West African Place Names -- Reference
Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2020 11:37 am
Reading place names mentioned in the logbooks and locating the places can be challenging. So, we have created topics like this to help. In this topic we have links to West African place name resources on the internet. We also have a Custom Google Earth map for West Africa, an Alphabetical list of West African place names found in the logbooks and Transcriber created maps.
You can make this topic better by contributing to the West African Place Names -- Discussion!
Note: Place names include lighthouses.
Links to West African Place Names Resources
Modern Maps:
For more general place name resources, see the Welcome topic.
To ask for help or to contribute place name information and links to place name resources (strongly encouraged!), see West African Place Names -- Discussion
To view place names in nearby regions, see East African Place Names -- Reference, Mediterranean and Black Sea Place Names -- Reference and Atlantic Europe (except Greenland) -- Reference
Spanish Geographical Terms
Archipielago - islands (archipelago)
Arrecife - reef, rock, shoal
Bahia - bay, cove, fjord, harbor
Banco - shoal, reef, bank
Cabo - point, headland
Caleta - cove, bay
Canal - marine channel, ditch, fjord, canal, narrows
Cerro - mountain, hill, spur, slope, ridge
Ensenada - bay, bight, cove, estuary, inlet, lagoon, tidal creek
Estrecho - marine channel, fjord, strait
Golfo - gulf, bay, sound
Isla - island
Islote - islet, rock
Loma - hill, mountain, ridge
Monte - mountain, hill
Morro - mountain, hill, headland
Paso - marine channel, pass
Peninsula - peninsula
Puerto - port, harbor, bay, cove, anchorage - also part of name of populated places
Punta - point, cape, spur - also part of name of populated place
Quebrada - stream
Rada - road (roadstead = an open anchorage affording less protection than a harbor)
Rio - river, stream
Roca - rock
Seno - bay, fjord, sound, marine channel
Portuguese Geographical Terms
Arquipelago - islands (archipelago)
Atol - island (atol)
Baia/Bahia - bay, cove, fjord, harbor
Baixo/Bajo - reef, shoal
Cabo - point, headland
Coroa - shoal, bank, bar, reef
Ilha - island
Monte - mountain, hill
Morro - mountain, hill, headland
Ponta - point, cape, spur - also part of name of populated place
Recife - reef
Rio - river, stream
Rochedo - cliff, headland
You can make this topic better by contributing to the West African Place Names -- Discussion!
Note: Place names include lighthouses.
Links to West African Place Names Resources
Modern Maps:
- Geographical Names List by Country
- Mapcarta - Africa
- Nautical Charts Online - NGA - Western Africa, Mediterranean, Black Sea
- i-boating free marine charts
- Garmin Active Captain
- OW Tools Map finder
- From the David Rumsey Collection:
- West Coast Of Africa, from Sierra Leone to Cape Palmas, 1831
- Islands in the Atlantic, 1836
- West Africa, Part I, 1839
- West Africa, Part II, 1839
- Portugal, Azores, Cape Verde, 1844
- Lower Guinea, 1846
- Africa, 1853
- West Central Africa, 1853
- Portuguese Islands in the Atlantic Ocean, 1872
- Northwest and Southern Africa, 1879
- Islands in the Atlantic Ocean, 1883
- Africa, 1885
- Central Africa, 1901
- Madeira, 1901
- French Sudan (West), Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast. Sudan (Central), Kamerun (Cameron), Nigeria. 1906
- South Africa, 1895
- South Africa, 1906
- South Africa, 1912
- Colonia del Capo, Cape of Good Hope, 1929
- Old Maps Online
- From the University of Texas, Perry Castaneda collection:
- From naval-history.net:
- Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) Foreign Feature Search
- East Atlantic Pilot, 1920, US Hydrographic Office
- Sailing directions (enroute). West coast of Europe and Northwest Africa. 2017
- Sailing directions (enroute). Southwest coast of Africa. 2017
- African Pilot, or Sailing directions for West Coast of Africa, Part I., 1856, Great Britain Hydrographic Dept
- Sailing directions for the Southwest coast of Africa, 1932, US Hydrographic Office
- Ghana placenames database
- The African repository, Volumes 18-19
- A Naval Encyclopædia, 1881, L. R. Hamersly & Co., Philadelphia
For more general place name resources, see the Welcome topic.
To ask for help or to contribute place name information and links to place name resources (strongly encouraged!), see West African Place Names -- Discussion
To view place names in nearby regions, see East African Place Names -- Reference, Mediterranean and Black Sea Place Names -- Reference and Atlantic Europe (except Greenland) -- Reference
Spanish Geographical Terms
Archipielago - islands (archipelago)
Arrecife - reef, rock, shoal
Bahia - bay, cove, fjord, harbor
Banco - shoal, reef, bank
Cabo - point, headland
Caleta - cove, bay
Canal - marine channel, ditch, fjord, canal, narrows
Cerro - mountain, hill, spur, slope, ridge
Ensenada - bay, bight, cove, estuary, inlet, lagoon, tidal creek
Estrecho - marine channel, fjord, strait
Golfo - gulf, bay, sound
Isla - island
Islote - islet, rock
Loma - hill, mountain, ridge
Monte - mountain, hill
Morro - mountain, hill, headland
Paso - marine channel, pass
Peninsula - peninsula
Puerto - port, harbor, bay, cove, anchorage - also part of name of populated places
Punta - point, cape, spur - also part of name of populated place
Quebrada - stream
Rada - road (roadstead = an open anchorage affording less protection than a harbor)
Rio - river, stream
Roca - rock
Seno - bay, fjord, sound, marine channel
Portuguese Geographical Terms
Arquipelago - islands (archipelago)
Atol - island (atol)
Baia/Bahia - bay, cove, fjord, harbor
Baixo/Bajo - reef, shoal
Cabo - point, headland
Coroa - shoal, bank, bar, reef
Ilha - island
Monte - mountain, hill
Morro - mountain, hill, headland
Ponta - point, cape, spur - also part of name of populated place
Recife - reef
Rio - river, stream
Rochedo - cliff, headland
of this area is also available
with all the placenames of this area is also available