Mediterranean and Black Sea Place Names -- Reference
Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2020 1:36 pm
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 Mediterranean and Black Sea place name resources on the internet. We also have a Custom Google Earth map for Mediterranean and Black Sea, an Alphabetical list of Mediterranean and Black Sea place names found in the logbooks and Transcriber created maps.
You can make this topic better by contributing to the Mediterranean and Black Sea Place Names -- Discussion!
Note: Place names include lighthouses.
Mediterranean and Black Sea 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 Mediterranean and Black Sea Place Names -- Discussion
To view place names in nearby regions, see East African Place Names -- Reference, West African Place Names -- Reference, Russian Place Names -- Reference, Arabian Peninsula, Persian Gulf, and Western Indian Ocean 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
Italian Geographical Terms
Arcipelago - islands
Baia - bay, cove, fjord
Banco - shoal, bank
Cala - cove
Canale - channel
Capo - cape, point, headland
Castello - castle
Colle - hill
Fanale - light
Faro - lighthouse
Fiume - river
Forte - fort
Golfo - gulf
Isola - island
Molo - mole, wharf
Monte - mountain, hill
Passaggio - channel, pass, passage
Porto - port, harbor
Punta - point, cape
Scogliera - reef, bar, shoal
Scoglio - rock, reef, bar
Stretto - strait
Greek Geographical Terms
Akra - point, cape
Agios - saint
Diavlos - strait
Faros - lighthouse
Kavos - cape
Kolpos - gulf
Limin - harbor
Limani - harbor
Nisi, Nisis, Nisos, Nisida (also used as a suffix -nisi) - island
Nisides - islands
Ormos - bay
Steno - strait
Vrachonisida - islet
Turkish Geographical Terms
Adasi (also used as a suffix -ada) - island
Burun - point, cape
Burnu - point, cape
Feneri - lighthouse
Korfezi - gulf
Koyu - bay, harbor
Limani - harbor
Tepe - hill, mountain
You can make this topic better by contributing to the Mediterranean and Black Sea Place Names -- Discussion!
Note: Place names include lighthouses.
Mediterranean and Black Sea Place Names Resources
Modern Maps:
- Geographical Names List by Country
- Mapcarta
- 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:
- From naval-history.net (WWI period):
- Alexandretta, Turkey
- Suez Canal
- Approaches to the Dardanelles
- Smyrna, Turkey
- Gallipoli, Southern Beaches
- Eastern Mediterranean
- The Dardanelles
- The Torpedoing of H.M.S. "Triumph" (Imbros Island, Gallipoli, Suvla)
- Sea of Marmara
- Operations in the Aegean
- Operations against Suvla
- Gibraltar
- Malta
- Dardanelles approaches 1915 (modern sketch)
- Gallipoli 1915 (modern sketch)
- Mediterranean - World War 2 (modern sketch)
- Balkans and Eastern Mediterranean (modern sketch)
- Dodecanese Islands area, South Aegean (modern sketch)
- Port Mudros, 1920
- Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) Foreign Feature Search
- Mediterranean Pilot, Volume I, 1916, US Hydrographic Office
- Mediterranean Pilot, Volume II, 1917, US Hydrographic Office
- Mediterranean Pilot, Volume III, 1917, US Hydrographic Office
- Mediterranean Pilot, Volume IV, 1916, US Hydrographic Office
- Black Sea Pilot, 1920, US Hydrographic Office
- Sailing directions for Strait of Gibraltar and Western Mediterranean Sea, 1832
- Sailing directions (enroute). West coast of Europe and Northwest Africa. 2017
- Sailing directions (enroute). Western Mediterranean 2017
- Sailing directions (enroute). Eastern Mediterranean 2017
- Gallipoli place names (recovered from Internet Wayback Machine)
- 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 Mediterranean and Black Sea Place Names -- Discussion
To view place names in nearby regions, see East African Place Names -- Reference, West African Place Names -- Reference, Russian Place Names -- Reference, Arabian Peninsula, Persian Gulf, and Western Indian Ocean 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
Italian Geographical Terms
Arcipelago - islands
Baia - bay, cove, fjord
Banco - shoal, bank
Cala - cove
Canale - channel
Capo - cape, point, headland
Castello - castle
Colle - hill
Fanale - light
Faro - lighthouse
Fiume - river
Forte - fort
Golfo - gulf
Isola - island
Molo - mole, wharf
Monte - mountain, hill
Passaggio - channel, pass, passage
Porto - port, harbor
Punta - point, cape
Scogliera - reef, bar, shoal
Scoglio - rock, reef, bar
Stretto - strait
Greek Geographical Terms
Akra - point, cape
Agios - saint
Diavlos - strait
Faros - lighthouse
Kavos - cape
Kolpos - gulf
Limin - harbor
Limani - harbor
Nisi, Nisis, Nisos, Nisida (also used as a suffix -nisi) - island
Nisides - islands
Ormos - bay
Steno - strait
Vrachonisida - islet
Turkish Geographical Terms
Adasi (also used as a suffix -ada) - island
Burun - point, cape
Burnu - point, cape
Feneri - lighthouse
Korfezi - gulf
Koyu - bay, harbor
Limani - harbor
Tepe - hill, mountain