Riviera

Riviera, pronounced [riˈvjɛːra], is an Italian word which means "coastline", ultimately derived from Latin ripa, through Ligurian rivea. It came to be applied as a proper name to the coast of Liguria, in the form riviera ligure, then shortened to riviera. The two areas currently known in English as "The Riviera" without additional qualification are:

• the French Riviera, part of the southern coast of France and
• the Italian Riviera, part of the coast of Italy.

Riviera may be also applied to any coastline, especially one that is sunny, topographically diverse and popular with tourists. Such places called Riviera include:

Africa

• Red Sea Riviera, the eastern shore of Egypt

America

• American Riviera, Santa Barbara, California
• Cajun Riviera, an affectionate nickname for Holly Beach, Louisiana
• Mexican Riviera, the western coast of Mexico including Acapulco
• Redneck Riviera, a nickname for Panama City Beach, Florida
• The Riviera of the South, used to refer to Fort Lauderdale, Florida
• Riviera, Arizona, a community of Bullhead City.
• Riviera Maya, the Caribbean coast of the Yucatán peninsula
• Riviera Country Club, golf course in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, California that hosts Genesis Open

Asia and Oceania

• Chinese Riviera, coastal region in Zhuhai, China
• Australian Riviera, Gold Coast, Queensland
• The Riviera of Melbourne, the coastal region from Seaford to Mornington, Victoria, Australia

Europe

• Athens Riviera, the Saronic Gulf coastline of Athens
• Albanian Riviera, in southern Albania
• Austrian Riviera, a former coastline of Austria-Hungary near Trieste on the Adriatic Sea
• Belgian Riviera, part of the Belgian coast
• Budva Riviera, in Montenegro
• Bulgarian Riviera, Bulgarian Black Sea Coast
• Caucasian Riviera, Russia: Sochi, Georgia: Abkhazia and Adjara
• Cheshire Riviera, the south west coast of the Wirral peninsula
• Crimean Riviera, the southern coast of the Crimean peninsula
• English Riviera, Torbay in the southwest of England
• Makarska Riviera, in Croatia
• Portuguese Riviera
• Romanian Riviera, Romania's Black Sea Coast
• Slovenian Riviera, Slovenia's Adriatic Sea Coast
• Spanish Riviera, Costa del Sol, Costa Brava, Costa Blanca
• Swiss Riviera, Vevey and Montreux
• Sussex Riviera, Worthing, West Sussex
• Turkish Riviera, also known as the Turquoise Coast

See also

• Riviera (disambiguation), other entities known as "Riviera"
• Irish Riviera (disambiguation), various locations in the United States with high populations of Irish Americans