“but otherwise” in a sentence

Question

"But otherwise" means"except for what has just been mentioned". In the sentence below, what does it mean?

Galicia, on the Atlantic coast of northern Spain, is the homeland of Generalissimo Francisco Franco, but is otherwise famous for being a place people try to leave.

1. Galicia is famous for being the homeland of Generalissimo Francisco Franco and a place people try to leave.

2. Galicia is not famous for being the homeland of Generalissimo Francisco Franco, but famous for being a place people try to leave.

3. Galicia is famous for being the homeland of Generalissimo Francisco Franco, but is more famous for being a place people try to leave.

4. Galicia is famous for being a place people try to leave, but is more famous for being the homeland of Generalissimo Francisco Franco.

Is there another meaning but otherwise could have?

Answer 1

Simply put, when Galicia is introduced as the homeland of Generalissimo Francisco Franco, a reader would assume that this is Galicia's claim to fame as the General seems to precede his hometown. However, the author wants to point out that Galicia is in fact as, if not more, famous for its people wanting to leave.

An analogy would be, "India is where the number 0 was invented, but is otherwise famous for the founding of Gandhism." Here we are pointing out that the number 0 was invented in India, and it would be prudent if the article was one about India in a Mathematics magazine, but it is made clear that India is as or more well known for giving the world Gandhism.

Answer 2

It means for other reasons or in other ways. The passage says Galicia is famous for other reasons than being the home of Franco.

Answer 3

The phrase 'but otherwise' signals a clause that presents a diametrically opposite idea to what has just been said before.

I didn't like the ending, but otherwise it was a very good book. (The ending was not nice. However, the rest of the book was good).

He was slightly bruised but otherwise unhurt. (Except for minor bruises, he was not hurt).

Galicia ... is the homeland of Generalissimo Francisco Franco, but is otherwise famous for being a place people try to leave. (Galicia is historically significant for being Gen. Franco's homeland. However, there are other reasons why people want to leave the place. The first clause presents an apparently positive aspect of Galicia, while that following but otherwise presents a negative aspect. Notice that famous seems to have been used in a sense of irony here.)

A poor but otherwise happy childhood ...
Brain-dead but otherwise alive human bodies are warm to the touch ...
The dean was famous for delivering grand sounding but otherwise unintelligible speeches.

Answer 4

But otherwise here means simply differently. The two clauses in this sentence are not opposed to one another, they are simply different, like your first example re-write.

Because it's Franco's homeland does not imply that it is a place people want to stay; and, because people leave Galicia, it is not implied that they have reservations about leaving Franco's homeland. The reference to Franco is the writer's way of opening the piece with an attention-grabbing reference to Galician history. The New York Times is aware that Franco is reviled by many (even in Galicia), and so using but otherwise to mean opposed to doesn't fit.

This article discusses the Galician clothing company, Zara. The reason, it contests, that people want to leave Galicia is because it is impoverished. However, Zara built its brand there.