Alcantara

Alcantara, Alcântara (Portuguese), Alcántara (Spanish), Alcàntara, Alcàntera, El-Qantarah and (El) Kantara are all transliterations of the Arabic word al qantara (القنطرة), meaning "the bridge". It can be found not only in Arab countries, but also in the Iberian Peninsula, where the name persisted past the Reconquista, and Latin America, derived from Iberian place names and other places that were under Arab influence in the past.

It may refer to:

People

• Alcantara (surname)

Places

Algeria

• El Kantara — town and commune in Biskra province
• El Kantara District — in Biskra province

Brazil

• Alcântara, Maranhão — city in the state of Maranhão
  • Alcântara Launch Center — satellite launching base of the Brazilian Space Agency located near the city of Alcântara, in the state of Maranhão
• Alcântara River — river of Rio de Janeiro state in southeastern Brazil
• Barra d'Alcântara — municipality in the state of Piauí
• Dom Pedro de Alcântara — municipality in the state Rio Grande do Sul
• São Pedro de Alcântara, Santa Catarina — municipality in the state of Santa Catarina

Chile

• the area near Alcántara metro station in northeastern Santiago
• San Pedro de Alcántara, a local area in the O'Higgins Region.

Cyprus

• Kantara Castle — in the Kyrenia mountains

Egypt

• El-Qantarah el-Sharqiyya — city in the governorate of Shamal Sina, on the eastern side of the Suez Canal

Italy

• Alcantara (river); Alcàntara, in Sicilian — a river of Sicily

Philippines

• Alcantara, Cebu — municipality in the province of Cebu
• Alcantara, Romblon, municipality in the province of Romblon

Portugal

• Alcântara, Lisbon — civil parish of Lisbon
• São Pedro de Alcântara — Franciscan monastery in Lisbon

Spain

• Tierra de Alcántara — comarca (district) located in the province of Cáceres, Extremadura
  • Alcántara — municipality in the province of Cáceres, Extremadura
    • Alcántara Dam — in Tagus river near the town with the same name
    • Alcántara Bridge — Roman bridge over the Tagus river near the town with the same name
  • Valencia de Alcántara — municipality in the province of Cáceres, Extremadura
  • Santiago de Alcántara — municipality in the province of Cáceres, Extremadura
  • Herrera de Alcántara — municipality in the province of Cáceres, Extremadura
  • Mata de Alcántara — municipality in the province of Cáceres, Extremadura
• Alcàntera de Xúquer (Alcántara de Júcar, in Spanish) — municipality in the comarca of Ribera Alta, Valencian Community
• San Pedro de Alcántara — town in the province of Málaga, Andalusia
• San Vicente de Alcántara — municipality in the province of Badajoz, Extremadura

Venezuela

• Francisco Linares Alcántara Municipality — municipality in Aragua state

Other uses

• Alcantara (material) — covering material manufactured by Alcantara SpA, Italy
• Alcantara (plant) — a genus of plants in the family Asteraceae
• Battle of Alcântara (1580) — that took place near Lisbon, Portugal, in 1580
• Order of Alcántara — Spanish military order founded in the 12th century
• RMS Alcantara (1926) — British ocean liner of Royal Mail Lines
• RMS Alcantara (1913) — British ocean liner of Royal Mail Lines

Cognate names

• Alcantarilla (diminutive of Alcántara) — a municipality in Murcia, Spain
• Alcantarilha (diminitive of Alcântara) — a parish in Portugal

See also

• Alcazaba (in Spanish), Portuguese: Alcaçova, Catalan: Alcassaba, from Arabic al-qaṣbah (القصبة), meaning "the walled-fortification (or citadel)"
• Alcazar (Alcázar, Alcácer, Alcàsser), from Arabic al qasr (القصر), meaning "the citadel (or fortification)"
• Alcalá (also Alcala or Alcalà), from Arabic al qal'a (القلعة) meaning "the citadel (or fortification)"