Elizabeth Islands

The Elizabeth Islands are a small chain of islands that stretch from the southern coast of Cape Cod (Massachusetts in the United States). They are located north of Martha 's Vineyard on the outer Buzzards Bay and form the municipality of Gosnold in Dukes County. All the islands of the Elizabeth Islands except Cuttyhunk and Penikese are privately owned by the Forbes family.

1641 bought Thomas Mayhew, Sir of Watertown the islands ( with Nantucket and Martha 's Vineyard ) by William Alexander, Earl of Sterling. Prior to founding the Province of Massachusetts Bay, the islands were part of the now-defunct Dukes County (New York). The total land area of the islands is 34.55 km ² and had a permanent population of 86 people according to the census of 2000 ( of which 30 Naushon Iceland and Cuttyhunk 56).

Named Islands

The islands, which extend southwest from the end of the mainland near Falmouth, are:

• Nonamesset Iceland, the island that is closest to the mainland
• Uncatena Iceland, uninhabited after the 2000 census
• Naushon Iceland, 8.9 km long and is the largest island. Belongs to Naushon Iceland Trust the Forbes family and is not public. 30 inhabitants in 2000.
• The Weepecket Islands, three small, publicly accessible island north of Zentralnaushon, owned by the Forbes family. Abandoned.
• Pasque Iceland, 2,4 km long, possessed of a part of the Forbes family and covered with poison ivy. A shallow Tidenbach makes his way through the island. Abandoned.
• Nashawena Iceland, 4.8 km long, possessed by another part of the Forbes family, has grazing cattle. Abandoned.
• Penikese is located approximately 0.8 kilometers north of Nashawena and Cuttyhunk and is the site of a reform school. Abandoned.
• Cuttyhunk is the main island in the far west of the island chain and home to the community residents of Gosnold. The largest part is open to the public. 56 inhabitants in 2000.
• Veckatimest Iceland, 0.0675 km ²

The islands of northeast to southwest:

Named channels and ports

Known channels with strong tidal currents, here as holes = holes, separate the islands from each other and from the mainland. The currents reach speeds of up to 6 knots (11 km / h) due to various sizes and fill rates of Vineyard Sound to the southeast and the Buzzard's Bay in the northwest. At high tide the water flows from the Buzzards Bay to Vineyard Sound. Between high and low tide the water stops and turns around and fills the Bay at low tide.

From Falmouth are listed seen the designated channels:

• Woods Hole separates the mainland of Iceland Nonamesset
• Robinson Hole between Pasque and Naushon Iceland Iceland
• Quick's Hole between Pasque and Nashawena Iceland Iceland
• Canapitsit Channel Nashawena between Iceland and Cuttyhunk
• Cuttyhunk Harbor is protected in the east of Iceland Nashawena, in the west of Cuttyhunk and the north of Penikese.