Queen Victoria was a woman who left her print on the world in more than one way. In Africa, the reminders of her existence (and the British empire) are many. The capital of the Seychelles is named for Queen Victoria. David Livingstone named the falls that the natives call Mosi-oa-Tunya in her honour in 1855. Victoria Falls lies between Zambia and Zimbabwe, and is currently an UNESCO World Heritage site, even though that is under reconsideration. The native name is covering the sound and look of the waterfalls: translated the name means smoke that thunders. Victoria Falls is one of the largest waterfalls in the world. Another gigant named for Queen Victoria is Lake Victoria, a lake between Kenya and Uganda. Named for his Queen by the explorer John Speke in 1858, Lake Victoria is the largest lake on the African continent, and the second largest freshwater lake in the world.
Other lakes in Africa that also are named for members of the British royal family: Lake Edward, Lake George and Lake Albert, all lie in the same area as Lake Victoria, and are named, respectively, for
Edward VII,
George V and
Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.
However, the British are not the only royal family with a presence in Africa. The country of Mauritius was named by Dutch sailors in 1598, for their Stadtholder,
Prince Maurits of Nassau. Prince Maurits was the son of Willem the Silent and Anna of Saxony. The French would later occupy the island of Mauritius, and, consequently, the capital of the country today is named Port Louis, for King Louis XV of France.
The French royal family can also be found in Senegal, where Saint-Louis is named for Louis XV's great grandfather,
Louis XIV - the Sun King. Saint-Louis is the capital of the Saint-Louis region, and is located in the north of the country. The island of Saint-Louis, on which the old centre of town is located, is also an UNESCO World Heritage site, because of its history, architecture, location and culture.
Another island with connections to French history, Saint Helena in the Atlantic Ocean, the location of
Napoleon Bonaparte's exile. The island was discovered by the Portugese, who named it for Saint Helena of Constantinople - the mother of Constantine I, a ruler of the Roman empire.
Alexandria, probably home to one of the most famous libraries ever, as well as the new and fancy Bibliotheca Alexandrina, was founded by Alexander the Great, and is one of several towns he named after himself. It was the capital of Egypt for many years. The famous Lighthouse of Alexandria was considered one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.
Another Egyptian town, Port Fouad, located by the Suez channel, is named for King Fuad I of Egypt. He was the first king of Egypt in modern times.
Antarctica may not have any people, but that does not stop it from having a strong royal presence. Antarctica has areas named after British Royals, Russian Royals, many places named for Norwegian Royals, and let's not forget the Belgian Princess Elisabeth zero-emission research station being built there.
Britain claimed the island of South Georgia in 1775. South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands were joined together to form a territory in 1985. South Georgia is named for King George III of the United Kingdom who reigned from 1760 to 1820. Here is the thread on George III and his consort Queen Charlotte-
http://www.theroyalforums.com/forums/f165/king-george-iii-1738-1820-queen-charlotte-6572.html
Two territories in Antarctica are named for Russian Royals. Alexander Island, the largest island of Antarctica, is named for Tsar Alexander the I of Russia, who ruled when the island was discovered by a Russian expedition in 1821. Another Antarctica Island named for a Russian Tsar was discovered in 1821. Peter I Island was named for Tsar Peter the Great. Peter I Island is currently claimed by Norway. For more information on Russian royals:
http://www.theroyalforums.com/forums/f80/
One territory named for a Norwegian royal is divided into many smaller sections, which are also named for Norwegian Royals. The full territory is Queen Maud land, named for the first queen of independent Norway. The territory is divided into six sections. These are: Crown Princess Martha Coast, Princess Astrid Coast, Princess Ragnhild Coast, Prince Harald Coast, Prince Olav Coast, and Haakon VII's Plateau. You can learn about these royals by browsing the Norwegian Royal History forum
http://www.theroyalforums.com/forums/f189/. Queen Maud land has served as inspiration for a Norwegian band, who has taken the name Dronning Mauds Land after the area.
The place named for a royal that is sure to be on everybody's mind in August 2008 is China. The country of China, when spoken from a Western tongue, is said to be somewhat named for Qin Shi Huang. Qin Shi Huang is noted for being the person who unified the country of China. A somewhat controversial figure, he is the one who ordered the beginning of the precursor to the Great Wall, as well as the originator his own mausoleum, with a terracotta army guarding him in his afterlife..
Another country named for a king, is the Philippines. The country was named after Philip II of Spain by Ruy López de Villalobos, a Spanish explorer. The Philippines has been both Spanish and American colonies. Another reminder of the Spanish connection, is Isabela City. Named for Queen Isabella II of Spain, the city grew up around the fort Fuerte de Isabela Segunda, when settlers arrived to the colony.
Queen Victoria has also left her mark on Asia. In the former British colony of Hong King, there are many reminders. Some of the reminders are Victoria Harbour, Victoria Park and Victoria Peak.
The Northern Mariana Islands, a group of islands in the Pacific ocean, are currently in a political union with the United States. Originally called Islas de los Ladrones by the original Spanish discoverers, the islands were renamed by Padre Diego Luis de Sanvitores. He called them the Marianas after Maria-Anna of Austria, who was married to the Spanish King Philip IV. Maria-Anna was a regent of Spain, after Philip IV’s death, as their son, Charles II was only a toddler at the time.
