Paderewski Reference library
Dictionary of American Family Names (2 ed.)
...Padarew, now in Ukraine. History: This name, borne by a Polish noble family, is recorded from the 16th century. Ignacy Jan Paderewski (1860–1941), world-famous as a pianist and conductor, was also prime minister of Poland and minister of foreign affairs (1919–20), Polish delegate to the League of Nations, and president of the National Council of the Polish government in exile in London...
Saarland (Germany) Quick reference
Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Place Names (6 ed.)
...Saarland , Germany A state named after the River Saar. Occupied by the French on several occasions, it was administered by the League of Nations in 1920–35 before being returned to Germany. It was removed again from Germany following the Second World War, not rejoining that country until 1957 when it became a...
Tanzania Quick reference
Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Place Names (6 ed.)
...of Tanzania (Swahili: Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania) since October 1964 after Tanganyika and the historically separate island of Zanzibar had merged in April 1964 as the United Republic of Tanganyika and Zanzibar. Tanzania comes from the first syllable of each name with the additional -ia in the sense of ‘land’. Tanganyika took its name from the lake. Previously Tanganyika had become a republic ( 1962 ), having achieved independence in 1961 . Between 1946 and 1961 it had been a UN Trusteeship Territory and in 1920–46 a League of Nations...
Hatay (Turkey) Quick reference
Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Place Names (6 ed.)
...province previously known as the sancak ‘(military) district’ of Alexandretta (now Iskenderun ) during the Ottoman Empire. Despite being claimed by Turkey, it was awarded to Syria after the collapse of that Empire. In 1938 , under a French mandate, the Alexandretta district of Syria became the autonomous republic of The Hatay, so-called by the French for reasons unknown and in reality the ancient city of Antioch and its hinterland. As a result of the plebiscite ordered by the League of Nations, France ceded The Hatay to Turkey in 1939...
New Britain (Papua New Guinea, USA) Quick reference
Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Place Names (6 ed.)
...first sighted by a European in 1616 . It was given its present name in 1699 by William Dampier ( 1651–1715 ), a British buccaneer and explorer. When the island became part of a German protectorate in 1884 it was renamed Neu Pommern ‘New Pomerania’. At the end of the First World War Australia assumed a League of Nations mandate and the original name was restored. It became part of Papua New Guinea in 1975 when independence was...
Samoa Islands Quick reference
Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Place Names (6 ed.)
... ( Navigator Islands, German Samoa, Western Samoa ) The Independent State of Samoa (Malo Sa’oloto Tuto’atasi o Samoa) since 1997 when the ‘Western’ was dropped from Western Samoa. A German protectorate from 1899 , the islands were occupied by New Zealand troops in 1914 at which time they became known as Western Samoa. They were awarded to New Zealand under a League of Nations mandate in 1920 and became a UN Trust Territory in 1946 administered by that country. The group of nine islands achieved independence in 1962 . See american samoa...
Saarlouis (Saarland/Germany) Quick reference
Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Place Names (6 ed.)
...Saarlouis , Saarland/Germany ( Saarlautern ) Lying along the River Saar, it was founded in 1680 by, and named after, King Louis XIV the Sun King . It was ceded to Prussia in 1815 , but was administered by the League of Nations in 1920–35 . It was called Saarlautern in 1936–45 after a majority of the population of the Saarland voted in 1935 to return to...
Mosul (Iraq) Quick reference
Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Place Names (6 ed.)
... ( Al Mawşil ) , Iraq ( Nineveh ) Lying on the Tigris River and now encompassing the ancient city of Nineveh , the name comes from the Arabic waṣala ‘to join’ or ‘to connect’, a reference perhaps to the fact that it provided a link between Persia and Syria and Anatolia. The capital of an Ottoman province, it was subject to Ottoman rule in 1534–1918 , after which it was occupied by the British. Its fate was not settled until the League of Nations awarded it to Iraq in 1925 . It gives its name to muslin, a fine cotton...
Åland Islands (Finland) Quick reference
Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Place Names (6 ed.)
...from the Swedish å ‘water’. The Finnish name means ‘Land of Perch’ from ahven ‘perch’ (the fish) and maa ‘land’. Though belonging to Finland, these islands were long inhabited by Swedes and Swedish language and culture are still predominant. The islands were seized by Russia in 1714 and when the Grand Duchy of Finland was ceded by Sweden to Russia in 1809 they were included. The Ålanders sought reunion with Sweden in 1919–21 , but the islands were allocated to Finland by the League of Nations in 1923...
Brazil Quick reference
Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Place Names (6 ed.)
...of Brazil (Portuguese: A República Federativa do Brasil) since 1889 when the monarchy was overthrown. Previously the Empire or Kingdom of Brazil ( 1822–89 ) when independence was declared; part of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarves ( 1815–22 ); and a Portuguese colony ( 16th century ), the Portuguese having arrived in 1500 . This followed the Treaty of Tordesillas in 1494 which demarcated the spheres of colonial interest between Spain and Portugal: the latter’s rights extended out to 370 leagues (1,110 miles, 1,786 km; a league...
Gdańsk (Poland) Quick reference
Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Place Names (6 ed.)
... ‘End of the Goths’, to signify the limit of their territory. The Teutonic Knights captured the city in 1308 and held it until 1466 when it was retaken by the Poles. At the second partition of Poland in 1793 Prussia acquired Gdańsk. Although in 1919 its population was over 90 per cent German, it was designated the Free City of Danzig by the Treaty of Versailles in 1919 under the League of Nations mandate in a customs union with Poland in 1919–39 ; thus it was not included in the Polish Corridor . It was seized by Nazi Germany at the outbreak of the...
New Guinea (Indonesia–Papua New Guinea) Quick reference
Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Place Names (6 ed.)
...In 1906 British New Guinea was passed to Australia which assumed a League of Nations mandate over German New Guinea in 1921...
Palau (Italy, Mexico) Quick reference
Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Place Names (6 ed.)
...Mexico The Republic of Palau (Palauan: Beluu er a Belau) since 1981 , although independence was only achieved in 1994 ; geographically part of the Caroline Islands. Previously part of the UN Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands under US administration ( 1947 ); a League of Nations mandate administered by the Japanese ( 1920–44 ) having been captured by the Japanese in 1914 ; German territory ( 1899–1914 ), having been sold to Germany by Spain following its defeat in the Spanish–American War ( 1898 ); annexed to become a part of the Spanish Empire (...
Caroline Islands (Federated States of Micronesia) Quick reference
Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Place Names (6 ed.)
...Islands , Federated States of Micronesia ( Islas de los Barbudos, Islas de los Jardines ) Named in 1528 by Spanish visitors the ‘Islands of the Bearded Ones’, they were renamed in 1542 the ‘Islands of the Gardens’; in 1686 they were renamed again after the Spanish King Charles II . They were sold to Germany in 1899 . In 1914 they were occupied by the Japanese who, in 1921 , received a League of Nations mandate to administer them. They were invaded by US forces in 1944 and became part of the UN Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands,...
Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) Quick reference
Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Place Names (6 ed.)
...the UK administered the territory for the League of Nations and then for the United Nations, and of Tanganyika when it became independent in 1961 ; in 1964 it became the capital of Tanzania. While it remains the commercial capital, Dodoma is now the seat of...
Nauru Quick reference
Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Place Names (6 ed.)
...by Australia, New Zealand, and the UK under a joint League of Nations mandate in 1920 . After occupation by the Japanese in 1942–5 , it was placed under a UN Trusteeship in 1947 with Australia the administering...
Kilimanjaro, Mt (Tanzania) Quick reference
Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Place Names (6 ed.)
...‘Mountain of the God of Cold’ from the Swahili kilima ‘mountain’ and njaro ‘god of cold’. Although the highest mountain in Africa, it was not at first believed by Europeans to be snow-capped since it was so close to the equator. Mt Kilimanjaro was included in German East Africa when the border between it and Kenya was agreed in 1886 . The mountain was then named ‘Emperor William Peak’ after William I , German emperor ( 1871–88 ). This was superseded by the present name after the British were awarded a League of Nations mandate for this part of German East...
Marshall Islands Quick reference
Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Place Names (6 ed.)
...Marshall Islands , The Republic of the Marshall Islands (Marshall Islands in Marshallese: Aelōn̄ in Ṃajel) since 1979 . Named after a British naval officer, Captain John Marshall , who explored the islands in 1788 after the Spanish had first discovered them in 1529 . They became a German protectorate in 1886 , were seized by the Japanese in 1914 and became a Japanese League of Nations mandate in 1919 . Captured by US forces in 1944 , they became part of the UN Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands administered by the USA in 1947 . They became...
Admiralty Islands (Papua New Guinea) Quick reference
Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Place Names (6 ed.)
... in gratitude to the British Admiralty, the government department that directed the Royal Navy, which sponsored his expedition. They were part of German New Guinea from 1884 until their capture by Australian troops in 1914 . Six years later they were included in an Australian League of Nations mandate. The islands came under Japanese occupation in 1942–4 , and then became part of the UN Trust Territory of New Guinea in 1946 before finally joining Papua New Guinea on its independence in 1975...
Burundi Quick reference
Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Place Names (6 ed.)
...Burundi , ( Urundi ) The Republic of Burundi (Kirundi: Republika 'y’u Burundi) since 1966 when the monarchy was abolished; it had been a kingdom since the 17th century . Independence was gained in 1962 before which Ruanda-Urundi (now, separately, Rwanda and Burundi) had been administered by Belgium as a UN Trust Territory after the Second World War and before that as a League of Nations mandate from 1923 ; part of German East Africa ( 1890–1919 ), although occupied by Belgian troops in 1916 . The name comes from the language spoken, Kirundi (a Bantu...
