Cape (geography)

In geography, a cape is a headland, peninsula or promontory extending into a body of water, usually a sea.[1] A cape usually represents a marked change in trend of the coastline, often making them important landmarks in sea navigation. This also makes them prone to natural forms of erosion, mainly tidal actions, resulting in a relatively short geological lifespan. Capes can be formed by glaciers, volcanoes, and changes in sea level. Erosion plays a large role in each of these methods of formation.

Cape of Good Hope (left) and Cape Hangklip (right) in South Africa, from space
Cape Tisan in Mersin Province, Turkey
Cape Tindari and Marinello lagoons, Sicily
  • Cape Cornwall, England
    Cape Cornwall, England
  • Satellite image of Cape Fear, North Carolina
    Satellite image of Cape Fear, North Carolina
  • Cape MacLear, Malawi
    Cape MacLear, Malawi
  • Map depicting Cape Horn at the southernmost portion of South America
    Map depicting Cape Horn at the southernmost portion of South America
  • Photograph of Cabo Mayor in Santander, Spain
    Photograph of Cabo Mayor in Santander, Spain
  • Photograph of Cape Cambell, New Zealand, at sunrise
    Photograph of Cape Cambell, New Zealand, at sunrise

See also

References
  1. Whittow, John (1984). Dictionary of Physical Geography. London: Penguin, 1984, p. 80. ISBN 0-14-051094-X.
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