Place names are a window into the history and characteristics of a country. Their names reflect the migrations of peoples, their religious and cultural traditions, local languages, conquests and fortifications long since disappeared. They also reflect the topography and industrial development of a place. The text is ordered by country alphabetically. The book will include a historical section, putting the place name into context, and references those events, which have had an impact on the geography of a country, and those foreign influences, which have played a part in shaping the place name. This volume is confined to the 38 countries of Europe, together with Andorra, Gibraltar, Liechtenstein, Malta, Monaco, San Marino, Cyprus and the Vatican City. All place names of cities and towns of particular importance and interest are included. Detailed maps accompany the text to illustrate change and evolution.

This book presents research on geographical naming on land and sea from a wide range of standpoints on: theory and concepts, case studies and education. Space and place naming or toponymy has a long tradition in the sciences and a renewed critical interest in geography and allied disciplines including the humanities. Place: location and cartographical aspects, etymology and geo-histories so salient in past studies, are now being enhanced from a range of radical perspectives, especially in a globalizing, standardizing world with Googlization and the consequent ‘normalization’ of place names, perceptions and images worldwide including those for marketing purposes. Nonetheless, there are conflicting and contesting voices. The interdisciplinary research is enhanced with authors from regional, national and international toponymy-related institutions and organizations including the UNGEGN, IGU, ICA and so forth.