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With Thanksgiving in the U.S. this week, our thoughts are turning to the country’s early days and perhaps to the places from which settlers came to the “New World” after a long voyage from the Old. What better time, then, for Cheapflights to turn our focus toward “old” and “new” destinations and look at how these namesakes share more than just a name or at the myriad ways in which once humble pioneer settlements have flourished into great cities and states with identities all their own.

New England / England

Containing many of the oldest cities and towns in the United States, the six states making up New England saw some of the earliest European settlements in North America. Indeed, the historic Mayflower voyage departed from Plymouth, England to land at what would become Plymouth, Massachusetts. Although the prospect of a fresh start may have motivated their journey, they still sought a certain symmetry and found much familiar in the new land. In the architecture of national treasures such as Boston College, for instance, visitors may still see some of old England’s character in New England.

New York / York

“So good they named it twice” (although it has known many names) the Big Apple is undoubtedly at the forefront of world cities, the quintessential sky-scraping, ever-busy metropolis. One of the United States oldest and grandest, it takes its name from a Yorkshire city that has existed in one form or another since at least 95AD. Both river cities – one the Hudson, the other the Ouse – the two Yorks may seem worlds apart, but are both cultural hubs offering the likes of Carnegie Hall, the Met and the Cathedral of St John the Divine on one hand and the Theatre Royal, the Yorkshire Museum and York Minster on the other.

New Amsterdam / Amsterdam

New York’s title during its first iteration as 17th century Dutch colonial settlement, New Amsterdam was how it was known to crucial figures such as Peter Stuyvesant, after whom areas of modern NYC such as Bedford-Stuyvesant are named. Many place-names in the city are anglicised version of Dutch words, for instance Coney Island which is derived from “Konijn Eiland” or “Rabbit Island” in reference to the abundance of the animals found there in bygone times. With New York already having been listed, some may question this feature’s inclusion of New Amsterdam as well. We think it serves to further illustrate how fundamental multiculturalism is to ever-changing America, something to be celebrated and thanks given for at this time of year especially.

New Jersey / Jersey

With the antics of some of the more abrasive inhabitants of New Jersey gracing our screens of late, it may be easy to forget the Garden State’s long-standing charms as a holiday destination. Indeed, the Jersey Shore’s Atlantic City was a popular resort as far back as a century ago, its piers and boardwalk lined with amusements to delight holidaymakers. Across the Atlantic, meanwhile, “old” Jersey has a coastal charm of its own. The unique Anglo-French cultural mix of the Channel Islands makes Jersey a destination with much in common with the United Kingdom, but a great deal to distinguish it.

Nova Scotia / Scotland

It is perhaps fitting, in a geographical sense, that ‘New Scotland’ (to give it its English rather than Latin title) is so named. Nova Scotia‘s Scottish identity runs deeper than this however, as the first documented Scottish settlement in the Americas and one that still has an estimated 2,000 Gaelic speakers among its population. The region even has its own provincial tartan – the first in Canada – which is officially recognized by Scotland‘s heraldic regulators the Lyon Court.

New Brunswick / Brunswick

The largest Maritimes province was named in 1784 in honour of King George III who was also Duke of Brunswick. The “old” Brunswick is in Lower Saxony, Germany. New Brunswick has three coastlines and the Bay of Fundy has the highest tides in the world. Old Brunswick is the largest city in the area between Hanover and Berlin, its attractions are less covered-bridges and lighthouses, more historic Old Town and richly decorated Gothic churches.

New Westminster / Westminster

New Westminster, the city in Western Canada, was the capital of the Colony of British Columbia between 1858 and 1866. Victoria, now, is the political centre of the province, leaving New Westminster a charming river-side city with heritage sites and quaint Victorian-era houses. Westminster in London is where the political heart of the British Empire has beaten for centuries. The Gothic spires of the Houses of Parliament pierce the often leaden sky, Big Ben keeps time for the nation and streets of cliff-like Georgian houses have stood unchanging for hundreds of years.

Newfoundland

Although certainly new to the 16th century whalers and fisherman who gave it its name, Newfoundland is actually perhaps one of the oldest settlements found by Europeans. There is evidence that Vikings settled there for a relatively short period around 1003AD. In more recent years, others have discovered Newfoundland too: winter sports enthusiasts. The region’s slopes are well-suited for beginner and intermediate skiers and snowboarders.

New South Wales / South Wales

The state of New South Wales‘s name isn’t all it has in common with its U.K. counterpart: Swansea, Cardiff, Neath and Aberdare are place-names that can be found on opposite sides of the planet too. Both are also notable for their abundance of natural beauty: New South Wales contains more than 820 national parks and reserves, and around 20 per cent of old-world counterpart Wales’ landmass is composed of national parks Snowdonia, the Pembrokeshire Coast and Brecon Beacons.

New Zealand / Zealand

The Dutch province from which New Zealand takes its name is also made up of a number of islands, which may go some way toward explaining why settlers found it appropriate to bestow the moniker, which means “sea-land”, upon the pacific archipelago as well. Both Zealands are popular with fans of water-sports such as surfing and other aquatic activities: in fact, the Netherlands province’s is widely regarded as one of the nation’s best scuba-diving areas.

New Orleans / Orleans

Characteristic of the multi-ethnic patchwork that is the United States and like the gumbo that it is famous for, New Orleans is made up of a little bit of everything. The Big Easy’s Gallic aspects are particularly prominent, however: the city flaunts its unique Cajun and Creole heritage with pride, from its carnival and cooking to its mix of languages and its music. Such is its significance that the French Quarter, oldest neighbourhood in the city and its original centre, has even been designated a National Historic Landmark.

Featured image: jenn

About the author

Brittany DietzBrittany has travelled to London, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Mexico, The Caribbean, Canada and all over the U.S. She's passionate about travel and has big plans for future trips! Brittany is a Content and Social Media Executive at Cheapflights.

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