Bacalao

This page is about the possible island called Bacalao, for the Portuguese dish that is also known as Bacalao, see Bacalhau.

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Bacalao (also spelled Bacalhau, Bachalaos, Bacalhaos, Baccalieu, Baccalar) was a phantom island on several 16th century maps. It is mostly used to name Newfoundland. The name was first used on a map in 1508, but there are earlier accounts. The Portuguese navigator Jo?o Vaz Corte-Real was granted some lands on the Azores by the king of Portugal, because he had discovered Terra do Bacalhau. Furthermore Bartolom? de Las Casas wrote about Portuguese voyages to Tierra de los Bacallao. This has led some to believe that Corte-Real reached the Americas before Columbus. Bacalao literally means "dried codfish". Basque fisherman are said to have fished for cod at the Grand Banks of Newfoundland in the 15th century, so this is another possible origin of the name.

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Phantom island: Phantom islands are islands that are believed to exist and appear on maps for a period of time (sometimes centuries), and then are removed after they are proven not to exist (or the general population stops believing that they exist)....

16th century: As a means of recording the passage of time, the 16th century was that century which lasted from 1501 to 1600....

Newfoundland: :This is about the island in Canada. For the Canadian province formerly and still colloquially known as Newfoundland, see Newfoundland and Labrador. For other meanings of Newfoundland, see Newfoundland (disambiguation)....