Outer Banks
| Outer Banks | ||
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| Waters | Atlantic Ocean | |
| Geographical location | 35 ° 16 ′ N , 75 ° 32 ′ W | |
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| Number of islands | approx. 20 | |
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The Outer Banks are a narrow and 280 kilometers long chain of islands in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of North Carolina in the USA . In contrast, the coastal area of North Carolina within this chain of islands is called the Inner Banks , including the islands between the mainland and the Outer Banks.
geography
The Outer Banks extend in an arc over 308 kilometers (245 kilometers as the crow flies ) along the coast of North Carolina from Back Bay (a good 20 kilometers in the urban area of Virginia Beach , Virginia ) to Cape Lookout (North Carolina) far south of Pamlico Sound . From north to south, these include Currituck Banks (a peninsula ), Bodie Island (an extension of the Currituck Banks, but formerly an island), Hatteras , Ocracoke and Portsmouth Island, and the three uninhabited islands of North Core Banks, South Core Banks, and Shackleford Banks the Cape Lookout National Seashore . In the southwest, the island chain seems to continue in the islands of Bogue Banks , Topsail Island and Masonboro Island , but these are no longer included in the Outer Banks. The coastal islands continue in the Sea Islands in South Carolina and Georgia , they extend to Florida . The Shackleford Banks at the southwestern end of the Outer Banks chain and the adjacent Bogue Banks island in the west, which is usually no longer part of the Outer Banks, are only separated by the 1200 meter wide Beaufort Inlet Channel.
The width of the islands is less than 200 meters in places. Cape Hatteras marks the most exposed point in the east . There the distance to the mainland is around 50 kilometers.
Due to this exposed location, the islands are very badly affected by the effects of hurricanes in this region. After Hurricane Isabel in 2003, Hatteras Island was practically divided in two. The damage was then repaired by the army.
Sights and history
The islands are very popular as excursion destinations due to the miles of sandy beaches and the warm climate. Some stretches of the beach are open to vehicle traffic, but all-wheel drive is recommended. The localities on the islands are mainly characterized by timber structures in post construction . There are few large hotel buildings, but there are numerous, mostly family-run guesthouses.
Water sports are practiced on the islands. Surfing and kite surfing are particularly popular . Numerous deep sea fishing tours are also offered.
The town of Kitty Hawk is located on Bodie Island , where the Wright brothers made the first powered flight in 1903 . In recognition of this achievement, the Wright Brothers National Memorial was built on the site .
The island of Ocracoke served the pirate Blackbeard as a retreat. He was finally killed off the island in 1718. Numerous buildings and souvenir shops on the island commemorate this event.
Despite the tourism, numerous animal species can be found on the Outer Banks. These include various species of birds, diamond turtles and wild horses.
Traffic routes
From the north there is a bridge from the mainland to the Outer Banks. The North Carolina Highway 12 (NC 12) connects the first four islands from north to south. The southernmost island of Ocracoke is connected to Hatteras Island by a free ferry (40 minutes). There are also two connections to Cedar Island (135 minutes) and Swan Quarter (165 minutes).
In strong winds it can happen that all ferry connections are stopped and Highway 12 is flooded and therefore impassable.
