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Cibola

Cibola is a toponym with historical and geographic significance in the southwestern United States. The name is best known from the legend of the Seven Cities of Gold, a myth that attracted Spanish explorers in the 16th century. Early accounts and subsequent maps linked Cibola to wealthy, advanced cities in what is now the American Southwest, although no such cities were found.

Geographically, the term remains in use in present-day New Mexico. It designates Cibola County and is used

Historically, expeditions such as that of Francisco Vázquez de Coronado in the 1540s traversed the region in

Today, Cibola persists as a geographic name in maps, government designations, and local culture in the region.

in
the
name
of
public
lands
such
as
the
Cibola
National
Forest.
The
forest
spans
parts
of
western
and
central
New
Mexico
and
is
managed
by
the
U.S.
Forest
Service.
search
of
Cibola.
The
fabled
cities
spurred
extensive
exploration
and
played
a
role
in
shaping
the
early
colonial
narrative
of
the
Southwest,
influencing
later
settlement
patterns
and
cultural
perceptions
of
Indigenous
peoples
and
landscapes.
It
is
studied
as
part
of
the
history
of
European
exploration,
Indigenous
nations,
and
the
formation
of
New
Mexico’s
territorial
identity.