Outer Lands
The Outer Lands is a geologically distinct archipelagic region along the southern coast of New England, comprising a chain of barrier islands, peninsulas, and coastal landforms including Cape Cod, the Elizabeth Islands, Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, Block Island, and the South Fork of Long Island, formed primarily by terminal moraines and glacial outwash deposits from the retreating Laurentide Ice Sheet during the late Wisconsinan glaciation approximately 20,000 to 12,000 years ago.[1][2] This region, often treated as a unified ecological and geological unit, extends roughly from [Staten Island](/page/Staten Island) in the southwest to the tip of Cape Cod in the northeast, with its landscape shaped by two key moraines: the older Ronkonkoma Moraine marking the glacier's maximum advance and the younger Harbor Hill Moraine indicating a later readvance, overlain by sandy outwash plains and reshaped by post-glacial sea-level rise and wave action.[1][3] Geographically, the Outer Lands features low-lying dunes, salt marshes, kettle ponds, and glacial erratics, creating a dynamic coastal environment vulnerable to erosion and storm surges, with much of the area now protected within national seashores, state parks, and wildlife refuges such as Cape Cod National Seashore and Fire Island National Seashore.[2] The region's isolation has fostered unique biodiversity, including native plant species like beach plum (Prunus maritima) and bayberry (Morella pensylvanica), as well as migratory bird habitats and marine life such as horseshoe crabs (Limulus polyphemus), which have persisted in near-unchanged form for over 200 million years.[4] Fauna also includes piping plovers (Charadrius melodus), seals, and cetaceans in surrounding waters, supported by nutrient-rich tidal flats and eelgrass beds.[4] Human history in the Outer Lands dates to Indigenous peoples such as the Wampanoag, Narragansett, and other Algonquian-speaking groups like the Montaukett, who utilized the area's resources for fishing, farming, and trade long before European colonization in the 17th century, which introduced agriculture, whaling, and later tourism and residential development.[2] Today, the region is renowned for its ecological significance, serving as a critical buffer against coastal hazards and a hub for environmental conservation efforts amid rising sea levels and climate change.[3]Overview
Definition and Extent
The Outer Lands is defined as a prominent archipelagic terminal moraine region situated off the southern coast of New England in the United States, encompassing a chain of islands and peninsulas primarily shaped by glacial deposits.[1] This geographical entity spans the states of Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New York, representing a distinct coastal zone characterized by its separation from the continental mainland.[5] The Outer Lands stretches from Cape Cod in the east to eastern [Long Island](/page/Long Island) in the west, including major features such as Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, Block Island, and the Elizabeth Islands.[4] Administratively, the Outer Lands falls under the jurisdictions of three states, with key counties such as Suffolk County in New York (encompassing much of Long Island) and Dukes County in Massachusetts (home to Martha's Vineyard). Other relevant counties include Barnstable County in Massachusetts (covering Cape Cod), Nantucket County in Massachusetts, and Washington County in [Rhode Island](/page/Rhode Island) (including Block Island), contributing to the region's fragmented but interconnected governance across state lines. This multi-state administrative scope underscores the Outer Lands' role as a shared coastal resource, though its boundaries are primarily geophysical rather than strictly political.Etymology and Naming
The term "Outer Lands" was popularized by author Dorothy Sterling in her 1967 natural history guide, The Outer Lands: A Natural History Guide to Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, Block Island, and Long Island, which described the ecological features of the barrier islands and peninsulas stretching from Cape Cod to Long Island. Published in collaboration with the American Museum of Natural History, the book employed the phrase to encompass this coastal chain, emphasizing its distinct environmental isolation from the mainland.[4] Prior to Sterling's work, the region lacked a unified modern designation, though earlier colonial references had applied collective names to subsets of the islands. An earlier collective name for parts of the region appeared in a 1635 land grant from the Council for New England to William Alexander, 1st Earl of Stirling, which designated the area—including Long Island and surrounding islands westward of Cape Cod—as the "Isles of Stirling."[6] This grant, detailed on pages 226–230 of colonial records, aimed to promote settlement between the latitudes of 40 and 41 degrees, from the Connecticut River to the Hudson, and within five leagues of the shore; it appointed Captain James Forrest as agent to oversee the territory, marking an early European attempt to claim and name the offshore lands systematically.[7] The name "Isles of Stirling" reflected Alexander's Scottish title but saw limited adoption beyond the grant, as competing colonial claims fragmented the region. The nomenclature of individual components within the Outer Lands evolved through linguistic influences from Indigenous Wampanoag peoples and European explorers and settlers. Nantucket, for instance, derives from the Wampanoag word "Nantockete" or "natockete," translating to "faraway land" or "land in the midst of waters," reflecting its isolated position; this Native term was anglicized by English settlers after their 1659 purchase of the island from Thomas Mayhew.[8] Similarly, Martha's Vineyard was known to the Wampanoag as "Noepe" (meaning "dry land amid the waters") or "Capowak," before explorer Bartholomew Gosnold renamed it in 1602 in honor of his daughter Martha and the wild grapes (vines) he observed.[9] Nomans Land, a smaller island near Martha's Vineyard, was termed "No Man's Land" in early European accounts due to its uninhabited and unclaimed status, combining descriptive English phrasing with its Wampanoag roots; this name persisted into the 19th century before formalizing as "Nomans."[10] Block Island's European name honors Dutch explorer Adriaen Block, who charted it in 1614, but its original Wampanoag designation was "Manisses," or "island of the little god," highlighting spiritual Indigenous associations. These shifts illustrate a broader pattern where Native Algonquian terms provided foundational geographic descriptors, overlaid by European adaptations for navigation, ownership, and settlement.Geography
Major Divisions and Islands
The Outer Lands region encompasses a series of peninsulas and islands along the southern New England coast, forming a fragmented archipelago shaped by glacial deposits and post-glacial sea level rise. This spatial organization includes the prominent Cape Cod peninsula in Massachusetts, which hooks eastward into the Atlantic, and a chain of offshore islands extending from the Elizabeth Islands to Nantucket in Massachusetts, Block Island in Rhode Island, and Long Island in New York. These landmasses are interconnected by major sounds and bays, such as Nantucket Sound, which separates Cape Cod from Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, and Long Island Sound, which divides Long Island from the mainland of Connecticut and New York. The region's barrier islands and archipelagos, including the Outer Barrier chain along Long Island's south shore, further define its subdivisions, with many areas remaining sparsely populated or uninhabited due to their remote, sandy terrains. In Massachusetts, the Cape Cod peninsula dominates as the largest component, covering approximately 399 square miles and serving as a hook-shaped extension from the mainland, bisected by the Cape Cod Canal for navigational access. To its south lie the Elizabeth Islands, a chain of small, low-lying islands stretching 16 miles southwest from Cape Cod's tip between Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound, comprising about 13.6 square miles across islands like Naushon (the largest at roughly 5.5 square miles) and Cuttyhunk. Further south, Martha's Vineyard spans 100 square miles, featuring diverse terrain from cliffs to beaches and acting as a central hub with population centers like Oak Bluffs and Edgartown, where over 20,000 residents live year-round. Nantucket, 30 miles southeast of Cape Cod, covers about 49 square miles and includes the main settlement of Nantucket town, home to around 14,000 people, while much of its interior remains conserved and sparsely developed. Rhode Island's primary contribution is Block Island, a 10-square-mile landmass located 9 miles south of the mainland in Rhode Island Sound, with its sole population center in New Shoreham (about 1,400 year-round residents) and extensive undeveloped areas supporting conservation efforts. This island connects the Massachusetts archipelago to New York's Long Island via broader Atlantic waters. New York's Long Island, the easternmost and largest division at approximately 1,401 square miles (encompassing Nassau and Suffolk counties), stretches 118 miles eastward from New York City, divided by two terminal moraines into northern and southern sections, with Long Island Sound to the north and the Atlantic to the south. Key subdivisions include the barrier island chain of the Outer Barrier, featuring Fire Island (10 square miles of mostly protected dunes and beaches within Fire Island National Seashore), which shelters Great South Bay and remains largely uninhabited except for small communities. Major population centers on Long Island, such as Hempstead and Islip, house millions, contrasting with the more remote eastern forks like the North and South Forks, which preserve agricultural and natural lands.| Major Landmass | State | Approximate Land Area (sq mi) | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Cod (peninsula) | MA | 399 | Hook-shaped, population centers in Hyannis and Provincetown; connected via Cape Cod Bay and Nantucket Sound.[11] |
| Elizabeth Islands (archipelago) | MA | 13.6 | Chain of 8 islands between Buzzards Bay and Vineyard Sound; mostly private, low population.[12] |
| Martha's Vineyard | MA | 100 | Largest island south of Cape Cod; towns like Vineyard Haven; separated by Vineyard Sound.[13] |
| Nantucket | MA | 49 | Isolated island in Nantucket Sound; main town of Nantucket; over 50% conserved land.[14] |
| Block Island | RI | 10 | Offshore in Rhode Island Sound; New Shoreham as population center; extensive natural areas.[15] |
| Long Island | NY | 1,401 | Elongated island with barrier chains; major urban centers in west, rural east; bordered by Long Island Sound.[16] |
| Fire Island (barrier island) | NY | 10 | Part of Outer Barrier chain sheltering Great South Bay; mostly national seashore, minimal permanent population. |