Malaspina Peninsula facts for kids
The Malaspina Peninsula is a piece of land surrounded by water on three sides, located in British Columbia, Canada. It's part of the beautiful Sunshine Coast region, right by the Gulf of Georgia.
This peninsula stretches northwest from the town of Powell River all the way to Desolation Sound. This sound is close to Toba Inlet, a long, narrow arm of the sea, and the Discovery Islands.
Exploring the Malaspina Peninsula
The Malaspina Peninsula is a very mountainous area. It is also the traditional home of the Sliammon people. They are a group of the Mainland Comox Indigenous people. Their history and culture are deeply connected to this land.
How the Malaspina Peninsula Got Its Name
The Malaspina Peninsula, along with places like the Malaspina Strait and the Malaspina Glacier in Alaska, was named after a brave explorer. His name was Alessandro Malaspina. He was an Italian nobleman who served in the Spanish navy.
Malaspina was one of many captains who helped explore and map the coasts of Alaska and British Columbia.
When Was It Named?
The Malaspina Peninsula and Malaspina Strait were officially named in 1859. This was done by Captain George Henry Richards. He was the captain of a ship called the Plumper.
Captain Richards likely chose this name because of a nearby place called Malaspina Inlet. This inlet had been named much earlier, in 1792. It was named by Galiano and Valdés. These two men had served as officers under Alessandro Malaspina himself.
