Abstract

Abstract The aim of this paper is the analysis of the names used on cartographic publications in Poland and the Czech Republic for transboundary geographical objects lying on the common boundary. After the analysis of the Czech and Polish topographic maps that are available on the national geoportals, maps of the divisions into natural regions, and toponymic databases (Polish the National Register of Geographical Names, and Czech Geonames – the Database of geographic names of the Czech Republic) it was established that 360 named geographic objects lie on this boundary. This number includes: 123 hydronyms (names of rivers and other streams), 224 oronyms (139 names of summits, 22 names of mountain passes, 35 names of mountain ranges and ridges, 15 names of highlands, plateaus and uplands, 7 names of mountain basins, valleys and depressions, 3 names of lowlands, and 3 names of rocks), 9 names of forests, 1 name of mountain meadow (alp), and 3 names of tracks. 212 of these objects (59%) have names in both languages – Polish and Czech, however, in 99 cases (47% of objects that have name in both Polish and Czech languages) the Polish and Czech toponyms entirely do not correspond to each other. From the remaining objects 67 (18%) have only the Czech name, and 81 (23%) only the Polish name. In some natural regions, the limits of their ranges set by the Czech and Polish geographers vary widely, for example a single region on one side of the boundary corresponds to two or more regions on other side of the boundary. In other cases illustrations of incorrectness are more sophisticated, like the river that has different course according to the Czech or Polish maps (stream regarded as a main watercourse in one country, which has its own name, in another country is considered as a tributary one with a different name). In the summary, it should be stated that in the large part of the Polish and Czech names of the geographical objects lying on the common boundary were drawn regardless of the names used in the neighboring country.

Highlights

  • Each country which has land borders has geographic objects exceeding beyond its borders, such as watercourses, lakes, plains, lowlands, and mountain ranges

  • On Polish maps, the Żydawka stream constitutes the Polish extension of a stream called Stekelnice in the Czech Republic, while Czech Židovka is the stream which does not have a name in Poland

  • From the analysis of toponyms conducted for 360 geographic objects located on the border between Poland and the Czech Republic and included in Polish and Czech official cartographic materials, it can be concluded that 212 of these objects (59%) have both Polish and Czech names, while 148 (41%) have names only in one language: 67 objects (18%) have only Czech names, and 81 (23%) have only Polish names

Read more

Summary

Introduction

Each country which has land borders has geographic objects exceeding beyond its borders, such as watercourses, lakes, plains, lowlands, and mountain ranges. They are objects exceeding the sovereignty of one country (transboundary objects1), both from the territorial perspective and the onomastic perspective. Especially applies to official names that has been approved by a relevant authority responsible for geographic names in a given area. In such cases we deal with a transboundary name Names of transboundary objects located on the border between Poland and the Czech Republic were analyzed

Border between Poland and the Czech Republic
Analyzed source material
Names of watercourses
Names of summits
Names of passes
Names of other small objects
Names of physico-geographical regions
10. Summary
Findings
Literature
Full Text
Paper version not known

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.