Pat Sweeney, age 12, of Wisconsin for his  question:

The name of the great mariner has been borrowed for a hundred or more different places. In the United States alone there are more than 20 towns named Columbus, all large enough to b e listed in a big atlas. There are perhaps 25 United States towns and cities named Columbia. There are two towns called Columbiana and one called Columbiaville. There are also a number of counties named Columbus or Columbia.

The South American country of Colombia is named for Columbus. A basin, a mountain range, a cape and a reservoir are all named Columbia. There is also the great Columbia River. Though Christopher Columbus discovered the New World, he never visited any of the places which now carry his name.