Which island was renamed by Christopher Columbus?

Which island was renamed by Christopher Columbus?

• A. Cuba
• B. San Salvador
• C. Jamaica
• D. Hispaniola

Answer: (B)

This question highlights how explorers sometimes gave new names to lands they claimed. On his first voyage in 1492, Columbus landed in the Bahamas on an island he named San Salvador, meaning Holy Savior. He believed he had reached Asia and attached a Christian name to the land for Spain, even though the indigenous people had their own name for it (often identified as Guanahani). So the island associated with Columbus’s renaming in that voyage is San Salvador. The other islands—Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola—have different naming histories and were not renamed by him in that moment.

This question highlights how explorers sometimes gave new names to lands they claimed. On his first voyage in 1492, Columbus landed in the Bahamas on an island he named San Salvador, meaning Holy Savior. He believed he had reached Asia and attached a Christian name to the land for Spain, even though the indigenous people had their own name for it (often identified as Guanahani). So the island associated with Columbus’s renaming in that voyage is San Salvador. The other islands—Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola—have different naming histories and were not renamed by him in that moment.