Geographical names in Antarctica reflect the history and practice of Antarctic exploration. The nations involved in Antarctic research give new names to nameless geographical features for the purposes of orientation, logistics, and international scientific cooperation. As of 2018, there are some 19,788 named Antarctic geographical features, including 1,433 features with names given by Bulgaria. Since the Bulgarian Antarctic base is situated in the South Shetland Islands, most of the Bulgarian place names are concentrated in that area too, especially on Livingston Island, Greenwich Island, Robert Island, Snow Island, and Smith Island. However, two early Bulgarian names were given even in 1989 to geographical features on Alexander Island in relation to field work carried out on that island by the first Bulgarian Antarctic expedition during the 1987/88 season.
Toponymic guidelines
In 1995 the Commission developed its own defining the relevant types of geographical features, specific elements of geographical names, inappropriate names, criteria of names approval, language and spelling, and names approval procedures. In particular, the Guidelines introduced the Streamlined System that was subsequently adopted as the official national system for the Romanization of Bulgarian, eventually becoming part of Bulgarian law by way of the 2009, and endorsed also by UN in 2012 and by the USA and UK in 2013. In its practice, the Antarctic Place-names Commission has been giving priority to the following Antarctic geographic areas and features:
Areas where the new names would be possibly helpful to potential users: scientists, cartographers, logisticians, navigators, tourists, mountaineers etc.;
Areas with a concentration of notable nameless features;
Features of large dimension or otherwise significant geographically;
Features actually or potentially important in the course of field work or other uses ;
Features newly emerged as a result of glacier retreat or disintegration.
The Commission only considers for possible naming features that are nameless, well identified and provided with detailed standardized descriptions.
In order to promote Antarctic exploration and the presence of Bulgaria in Antarctica, the Commission encourages Bulgarian municipalities to give relevant Antarctic names to public places. Several squares and streets in Bulgarian settlements are named after Livingston Island, such as Livingston Island Square in Samuil and Kula; Livingston Island Street in Gotse Delchev, Yambol, Petrich, Sofia, Lovech and Vidin; Antarctica Street in Dzhebel and Antarctica Park in Kilifarevo.
Maps
Scale 1:250000 topographic map of Antarctica with place-name search. Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research. Since 1993, regularly upgraded and updated.
L.L. Ivanov et al. :commons:Image:Livingston-Greenwich-map.jpg|Antarctica: Livingston Island and Greenwich Island, South Shetland Islands. Scale 1:100000 topographic map. Sofia: Antarctic Place-names Commission of Bulgaria, 2005.
