Did you ever wonder where the word "Canada" originated? It has an interesting history with numerous changes and relocations.
What does Canada mean? Well, to most Canadians it means this glorious land we live in, that stretches from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
Native Origin
But what does the word "Canada" actually mean? The Iroquois around Stradacona first used the word, and it means "village" or "settlement." The first official use of Canada was by Jacques Cartier to refer to Stradacona and the neighboring area to the Saint Lawrence River. By 1545, Canada was appearing on European maps.
Spanish Explorers
Another theory on the origin of the name is attributed to Spanish explorers who hadn't explored very widely and marked the area on their maps as "acá nada" meaning "nothing here." Portuguese explorers used a similar term. They didn't know what a wonderful country they were writing off.
The French colony was called New France. The British conquered the region in 1763 and renamed it the Province of Quebec. When the United Empire Loyalists flooded into Quebec, it split in two and became Upper and Lower Canada. These again merged in 1841 and became the Province of Canada.
"Kingdom of Canada"
At the Charlottetown convention in 1864, the first Prime Minister of Canada, John A. Macdonald suggested the country be known as "the Kingdom of Canada." Other terms suggested were "the realm of Canada," "the Union of Canada" and "the Dominion of Canada." Officials in London claimed "the Kingdom of Canada" too high-flown for a new colony and eventually settled on "the Dominion of Canada."
At a conference in London in 1867, one delegate suggested the name Canada and it was accepted by all the delegates.
Other proposed names included:
- Borealia meaning northern
- Cabota honoring John Cabot
- Mesoplagia - land between the seas
- Norland - North land
- Victorialand - to honor Queen Victoria.
