Atlas of literal place names

We go places. They have names. What do these names mean though? The Atlas of True Names by cartographers Stephan Hormes and Silke Peust can help you with that, replacing place names with the meaning of place names. California becomes the Land of the Successors, Texas is the Land of Friends, but forget all that. Who’s up for a visit to Illinois, the Land of Those Who Speak Normally?

See more detail for the United States here. There are also versions for the British Isles, Europe, and the world, all available for purchase to adorn your walls. [via Slate]

2 Comments

  • Evocative and fun. Since my name is itself a purely geographic reference (“Gray hame” “Wells”, or “Gray House by the Well”) I am quite happy to live in the Land of Those Who Speak Normally …

  • Sigh. Cannot type an address today … “workingvis.com” should be my site link in the above comment.