's even more remarkable when you learn it was designed that way in the 18th century. Why so broad? Local lore says it's because the early city planners hoped that it would be too wide for mosquitoes to cross. Get help. Password recovery. Colombia or Columbia. And they will continue to do so, even if they are often geographically misplaced by one vowel.

Opinion: Human rights violations mount with Colombia protests. Contact Us. Twice a week we compile our most fascinating features and deliver them straight to you. Live TV. This Day In History.

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