New Zealand?

[purplehair]

Why is it NEW Zealand? Is there a Zealand somewhere?

[mushroom25]

yes. in the Netherlands (Zeeland)

[purplehair]

Thanks! That has been annoying me for days!

[jno]

there's also a Danish island called Zealand (Sj�lland). The first European known to have found New Zealand was a Dutchman, Abel Tasman. Dutch cartographers called it Nova Zeelandia, in Latin, which in Dutch became Nieuw Zeeland. Captain Cook translated this as New Zealand - incorrectly, it seems, because Zealand is an alternative spelling for the Danish island, not the Dutch province.

[ianess]

Very close to home! Just about 120 miles due East from Southend-on-Sea.