Historical Columbia

:Note: The similar sounding country uses a different spelling--see Colombia.

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Columbia, late 19th century

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from a Columbia Records phonograph cylinder package

Related Topics:
Columbia Records - Phonograph cylinder

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Columbia is a name used in the English language for many things and places. The name is derived from that of Christopher Columbus. The term "Pre-Columbian" is used for American cultures before the arrival of Columbus and other European explorers.

Related Topics:
English language - Christopher Columbus - Pre-Columbian - American - Europe

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The name "Columbia" is/was a poetic name for the United States of America, which largely fell out of use in the early 20th century. This was the origin of the name District of Columbia.

Related Topics:
Poetic - United States of America - 20th century - District of Columbia

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Columbia was also a female personification of the USA, similar to the male Uncle Sam and the British female Britannia, often seen in political cartoons through the early 20th century (similar to the illustration at right) and still used by Columbia Pictures, which in its current incarnation looks very much like actress Annette Bening, even though she was not the model for the current incarnation.

Related Topics:
Uncle Sam - Britannia - Political cartoon - Columbia Pictures - Actress - Annette Bening

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The term Columbian has been occasionally used as an alternative word for American when referring to someone from the United States, but has not entered general use, not least because of its confusing similarity to Colombian.

Related Topics:
Alternative word for American - United States - Colombia

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