Single-letter place names can make writing an address pretty quick and easy. But what about those at the opposite end of the character scale? Here s a look at the 10 longest place names in the world, and the origins of these unusually lengthy words.
1. Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahu // New Zealand
The world s longest place name requires a pretty big sign.Mattgrosso, Wikimedia Commons // Public Domain
The longest place name in the world is 85 letters long and refers to a hill on New Zealand’s North Island named after a famous local legend. Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahu is a Māori expression that translates to “the place where Tamatea, the man with the big knees, who slid, climbed and swallowed mountains, known as landeater,’ played his flute to his loved one.” Tamatea was the name of a legendary New Zealand warrior, and the music he played was to mourn the loss of his brother in battle.