Place names as used by those who live in them.

[David Robins]

As I lay in the bath counting my legs I began to wonder why my old school geography teacher told me there was a place in Germany called "Cologne". There isn't. In fact many of the place names I was taught only exist on an map written in English. I assume it's the same in other countries. The French tell me I was born in Londres !
Years ago when hitch hiking around the world I was trying to get to Cairo but I was having trouble making myself understood. Thinking to myself " Cairo is your capital city " what is wrong with these people. But of course it was me who was the ignorant one. The locals know the capital as Al-Qahira.
Place and country names we grew up with have been changed. Nobody sails to Ceylon or docks in Bombay anymore. Sri Lanka and Mumbai are the names the locals use and the ones taught in our schools. So why are our children not taught the names of countries and towns as used by the locals ?
Discuss.
P.S. Köln is in Deutschland. (Not that difficult is it ?) Happy New Year.

[j.sabourn]

You only have to look at our own mother country, I lived in Northumberland at one time and woke up living in Tyne and Wear. What were the actual gains into changing everything. ? JS

[Ivan Cloherty]

Geography as we knew it appears not to be taught anymore. I went away on one trip whilst living in Yorkshire, when I returned I found I was living in Humberside, even the name of the road and house number had been changed, the house was still where I left it. Luckily the taxi driver was aware of the changes.Whilst away I'd seemingly moved into a different county and different road

[thomas michael]

hi ivan cloherty#3
good evening, Actually it is worse now than you think, not only have they begun to forget geography but in america one senator a somali immigrant called omar has professed to her followers on twitter that jesus christ was not a jew but a palestinian, the israeli goverment is said to be annoyed to say the least.
tom

[Tony Taylor]

hi ivan cloherty#3
good evening, Actually it is worse now than you think, not only have they begun to forget geography but in america one senator a somali immigrant called omar has professed to her followers on twitter that jesus christ was not a jew but a palestinian, the israeli goverment is said to be annoyed to say the least.
tom

one is a religion, the other is a nationality. They are often confused.

[j.sabourn]

Whatever he was , he was the first of a true communist by his teachings if true. Anyone studying the Bible will find this in many incidences . JS

[Des Taff Jenkins]

Here in NSW the Govt have been merging Councils, something no one wants, behind every one is the root of all evil money, probaly if you dig deep enough its the same in the UK.
Des

[Tony Taylor]

#7
Des, some years ago we had a local referendum to decide whether our local district council should be lumped into the County Council. There was a 70% majority in favour of remaining as a district council, but we were still merged into the County Council. So democracy is still alive and kicking?

[thomas michael]

hi tony #5
good morning, your absolutely correct, and it is instantly recognized once in print, sadly the word i wanted to use is not acceptable and would have instantly shown the meaning of my piece.
tom

[Graham Shaw]

In Buenos Aires, the Falklands are known as Las Malvinas and considered part of Argentina. The two countries,Britain and Argentina fought a war over the issue in June 1982, a war in which the US made itself officially neutral. That has been the American position ever since, recognizing the islands as both the Falklands and Malvinas. Unless, that is, you’re President Obama, who decided Las Malvinas was old hat and promptly renamed them ......... the Maldives.That must have been news to the residents of both those island groups!