Nueva Extremadura facts for kids
Nueva Extremadura is a Spanish name that means "New Extremadura." It comes from a region in Extremadura, Spain. This name was used for two different places during the time when Spain had colonies around the world.
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What Was Nueva Extremadura?
The name Nueva Extremadura was used for two main areas:
A Region in New Spain (Mexico)
One important area called Nueva Extremadura was a large territory in the northern part of New Spain. New Spain was a huge Spanish colony that included much of present-day Mexico and parts of the United States.
Where Was This Territory Located?
In the 1600s, this Nueva Extremadura bordered other Spanish territories:
- To its west and south was Nueva Vizcaya.
- To its southeast was Nuevo León.
- To its east was Nuevo Santander.
- To its northeast was Louisiana, which was a French territory at the time.
After 1722, the northeastern border changed to the New Philippines. This area is now mostly the state of Coahuila in Mexico. However, the borders of the old Nueva Extremadura were not exactly the same as today's Coahuila. For example, parts of present-day Coahuila were once part of Nueva Vizcaya or Nuevo León. The border with the New Philippines was at the Medina River, which is near modern-day San Antonio in Texas, USA.
Official Name Change
From 1687, this territory had a longer official name: Provincia de San Francisco de Coahuila y Nueva Extremadura. This shows how important the name Coahuila became alongside Nueva Extremadura.
The Original Name for Chile
The name Nueva Extremadura was also given to the country of Chile when it was first explored and claimed by the Spanish.
Who Named Chile Nueva Extremadura?
Pedro de Valdivia, a Spanish conqueror, was the person who first gave Chile the name Nueva Extremadura. He was a very important figure in the Spanish conquest of South America.
The Capital City
The capital city of this new territory was known as Santiago de Nueva Extremadura. Today, this city is simply called Santiago de Chile, and it is the capital of modern-day Chile.
See also
- History of Chile
- History of Mexico
- Coahuila y Tejas
- Territorial evolution of Mexico
