Jump to content

Geography fun facts and oddities: Difference between revisions

Line 172: Line 172:


=== Central America ===
=== Central America ===
* '''Yucatan'''
** Yucatan peninsula was named by the Spanish
** theories of the origins of the name
*** when the Spanish arrived there, they asked the local Maya then name of the place
**** the Maya replied either "Ma'anaatik ka t'ann" which means "I do not understand you" or "uh yu ka t'ann," which means "hear how they talk!"
**** the Spanish thought they said "Yucatan," so called it that
*** the other theory is that the Maya extensively cultivated "yucca" plants (or "cassava," a tuber, similar to sweet potatoes) and so named the region for that practice
**** it is possible, but the yucca plant and its name was common across all Maya regions
** also, Yucatan is the location of the " Chicxulub" asteroid that created the "Chicxulub crater"
** see: [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yucat%C3%A1n_Peninsula#Etymology Yucatan Etymology (wiki)]]


=== Atlantic & Caribbean ===  
=== Atlantic & Caribbean ===