Earth:Cape (geography)

Short description: Large headland extending into a body of water, usually the sea

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

In geography, a cape is a headland, or peninsula or promontory extending into a body of water, usually the sea. 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.

Gallery

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  Cape Cornwall, England

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  Satellite image of Cape Fear, North Carolina

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  Cape MacLear, Malawi

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  Map depicting Cape Horn at the southernmost portion of South America

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  Photograph of Cabo Mayor in Santander, Spain

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  Photograph of Cape Cambell, New Zealand, at sunrise

See also

• Extreme points of Africa
• Extreme points of Asia
• Extreme points of Europe
• Extreme points of North America
• Extreme points of South America