Cape Cod (Mass.) - Credo Reference

Definition: Cape Cod from Philip's Encyclopedia

Hook-shaped sandy peninsula in SE Massachusetts, USA. The Pilgrim Fathers landed here in 1620. Of glacial origin, it extends into the Atlantic Ocean, forming Cape Cod Bay. It was originally a centre for fishing, whaling and salt extraction; tourism is now the major industry.

Image from: Cape Cod National Seashore Courtesy National Park... in The Greenwood Encyclopedia of American Regional Cultures: New England

Summary Article: Cape Cod

from The Encyclopedia of Tourism and Recreation in Marine Environments

Cape Cod is a peninsula that marks the seaward extent of the state of Massachusetts in the USA. Cape Cod delineates the southern extent of the Gulf of Maine, which is bounded by Nova Scotia to the north. The land form lies at the transition between the Virginian and Acadian marine regions, having the modest 2-foot tidal range and warmer water temperatures of the mid-Atlantic to its south and the 8-foot tidal range and colder waters of the Gulf of Maine to the north. Cape Cod served as the first landing site for the Pilgrim Fathers that fled to what became America from their homeland, England in the face of religious oppression and social ostracization. Cape Cod was the site of some of the first interactions between Native Americans and the European settlers, and the 15 municipalities on the peninsula are among the oldest in the USA. Communities on the Cape, as well as adjacent population centres such as Boston and New Bedford and outposts such as the islands of Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard, were important economic drivers for the burgeoning nation and its entry into the industrial era in the 19th century. A significant portion of Cape Cod has been designated as part of the US National Park and National Wildlife Refuge systems. The Cape’s scenic beauty, its picturesque villages, its sandy whales and the abundant opportunities for recreation have contributed to its standing as a significant tourism destination for both US nationals and international travellers.

Related internet sources

Cape Cod - A Short trip Far Away: http://www.capecodchamber.org/TheNaturalEnvironment.asp

Cape Cod National Seashore: http://www.nps.gov/archive/caco/home.html

US Fish and Wildlife Services: http://www.fws.gov/northeast/monomoy

Steven M. Tucker