Tobacco_Caye

Tobacco Caye

Tobacco Caye

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16°53′54″N 88°3′43″W

Tobacco Caye
Dock in Tobacco Caye
Tobacco Caye

Tobacco Caye is a tiny island in Belize, about 10 miles (16 kilometres) east of Dangriga.

It is approximately three acres (1.2 hectares) in area, shaped like a yam, with a north-south dimension of about 240 m (260 yd) and an east-west dimension of 125 metres (137 yards). It has a permanent population of about 20, and sees a regular stream of travelers thanks to the five small lodges on the island.[1]

Tobacco Caye lies within the South Water Caye Marine Reserve, part of Belize's national system of protected waters, with a range of restrictions on fishing.

History

The island is believed to have been named for the early cultivation of tobacco there.[2]

The earliest known European chart to indicate Tobacco Caye was by the British geographer J. Speer in 1771.[3]

The island was ravaged by Hurricane Mitch in 1998 but has since been rebuilt.

The island also features Tobacco Caye Marine Station,[4] a study-abroad education centre focusing on the marine environment around Tobacco Caye. The station also gives information to tourists and runs night snorkels and educational lectures.

References

  1. [1]
    About.com posting Archived 2012-03-21 at the Wayback Machine
  2. [2]
    Stoddart, D.R. (1982). Cays of the Belize Barrier Reef and Lagoons. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution.
  3. [3]
    Speer, J. (1771). The West-India Pilot. London. p. 15.
  4. [4]
    Tobacco Caye Marine Station
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This article uses material from the Wikipedia article Tobacco_Caye, and is written by contributors. Text is available under a CC BY-SA 4.0 International License; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.