Cape (geography)

For other uses, see Cape (disambiguation).

In geography, a cape is a headland or a promontory of large size 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, which results in them having 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

List of some well-known capes

Country	Cape	Significance
Albania	Cape of Gjuhëz, Karaburun Peninsula
	Cape of Rodon
Antarctica	Cape Shirreff	Land in the Antarctic Treaty area closest to a non-Antarctic territory
	Cape Dubouzet	Northeasternmost point of the Antarctic Peninsula
Argentina	Cape Virgenes
Australia	Cape Byron
	Cape Leeuwin
	Cape York
Brazil	Cape São Roque
	Ponta do Seixas (Cape Branco)
Bulgaria	Cape Emine
	Cape Kaliakra
Canada	Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia
	Cape Chidley, Newfoundland and Labrador / Nunavut
	Cape Columbia, Nunavut	Northernmost point in Canada 83°6′41″N 69°57′30″W
	Cap Diamant, Quebec City
	Cape Race, Newfoundland and Labrador
	Cape Spear, Newfoundland and Labrador	Easternmost point in Canada 47°31′25″N 52°37′10″W
	Murchison Promontory, Nunavut	Northern tip of mainland North America 72°00′00″N 94°38′59″W
Chile	Cape Froward
	Cape Horn	Northern boundary of the Drake Passage Meetingplace of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans
Cyprus	Cape Greco
Djibouti and Eritrea	Ras Doumeira	Northernmost point in Djibouti Southern point in Eritrea
Eritrea and Sudan	Ras Kasar	Northernmost point in Eritrea Easternmost point in Sudan
France	Cap Gris Nez	Closest point of France to England
Germany	Cape Arkona
Ghana	Cape Coast
Greece	Cape Matapan (Cape Tainaron), on Peloponnesus)	Southern tip of mainland Europe 36°23′06″N 22°28′58″E
Greenland	Cape Discord
	Cape Farewell	Southernmost point of Greenland 59°46′23″N 43°55′21″W
	Cape Morris Jesup	Northernmost point of mainland Greenland 83°37′39″N 32°39′52″W
India	Cape Comorin	Southernmost point of Mainland India, at the trijunction of Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal and, Indian Ocean.
	Cabo de Rama
	Diu Head
	False Divi Point
	False Point
	Headland Sada (Goa)
	Indira Point	Southernmost point of India, at the trijunction of Andaman Sea, Bay of Bengal and, the Strait of Malacca.
	Palmyras Point
	Point Calimere
Latvia	Cape Kolka
Liberia	Cape Mesurado	Location of Monrovia
	Cape Palmas	Southernmost point in Liberia 4°22′34″N 7°43′01″W
	Grand Cape Mount
Mauritania	Cape Blanc
Malawi	Cape Maclear
Malaysia	Tanjung Harapan	Located near the Northport in Port Klang, Selangor
Mexico	Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur
Morocco	Cape Juby
	Cape Three Forks
Myanmar	Cape Negrais	Known as Pagoda Point or Mawtin Point (Mawtin Zoon). It is located 133 km to the NNE of Preparis Island and 193 km from the nearest point in the Indian union territory of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
New Zealand	Cape Egmont
	Cape Foulwind
	Cape Kidnappers
	Cape Reinga
	East Cape
	North Cape
Norway	Cape Nordkinn	Northern tip of mainland Europe 71°08′02″N 27°39′00″E
	North Cape
	Lindesnes
	Verdens Ende
Pakistan	Ras Muari
	Ras Jaddi
Poland	Cape Rozewie
	Cape Rzucewo
Portugal	Cabo da Roca	Western tip of mainland Europe 38°46′5″N 9°30′2″W
	Cape St. Vincent / Sagres Point	Southwestern tip of mainland Europe 37°1′30″N 8°59′40″W
Philippines	Cape Engaño
Russia	Cape Chelyuskin	Northern tip of mainland Asia 77°44′0″N 104°15′0″E
	Cape Dezhnev	Easternmost point in mainland Asia 66°4′45″N 169°39′7″W
	Cape Idokopas	Location of the Putin's Palace
Senegal	Cap-Vert	Westernmost point in mainland Africa 14°44′41″N 17°31′13″W Location of Dakar (capital of Senegal)
Somalia	Cape Guardafui	Second easternmost point in mainland Africa 11°49′N 51°15′E
South Africa	Cape Agulhas	Southernmost point in mainland Africa 34°51′15″S 17°33′22″E Beginning of dividing line between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans
	Cape of Good Hope
South Korea	Seopjikoji
Spain	Cape Finisterre
	Cape Trafalgar
Cape Gata
Tunisia	Cap Bon
	Ras ben Sakka	Northernmost point in mainland Africa 37.350°N 9.750°E / 37.350; 9.750
	Boto
Turkey	Cape Baba	Western tip of mainland Asia 39°28′46.88″N 26°3′50.29″E
	Sarayburnu, Istanbul	Easternmost point of Istanbul Separates the Golden Horn Bay from the Sea of Marmara 41.0169°N 28.9864°E / 41.0169; 28.9864
United Kingdom	Cape Cornwall, Cornwall
	Cape Wrath, Scotland
United States
	Cape Canaveral, Florida	Location of Kennedy Space Center
	Cape Charles, Virginia
	Cape Cod, Massachusetts
	Cape Coral, Florida
	Cape Fear, North Carolina
	Cape Flattery, Washington	Northwest point of the contiguous United States
	Capes on the Mississippi River
	Cape Hatteras, North Carolina
	Cape Henlopen, Delaware
	Cape Henry, Virginia
	Cape Lookout, North Carolina
	Cape May, New Jersey
	Cape Prince of Wales, Alaska
	Cape San Blas, Florida
Cape Elizabeth, Maine
Cape Sable, Florida	Southernmost point of the mainland United States 25°7′6″N 81°5′11″W
Venezuela	Cape San Román	Northernmost point of Paraguaná Peninsula 12°11′46″N 70°0′59″W
Vietnam	Mũi Né

Gallery

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  Cape Cornwall, England

• 

  Satellite image of Cape Fear, North Carolina

• 

  Cape MacLear, Malawi

• 

  Map depicting Cape Horn at the southernmost portion of South America

• 

  Photograph of Cabo Mayor in Santander, Spain

• 

  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